Businesses boosted by 'tweeting'

Date: 17th March 2009

'Tweeting' is the latest craze to hit the small business sector, new figures have revealed.

Figures published by the telecommunications group O2 show that 6,000 small firms are signing up to the social networking tool Twitter each day, with 700,000 already a member.

Using the online service, limited companies, sole traders and other businesses can keep in touch with customers and potential clients by tweeting new marketing strategies and promotions instantly.

Statistics from O2 showed that 16 per cent of businesses using the platform had already saved up to £5,000 in costs.

Head of small business marketing at O2, Simon Devonshire, commented: "The increase in small businesses using converged devices such as smartphones combined with the simplicity of Twitter represents a fantastic opportunity to further raise their profiles and increase efficiency."

The findings of an investigation by the Federation of Small Businesses last month showed that British firms were losing £800 every year due to internet-based crime.