(GroupWeb Media LLC, July 17, 2010 ) Hong Kong -- Social networking has become a mainstream
business tool in China with a full 44 per cent of businesses having
successfully used social networks to win new business, reveals a new global
survey commissioned by global workspace solutions provider Regus.

Testimony to the faith businesses are now putting in the social networking
medium is seen in the revelation that more than half of Chinese businesses
(52 per cent) have set aside a proportion of marketing budget – hard cash –
specifically devoted to social networking activities.

Digital Influence Consultant, and Asia's most followed tech-culture
journalist on Twitter, Jay Oatway believes that the role social media plays
in business will continue to grow: "The survey numbers are just the tip of
the iceberg. Social media is clearly transforming every facet of society,
including the way we work. The future of business is social business, and
those who are slow to embrace this fact will simply be put out of business
by their more progressive competitors."

Up to now, relatively little analysis is available regarding the real use
businesses are making of social networking and whether hard business can be
generated through this channel. To glean whether businesses globally
believe that social networking is ready to take its place among an array of
marketing tools, the Regus survey asked business leaders not only whether
they had made any customer wins using social networking, but also whether
they believed the channel effective enough to be awarded its own portion of
marketing budget.

Globally, social networks are still used for their original range of
functions. The most popular use of social networks is staying in touch with
business contacts, with 58 per cent of respondents globally declaring they
use networks in this way. Joining special interest groups is also popular
(54 per cent). Although a number of sceptics (34 per cent) believe social
networking will never become a significant method of connecting to
customers and prospects, a full 51 per cent of firms organise, connect to
or manage customer groups via social networks. 54 per cent of firms use
social networks to find out useful business information. Surprisingly,
however, only 22 per cent of respondents had found new employment through
social networking, this in spite of the specific job search functions of
networks such as LinkedIn.

In China specifically, more than half (52 per cent) of businesses have set
aside a proportion of marketing budget specifically devoted to social
networking activities. 10 per cent more respondents in China used social
networking to find out useful information than the global average (54 per
cent) and 65 per cent declared that the main usefulness of social networks
was the managing and connecting to customer groups. 32 per cent more
respondents than the global average of 44 per cent declared that they were
impressed by audio/visual animations on a company profile.

Hans Leijten, Regional Vice President for Regus, East Asia, comments: “Our
groundbreaking global survey has revealed that social networking has
finally become a mainstream business tool. Although there is a hardcore of
sceptics globally, who do not believe that social networks will become a
significant method of reaching customers and prospects, a significant
proportion of firms are devoting real marketing budgets through the medium
to acquire new customers and keep existing ones. Home to QQ.com the
mammoth social networking site numbering 990 million users, and RenRen
which claims over 560 million page views daily, it is not surprising to
find China ahead of the game.

“Whilst the most popular function of these networks remains that of keeping
in touch with contacts, businesses are also successfully acquiring new
customers, supporting their retention efforts and interacting with customer
groups. This survey indicates that organisations who have not yet ventured
into the world of social networking may be missing out on sizeable business
opportunities. This is particularly the case in the Netherlands (48 per
cent), India (52 per cent), Mexico (50 per cent) and Spain (50 per cent),
where the highest level of new customer acquisition via social networking
was reported.”

The survey also analysed company size differences and found that overall
small companies were a little more likely than average to use social
networking. In China 59 per cent of small companies compared to 20 per cent
of large companies and the global 40 per cent average had successfully
found new customers through social networks. More small firms (58 per cent)
actively devote marketing budget to this activity than large companies (43
per cent). 72 per cent of smaller companies believe that the main use of
social networking is that of organising, connecting to and managing
customer groups compared to 49 per cent of large firms. A full 72 per cent
of small companies use social networks to find useful business information
compared to 59 per cent of large firms.

On a sector basis, 65 per cent of manufacturing firms and 60 per cent of
consultancy firms had found new customers through social networking.
Although globally the Manufacturing sector was found to be less involved
with social networking, in China 25 per cent more businesses than average
had found new clients through this activity. Nevertheless a huge number of
social networking sceptics, who do not believe that this channel will ever
become an effective means of connecting to customers and prospects were
found in the Chinese Manufacturing (81 per cent) and Consultancy (88 per
cent) sectors.

- End -

About Regus
Regus is the world’s leading global provider of innovative workspace
solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices
to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world’s largest
network of video communication studios. Regus delivers a new way to work,
whether it’s from home, on the road or from an office. Clients such as
Google, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nokia join thousands of growing small and
medium businesses that benefit from outsourcing their office and workplace
needs to Regus, allowing them to focus on their core business.

Over 650,000 clients a day benefit from Regus facilities spread across a
global footprint of more than ,1000 locations in 450 cities and 85
countries, which allow individuals and companies to work wherever, however
and whenever they want to. For more information please visit:
www.regus.co.uk

Issued on behalf of Regus
By EBA Communications

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For more information, please contact:
Paula Fisher EBA Communications
Phone: +852 5237 8022
Email: paula.fisher@ebacomms.com

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