Kelsey Thinks Social, Acts Local

With small businesses increasingly heading onto Facebook and other social networks, local media advisor BIA/ Kelsey is launching a social media practice geared to the local market.

Recent research by the firm, in partnership with ConStat, shows 48% of small and medium-sized businesses are using Facebook to advertise or promote their business, outstripping email at 43%. Among those surveyed, 40% said they have a dedicated Facebook page. Among other findings, one-quarter use other social networks, 22% have a blog, and 19% use Twitter to promote their company.

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Face off: Survey shows Foursquare is losing out to Facebook Places

Facebook Places seems to be going places fast and has powered past start-up location-based discounters Foursquare and Gowalla to achieve a commanding market share in the five short months since its stateside launch.

The Financial Times' tech blog has reported that 32 per cent of social networking site MerchantCircle's 1.6 million local business owning users currently promote their business through Facebook Places, while just 9 per cent use location-based start-up Foursquare - even though Facebook Places is said to be largely styled on the start-up.