UPS Canada really delivers when it comes to using social media.
Paul Gaspar, the parcel delivery company’s Canadian director of small business, said it’s the most cost effective way to grow a business and offers any size company an invaluable competitive advantage.
UPS has just released the study it conducted with Leger Marketing in May about how Canadian leaders engage social media in their businesses, and whether they see it as a competitive necessity.
Why, you might ask, is UPS interested in a study on social media?
The company commissions four studies a year, and has been doing so for several years, Gaspar said. It’s part of UPS’ marketing strategy — a way to connect with new customers and bring some value to the table.
“Sometimes when you are just talking about who you are and what you do, it might not get people’s attention, but some of these studies really resonate with people,” he said. “As an advocate for small business, we’ve been looking at different aspects as to how we could help these businesses grow in a cost-effective way.”
The new study was important since, as Gaspar said, social media has only been leveraged for the past three of the roughly five years it has been around. “Social media outlets have evolved into persuasive global marketing tools, they have the ability to promote product, influence buying decisions, and keep a company’s customer service on their toes.”
In terms of UPS own social media efforts, Gaspar said it is heavily engaged in Twitter, through its corporate blog and on Facebook. It’s a way to discuss anything from export opportunities to diversification, and enables the company to reach customers on a more personal level.
Commenting on some of the facts from the study, Gaspar said, “Fifty-five percent of the businesses we surveyed tell us that they are engaged, but the bad news is the other 45% haven’t even got out of the gate. Those that use social media recognize its true benefit, they see it as a competitive necessity — a lesson I’m hoping the other 45% can use.”
Another statistic of interest, said Gaspar, is that 59% of businesses use social media to gauge market interest in their products or services, while less than one in 10 see social media as an inexpensive way to grow their business.
“I find that troubling because I feel it is the most powerful tool for any business to grow their brand,” he said.
