More than a third of Irish SMEs are planning to invest in social media over the next 13 months, according to a new survey by Bord Gáis Energy. As well as investing in their online presence, the survey also revealed social media will play a large part in reviewing job applicants.
With over half of Irish SMEs believing their social media performance is average or poor, the survey revealed that a massive shift of budget will see business focus on their online presence over the coming months.
Of those surveyed, respondents revealed that 17% of advertising budgets will be spent in online advertising this year, compared to the 12% allocated to print placement. However, a further 17% of the companies taking part in the poll admitted that they are still without a website.
This didn’t stop them using the platforms for reviewing job applicants, with 44% of employers admitting they will research a candidate’s online profile during the recruitment process.
“Your boss is probably following you on Twitter under that generic account name and watching what you’re saying about the company. So, my advice is, behave on social media as you do in person,” said Damien Mulley, founder of the Bord Gáis Energy Social Media Awards.
But be warned - the survey also revealed that employers are using social media to check up on current employees, with almost a quarter of those surveyed admitted to firing or warning staff due to online behaviour.
