Nearly half of Birmingham companies are using social media marketing services to tender new business, according to research.

Regus, a global workspace provider, found that Birmingham businesses are utilising social media platforms more than the rest of the nation (46 per cent compared 41 per cent).

Additionally, they are using them more effectively. Birmingham firms that use platforms like Twitter and Facebook are more likely to connect and engage with existing customers than anywhere else in the country (53 per cent compared to 48 per cent).

Greg Lunn, regional director at Regus, believes that social networking in the commercial environment has finally “come into its own”.

“And it seems firms in Birmingham are ahead of the UK average in many areas,” he exclaimed in a Telegraph.co.uk report.

“More and more companies are leveraging the channel not only to increase the loyalty of existing customers, but as a successful acquisition tool.”

Regus’ research states that social media marketing is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ commodity, but rather an invaluable necessity.

According to the report cited by BirminghamMail.net, three-quarters of businesses in the city and two-thirds of the UK agree that without social media activity, marketing initiatives cannot hope to be successful.

However, it also emerged that firms are still in favour of utilising a mixed media approach.

Without a balance of both traditional and digital media, 64 per cent of Birmingham firms believe a marketing campaign will fail, whilst nationally 61 per cent of businesses agreed.