The UK is lagging behind in the use of online social networking for business, according to a recent study conducted by Survey Sampling International (SSI). The study found that only 51 percent of UK businesspeople are part of social networks, in comparison to the 75 percent in Spain and 63 percent in the Netherlands.

"The survey results show that the UK has been slower than other countries in adopting social networking as part of their business strategy," acknowledges Pete Cape, Global Knowledge Director at SSI.

While almost half of UK people surveyed admitted that they used the sites for networking, the focus was more on interacting with friends and colleagues (49 percent) and spying on peers (34 per cent), than using the platform in marketing and brand awareness. SSI's survey shows that few B2B users incorporate social networking into their business strategy, with only 11 percent of those in the UK doing so.

"This survey indicates that B2B users have a sound understanding of social networks as a space, but are reluctant to incorporate it into marketing plans," notes Managing Director of SSI Europe, Michel Guidi.

Of the few UK users that choose to use social networks actively for business relations, participants revealed that the main opportunities are for public relations (44 percent) and customer relations (52 percent) purposes.

"This consensus across Europe suggests that social networks are not yet regarded as a forum for new business," concludes Guidi.

Survey results showed that more than half of businesspeople log on to networking sites every day. The most popular site in UK is Facebook, used by 62 percent of those surveyed, followed by My Space with 32 percent. Local business networking sites LinkedIn and Ecademy were not specifically mentioned.

The survey, conducted in the UK, France, German, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, indicates that business people are increasingly fond of online networking, with four percent admitting that they log on every hour.

SSI surveyed 6,874 business people who are members of its OpinionWorld online communities; in UK (2,551), Spain (702), Germany (645), France (1,137),  Italy (1,510), and The Netherlands (329).

"It's clear that at the moment British business people see a tangible divide between work and play, and whether they wise up to the marketing opportunities available through social networking remains to be seen," notes Cape.

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