Social media are used by companies to develop their brand and communicate with customers, as well as to sell, according to analysts at the Polish Economic Institute (PIE). Almost half of companies already use social media for business purposes, a decade ago it was 19%.

According to PIE’s latest Economic Weekly, more than 80 % of large companies used social media to create an image or market products (76 %) and to recruit employees (58 %).

Citing data from the Central Statistical Office, PIE relayed that 18 % of small, medium, and large businesses were e-selling in 2022. Most often, companies carried out e-sales via their own websites or mobile apps (13 %).

In 2023, two-thirds of businesses (67 %) had a website and more than 4 % offered customers a downloadable smartphone app. Open data was used by 15 %, mainly by large companies. Entrepreneurs mainly used economic and financial data.

However, social media are not only used to develop one’s own brand and as a channel for communication with customers, but also for sales. A PARP statement (August 2022) shows that social commerce, i.e. commerce conducted directly via social networks or with minimal participation of the online shop website to which social media redirects, is growing in popularity.

A study by the European Commission (2021) shows that the use of ICT by companies is beneficial to the environment. As many as 73 % of companies report that by using ICT they use less materials and equipment, 72 % produce less waste and 70 % use less energy.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński