The Bank of Montreal says Canadian small business owners are increasingly knowledgeable about using social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
BMO says 57% of about 300 business owners contacted for the study said they use social media.
That's up 17 points from 40% in last year's study.
BMO's report is based on a Pollara telephone survey of 301 business owners, conducted between Aug. 22 and Sept. 10.
Nearly 40% of the respondents said they use social media to seek ideas or suggestions
About one-third said they track what's being said about their business and one-quarter check out feedback about their competitors.
About 25% said they were using social media to search for new talent, up 11 percentage points from last year.
BMO's study found Facebook was used by 43% of respondents, while LinkedIn was used by 23% and Twitter by 11%
