According to a report by Manta , nine out of ten small businesses now dedicate time to networking online using social media and other channels, and almost three-quarters of those firms find online networking as valuable, if not more so, than networking in person. Additionally, forty-two percent of small firms said that a quarter of their customers gained over the past year had come from online channels.  (Mediabistro) 

Mediabistro  states, "The data also noted that forty-two percent of small business owners have a presence on Facebook, and nineteen percent said that their Facebook Page drove the most business for their company, ahead of LinkedIn (13%), Google+ (10%), and Twitter (5%). Thirty-five percent of respondents said that being found by new customers was the number one benefit of online networking."

(Source: Manta )