Dublin, 8 February 2011: Aisling Foley Marketing, specialist in B2B IT marketing, has conducted a second annual research study into the usage of Twitter among Irish software companies. The results show that the number of Irish software companies with Twitter accounts has almost doubled over the last 12 months.

2011 research finds that 51 percent of 320 Irish software companies that were in the study have opened a Twitter account. Last year that number was 26 percent and only half of those companies were active on Twitter. Although the activity figure has grown to 55% this year this still means that only 28 percent of all researched companies are actively using Twitter.

“The research also found that 18% of companies active on Twitter still don’t promote it on their company website,” said Aisling Foley, director Aisling Foley Marketing. “It makes a huge difference adding the “Follow us on Twitter” logo to your home and contact web pages. I’ve seen it with my own clients. Although last year this figure was 37% so things have improved.”

42 companies, or 14.5 percent of last year’s 289 surveyed companies, opened a Twitter account in the last 12 months. A large number of these were opened in February 2010, just after last year’s survey results were published.

“Forrester Research recently said that any company not creating a social media strategy and setting budgets, allocating resources or setting policy is already behind,” said Aisling Foley. “I agree. Business and brand awareness can be improved by using Twitter. Another US based company, Hubspot, said that 38% of B2B companies acquired a customer through Twitter.”

The research was conducted between December 2010 and January 2011 among 320 Irish-owned software companies. 74% of the companies are Dublin-based, with the remainder outside of Dublin and within the Republic of Ireland.

About Aisling Foley Marketing

Aisling Foley Marketing is an independent marketing consultancy that provides software companies with the extra resource and expertise required to extend current marketing activities. For more information please visit www.aislingfoley.com.

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This article appeared in the following publications:

• PR Ireland blog: Tune in or Drop out
• Digital Times: A doubling in Irish software Twips
• Business and Leadership: Irish software companies on Twitter rise from 26pc to 51pc
• IrishDev.com: Twitter fails to excite Irish software companies
• Silicon Republic: Irish software companies on Twitter double to 51%