The Los Angeles Times recently reported that surfing Facebook for hours on end isn’t just for personal pleasure anymore. About 90% of small businesses are dedicating time to networking online, according to a new survey from Manta, an online forum dedicated to small businesses.

The company surveyed 600 small-business owners nationwide and found that 78% say that using social-networking platforms is just as important as networking in person — if not more so.

Social networking on sites such as Facebook and FourSquare help small businesses receive immediate referrals when customers check in or tag the companies, according to the survey, and 42% of businesses reported that a quarter of their new customers came through social-media sites.

The survey found that 58% of small businesses struggle to find value in using Facebook to promote their businesses or don’t have a page at all. And 25% of those surveyed said their company website drives the most business for them.

Source: Los Angeles Times