Businesses using social media to push brand awareness is well-documented, but according to new research by Eloqua B2B companies are getting in on the action, too.

Over 500 B2B marketers were surveyed about their use of social media, revealing that 64% of UK businesses use the medium as a marketing tool for reasons ranging from gaining trust to brand perception.

Interestingly, 23% of respondents said that social media is not the responsibility of any one department, mirroring other findings that indicate a not-insignificant number of companies lack dedicated social media personnel.

Again, many respondents expressed enthusiasm for utilizing social media in their workplace, but claimed they are unable to. Around 20% said a lack of tools is preventing them from using social media for lead generation.

The infographic also states that while figures suggest LinkedIn is almost three times as effective as Facebook and Twitter in lead generation, it actually trails behind in adoption for this purpose. Given LinkedIn’s clout in the business community it’s surprising that so many B2B companies are overlooking the potential in this natural ally.