IT contractors should be recommending social media to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the best medium for marketing, it has been claimed.

Social media marketing has many benefits to SMEs, according to the managing director at small business expert Red Idea Tania Jackson.

A basic social media marketing campaign can be conducted in-house, therefore saving massively on costs.

However, the measurability should also be key factor for SMEs, as click-through results can be tangibly recorded and measured directly against cost, Ms Jackson added.

"If you advertise in a magazine or a newspaper you often have to hope for the best but if you use social media, have an online planning strategy and back that with Google Analytics … it's easier to know where that money has come from," she explained.

According to a survey from FedEx Office and Kethcum, almost two in five SME owners reported they would be growing their businesses with social media sites.