Gaberlunzie, however is amused however to note that Virgin didn't include LinkedIn in the research - a serious omission! since Virgin head of business markets, Alan Worthing is on LinkedIn, but not apparently on Facebook or is he right? And Virgin may be on Twitter, but Alan Worthing doesn't appear to be there.

Key findings show 21% of Scot companies say they use social media with Twitter the most popular tool with 43%, and beating MySpace at 38% with Facebook used by just 24%, revealing that social media is fast becoming one of the primary ways UK businesses keep in touch with their customers, with a third of UK companies using it in some capacity.

The 5,000 UK businesses poll, including 500 in Scotland, reveals that Scottish businesses are slower to latch on to the possibilities of social media than other UK regions, with only 21% of businesses saying they used it. 

Among companies adopting these tools, the study discovered Twitter the firm favourite, with 43% of social media savvy business people in Scotland making use of the tool. The country’s use of MySpace was also higher than the national average at 38%.

Perhaps most surprising, however, was the revelation that Scottish companies were the least likely in the UK to use Facebook, with just 24% adopting it. 

Nationally, London firmly led the trend for businesses making use of social media, with 47% of companies claiming to be there. Close behind the South East, at 44%, the South West and Wales, at 42%. Midlands were level with the national average, while just 22% of businesses in Yorkshire had made use of social media.

Alan Worthing (left) head of business markets for Virgin Media Business in Scotland, said “Social media offers businesses across the UK a huge variety of ways to get to know their customers better and promote their products and services in new and innovative ways.

"What’s most interesting about this study is that it shows how businesses in each region of the UK is responding to this challenge by adopting a unique mix of communications tools that’s suited to their local markets. 

“While the research also shows that different parts of the UK are responding to these opportunities at a different rate, it’s clear to see that the rate of adoption shows no sign of slowing. After all, as a medium television took 13 years to reach 50m viewers, yet that social media has penetrated at least 20% of businesses in just a few years. Social media may not be on the radar of many businesses in Scotland just yet, but all signs are that it certainly will be in the future.”