A recently released survey by InSites Consulting found that eight out of 10 American companies are present on Facebook and 45 percent are using Twitter.

The survey also found that more companies in the United States use social media than their European counterparts.

Companies are using social media to interact with customers, with eight out of 10 companies answering client questions and complaints via social media. They are also using social media to monitor what is being said about them — four out of 10 companies listen to what consumers say about them on social network sites.

But although companies believe it is very important to be present on social networking sites, they aren’t always implementing a well-thought-out strategy. Only 11 percent of the companies are integrating their social media approach into their overall corporate strategy.

“A huge number of companies feel external pressure to be present on social media,” said Steven Van Belleghem, partner at the research agency InSites Consulting. “Unfortunately, this very often results in static corporate pages where nothing really happens. It too often leads to mere presence, not engagement with people. In doing so, companies create enthusiasm among their customers which in the end turns into disappointment.” 

A total of 1,222 managers and business owners were interviewed from companies in the United States, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France.