According to a Quarter 1 Survey from Manta, small business owners are seeing a return on investment in social media but are not exactly happy with Facebook.
From the article

As more social business owners increase their social media presence, they’re also encountering obstacles along the way. Eighteen percent of SMBs report Facebook is the most difficult platform to maintain, followed by LinkedIn and Twitter. Small business owners are also in need of business-focused platforms like Manta to help them connect with prospects and peers. In fact, 36 percent of SMBs indicate the primary goal of using social media is to acquire and engage with new customers.
 

Some findings from the survey include:

• Thirty-nine percent (39%) of small business owners are seeing a return on investment from social media
• Small businesses are dedicating significant people to social media
• Small businesses are spending significant time on social media
• Small businesses plan to invest in social media for Q2
• Some have been able to pin down a dollar return

The last point is particularly interesting from my perspective. According to the article some businesses are seeing a ROI in the thousands of dollars. And yet according to new Syncapse empirical research, the average value of brand Fans in key consumer categories has increased 28% to $174.17.  So clearly it all depends on the business, it’s products and the level of engagement a business has with it fans and followers.