Social media business networks provide small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a modern platform to network, resulting in improved business performance. However, rural SMEs are less likely to access these networks and often underperform urban counterparts. This paper provides a rural–urban comparative analysis of business performance across SMEs for both members and non-members of social media business networks. Empirically, the analysis draws on data of over 13,000 SMEs from the 2015-UK Government's Small Business Survey. Inverse Probability Weighting is used to control for selection bias of firms selecting into a location and business network and for variations in business characteristics. The results reveal that rural SMEs that are members of social media business networks tend to register higher turnover and seek to grow sales compared to rural and urban SMEs that are non-members. For turnover, rural firms that are members of these business networks perform as well as urban SMEs that are members. However, for sales growth, they underperform urban counterparts. Therefore, the development of SMEs’ performance in rural areas requires enhanced online business support environments, improved digital infrastructure and connectivity, the creation of online co-working spaces, and increased digital and technological skills.

中文翻译：

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社交媒体商业网络和中小企业绩效：城乡比较分析

社交媒体业务网络为中小型企业 (SME) 提供了一个现代化的网络平台，从而提高了业务绩效。然而，农村中小企业接入这些网络的可能性较小，而且往往表现不如城市同行。本文对社交媒体商业网络的成员和非成员的中小企业的业务绩效进行了城乡比较分析。根据经验，该分析借鉴了 2015 年英国政府小型企业调查中超过 13,000 家中小企业的数据。逆概率加权用于控制选择位置和业务网络的公司的选择偏差以及业务特征的变化。结果表明，与非成员的农村和城市中小企业相比，作为社交媒体业务网络成员的农村中小企业往往会登记更高的营业额并寻求增加销售额。在营业额方面，作为这些商业网络成员的农村公司的表现与作为成员的城市中小企业一样。然而，就销售增长而言，它们的表现不及城市同行。因此，中小企业在农村地区的发展需要增强在线业务支持环境、改进数字基础设施和连接、创建在线共享工作空间以及提高数字和技术技能。他们的表现不及城市同行。因此，中小企业在农村地区的发展需要增强在线业务支持环境、改进数字基础设施和连接、创建在线共享工作空间以及提高数字和技术技能。他们的表现不及城市同行。因此，中小企业在农村地区的发展需要增强在线业务支持环境、改进数字基础设施和连接、创建在线共享工作空间以及提高数字和技术技能。