In looking at the myriad of social networks out there its clear that Facebook has done the most to assist small businesses and it appears for good reason.

The Digital Marketing company G/O Digital recently published a study that; among other benefits, finds consumers use Facebook for company and product research more than any other Social Networking site.

In their study, 1,000 adults between the age of 18-29, it is reported that 80% of these people check online reviews at least once a week before they heading into a physical store and Facebook is by far the top choice for this research with 68% voting it the number-one site, compared to Twitter and Pinterest – 11% and 12%.

“Very few businesses have the capacity to drive this level of nationwide scale with small businesses, so the most bang-for-your-buck way for many small businesses to drive in-store activity (and sales) through social marketing in the short term is going to be Facebook,” said G/O Digital CMO Jeff Fagel. “Pinterest and Twitter should definitely have a place in their larger social marketing strategy, but will serve different purposes and support different objectives.”

Deals and reviews appear to be the most effective tools in influencing Facebook users. The study indicates that 40% state an offer which could be redeemed in-store is the most likely tactic to drive them to make a purchase at a local business while only 10% would do the same in response to a photo or video contest. Meanwhile, 80% of respondents say they would be more likely to purchase from a small business with positive reviews on their Facebook page