Exercise $1$: APA Style Summary

Research Finding: Title: "Influence of Social Media on Small Business Growth"

The study conducted over a year involved analyzing the growth patterns of $200$ small businesses actively using social media for marketing. The research, which used a combination of surveys and analysis of sales data, found that businesses engaging with customers on social media experienced a $40\%$ increase in sales on average compared to those that did not use social media. The study also noted that platforms like Instagram and Facebook were most effective in driving customer engagement and sales.

Prompt: Summarize the above research finding in APA style, focusing on the main results and conclusions. Ensure your summary is concise and includes an appropriate APA citation.