Friday Guest Blog: Social Media - Risk or Reward?

By Angela Workman, LEWIS PR

It could be argued that social media represents equal risk and reward to business. One thing is certain though – it shouldn’t be overlooked

With mainstream media outlets declining in readership and influence, and the ability for anyone to use the web to create their own publishing channel, social media can represent a massive opportunity, as well as a threat.

Communications is more global than ever. It is faster, more prolific and more direct. In the fight to be first, information can be less accurate and the impact, wether positive or negative, will be more acute for a company.

One of the most extreme examples to date where accuracy has been compromised in the name of speed, is the 2008 case involving United Airlines, in which a six-year old story about the company’s bankruptcy was incorrectly identified as a ‘new’ story. The rapid dissemination of this ‘news’ caused the company’s share price to drop by 75 per cent in a matter of hours, before the error was detected and share trading halted.

More than 1.5 billion people, or a quarter of the world’s population, have access to the internet. According to research company Nielsen, two-thirds of internet users visit social networking or blogging sites. With web technologies now empowering people to communicate, collaborate and consume in new and revolutionary ways, it’s no surprise that companies and brands are looking to get involved.

As the web gets more social and diverse, and stakeholders increasingly move online, social media will become a critical part of achieving business goals. Organisations will need a proactive, yet measured and controlled mindset, to drive and maximise its social media strategy. Here are ten steps to get you started on the road to social media success:

1) Do your homework – the more time spent on research, the more value you will get from a social media strategy. The most important influencers might not be the biggest bloggers, for example. Spend time researching the area, including forums and Twitter feeds, before you launch your campaign. Set up RSS feeds to monitor the conversation about the company, person, competitor or issue(s).

2) Don’t forget best practice – despite social media appearing a less formal communication medium, the same regulatory and legal constraints typically apply. The mechanism may need to be faster, but the rules of engagement still need to be in place. Elect a social media ambassador within your company to ensure consistency of messages and professional standards are adhered to.

3) Become one of ‘them’ – Social media etiquette is such that newcomers, rightly or wrongly, are often rejected – particularly if they try to join in the conversations that are already happening. To be accepted, try some of the technology, read blogs associated with your area of expertise, post comments on forums and articles, and follow Twitterers from your industry. Above all, always try to add value to conversations, rather than extract value. The creation of value is in the exchange. You give something, you get something back… eventually.

4) Be selective – there are some great services out there in the social sphere that will help you spread your message. Choose the channels that are going to add the most value to your campaign, and make sure you mix text with audio and video. Think about whether you need to monitor and respond or proactively engage. Not every social media tool suits every company or individual. Always keep your objectives and target audience in mind when deciding which ones to use.

5) Integrate – web-based marketing deserves a place at the heart of your strategy. If you decide to launch a blog, video or online influencer strategy, it should be in line with your wider corporate messages. At the same time, any marketing outreach should tie back to your web-based properties, as well as your offline campaigns.

6) Be realistic – human nature dictates that people are more driven to communicate a bad experience than they are a positive. Expect online conversations to be in part negative, but view this as an opportunity.

7) Pick your battles – ask yourself if the issue you are concerned with will impact your core business. Only argue with facts, not opinions, and never engage with the anonymous. Those that don’t admit who they are often aren’t credible sources, and love a drawn-out fight.

8) Be honest – don’t try to ‘spin’ the truth. Apart from being a poor practice, you’re far more likely to be found out online. Be helpful, polite and frank. If you don’t know the answer to something, be up front about it and make a commitment to find out and come back.

9) Build an online community – one of the most compelling ways to transmit your message is for others to do it on your behalf. Achieving this is marketing nirvana, and as such it’s not something that is going to happen overnight. Foster your community by involving people in your cause, asking for opinions, seeking feedback, circulating links and being responsive to requests.

10) Measure outcomes – measuring the success of your marketing campaign is often the hardest part. But with social media, you can often track outcomes right back to the tactic that started the process. Regularly measuring the impact of a social media channel and responding to successes will result in a swift return. Decide on key criteria that are aligned with your objectives and use these to measure against. Don’t try to use every metric tool available.

Chances are, your brand or company is already being discussed on various social media channels. Don’t believe me? Just type your brand or company name into the search box on Youtube, Facebook or Twitter. This simple act can be most illuminating, with many people underestimating the volume and depth of discussion and insight about their brand or company taking place online, right now.

Whether your strategy needs to be one of reactive defence, or pro-actively fostering a brand-advocating community, your move into social media is just a mouse click away.

High Speed Rail Announcement: Connections are Key

By Richard Critchley, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Transport Policy Manager

“We enthusiastically welcome the Government’s commitment to High Speed Rail and its proposals which will place Manchester at the core of a future high-speed rail network. The extended remit of HS2 to look at routes to both Manchester and Leeds is certainly a step in the right direction, but with capacity filling up on existing routes it is essential that we start to see some firm progress in the development of the network. The plans outlined today focus heavily on the southern end of the line and connectivity with the capital’s existing infrastructure, but we would like to see more detail on how the project will continue outside the south east. Connections to the existing network and within the regions will be the key to the success of the HSR project and ultimately the economy of the region will benefit from the plans as long as they come to fruition, incorporating Manchester and the north of England.”

Chamber Awards 2010 now open for entries

The Chamber Awards 2010 is now open for entries. Run by British Chambers of Commerce and sponsored by the royal Bank of Scotland Group, the awards aim to recognise and celebrate business excellence through the successes and achievements of its Accredited Chambers of Commerce and their members.

Categories include:

• Business of the Year
• Award for Innovation Through Technology
• Most Promising New Business
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Achievement in International Business
• Award for Excellence in People Development
• The Green Award
• Excellence in Customer Service

Previous winners have experienced year round exposure from the Awards programme and the national winner of the grand prize also receives £25,000, with prizes of £15,000 and £10,000 being given to the second and third prize winners.
The deadline for entries is 25 June. Entries submitted before 28 May will also be entered into a prize draw to win £250 or high street vouchers.
For further information on all the categories and information on entering visit the Chamber Awards web site at www.chamberawards.co.uk

Lend Us Your Ear, Mr Darling

As Chancellor Alistair Darling prepares the particulars behind his latest Budget announcement, Dr Brian Sloan, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce’s Head of Business and Economic Policy, sets out his ‘Budget Wish List’. So Alistair, if you’re listening…

• We need a credible plan to deal with the Budget deficit

“The Government needs to lay down as a matter of urgency a credible plan to deal with the Budget deficit. The nation now expects the inevitable tax rises and public sector spending cuts, but the current uncertainty over where the axe will fall and where taxes will rise is damaging business confidence and leading to lower levels of investment. Only through investment will we create wealth and jobs to sustain a recovery.”

• Abandon the 1% increase in Employers’ National Insurance Contributions

“This is a tax on jobs and this will deprive businesses in Greater Manchester of £120m a year, £3.43bn nationally, that might have been better used for investment and job creation and would make a positive contribution to addressing the budget deficit.”

• The Government should provide a short-term trade credit insurance scheme for exports

“There is evidence, particularly across the North West, that exports are driving the recovery, though not to the extent that weakened Sterling would suggest. The Government needs to provide trade credit insurance to help businesses achieve the full potential of overseas demand.”

• Commit transport expenditure to critical infrastructure developments that have been announced

“These include Northern Hub, rail electrification and active travel management on motorways. The Government also needs to commit to High Speed Rail plans when formally announced later in March.”

• Implement a discretionary relaxation of the 16-hour rule for Job Seeker’s Allowance

“This will have the longer term benefit of enabling people to support themselves through training and education to achieve a more valuable qualification that leads to more sustainable employment.”

From Stuart Beaumont, MD at The Safety Group

Businesses Grit Their Teeth During Adverse Weather

The snow that swept the country earlier this year brought many businesses to a complete standstill, with losses of up to £600m a day . Employees were left reeling at having to take unpaid leave or use up precious holidays as they were confined to their homes by the snow. But what lessons did businesses learn from this year’s snow fall and how prepared are they to deal with staff absences in future adverse weather conditions?

Employers should exercise great caution in these circumstances, as controlling an employee’s holidays could actually breach the terms of their contracts.

Very simply, if employees are unable to get into work because of adverse weather conditions there is no legal obligation for employers to pay for this time off therefore, it is unpaid. In many cases, employers have been asking employees if they would prefer to take the time off as a holiday rather than unpaid leave, to which many have said yes, although the question of whether the employer can ‘force’ an employee to take a holiday is debatable.

Legally, employers are allowed to fix holidays i.e. the employer can determine when employees take their holidays, but it’s advisable that employers look at the detail contained within employee’s contracts of employment in relation to holidays, as some contracts are worded as follows: ‘The Company will fix three days holiday per year to account for the Christmas shutdown, however all other holidays can be taken at times suited to the employee in line with business needs’. Where such statements exist in the employee’s terms and conditions, employers need to be careful about breaching contracts of employment, as they could find themselves embroiled in a costly and time consuming tribunal.

Furthermore, news reports have revealed that the number of reported slips and falls almost doubled during the heavy snowfall, leaving many companies running to the rescue of workers and the general public. But with the increased risks of an accident during bad weather, how much consideration are companies giving to health and safety regulations?

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, employers have a legal duty of care to employees and all those who may be affected by their business or activities, this includes visitors, contractors and members of the public accessing the premises or sites a company is responsible for.

Regardless of adverse weather, over 10,000 employees suffered a major injury as a result of a slip or trip at work in 2008/09, according to the HSE, with forty people dying and £800 million lost across all industry sectors due to slips, trips and falls at work.

Business owners need to identify slip, trip and fall hazards, assess risk and keep areas of work safe and hazard-free at all times, especially during adverse weather. Failure to do so will result at best in a fine and at worse; the possibility of a charge of Corporate Manslaughter should an employee die as a result of negligence.

There is a lot of conflicting advice on whether companies should grit their premises or sites during extreme snowfall, or whether they should clear snow away etc. Beaumont says: “It’s advisable to make sites as safe as possible, which includes laying grit or salt to make surfaces less slippery, clearing snow or spilt materials. Everyone should be looking to prevent accidents from happening as much as possible.

To reduce the risk of a slip, fall or trip, in snow, ice, frost or spilt materials, employers need to identify high-traffic areas, such as building entrances, car parks, pedestrian walkways, short cuts, sloped areas and places where water may gather.

The following tips may be useful:

• If you can, try to keep employees / contractors / the general public off the slippery surface
• Use grit or similar, on areas prone to be slippery, or sand to soak up oils
• Consider covering walkways e.g. by an arbour high enough for people to walk through, or use an insulating material on smaller areas overnight
• Divert employees / contractors / the general public to less slippery walkways and barrier off any potentially dangerous areas
• Gritting is a relatively cheap, quick to apply and easy to spread option for reducing slippery surfaces. Rock salt (plain and treated) is the most commonly used 'grit'. It is the substance used on public roads by the highways authority.
• Salt can stop ice forming and cause existing ice or snow to melt. It is most effective when it is ground down, but this will take far longer on pedestrian areas than on roads. The best times are early in the evening before the frost settles and/or early in the morning before employees arrive. Salt doesn't work instantly; it needs sufficient time to dissolve into the moisture on the floor.
• If you grit when it is raining heavily the salt will be washed away, causing a problem if the rain then turns to snow.
• Compacted snow, which turns to ice, is difficult to treat effectively with grit and ideally needs to be shovelled away.
• Be aware that 'dawn frost' can occur on dry surfaces, when early morning dew forms and freezes on impact with the cold surface. It can be difficult to predict when or where this condition will occur.
• Bags of rock salt can be purchased from most large Builders Merchants.

The key is proper risk assessment and control measures, which if put in place from the very beginning could prevent unnecessary accidents.

To find out more about accident prevention contact The Safety Group on 0845 224 7013email: solutions@thesafetygroup.co.uk or visit www.thesafetygroup.co.uk for more information.

Quarterly Economic Survey – Register Your Views

We’ve already had over 300 responses to the latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) and if you haven’t completed it yet, there is still time!

The QES helps us to gauge your views on how business is going for you and what the economic outlook is in your area.

The Survey is completely anonymous and quick to fill in, so to register your views follow this link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=YOGDDDHK4A_2famZRghGWuiQ_3d_3d

Neil Turner guest speaker at inaugural Wigan Business Forum

By Patrick Prinsloo, Local Manager

Wigan businesses will have the unique opportunity to quiz local MP Neil Turner at the first ever Wigan Business Forum being organised by Greater Manchester Chamber next Friday (March 12).

Businesses from across the borough will be able to ask questions on a variety of business concerns affecting firms in Wigan including transport, inward investment the environment, and business support.

The meeting is the first of a planned series of quarterly Business Forums being organised by the Chamber to bring together member and non-member businesses from across the borough to discuss key issues and hear from prominent local figures.

The free event will be held at Park Inn, Leigh from 12 noon. For further information and to reserve a place please contact Patrick Prinsloo on 0161 237 4250 or email: patrick.prinsloo@gmchamber.co.uk

Chamber urges businesses to support petition against NI rise

By Brian Sloan, Head of Business and Economic Policy at Greater Manchester Chamber

The Chamber is encouraging businesses across the area to add their names to a national petition calling on the government to abandon its plans for a 1 per cent rise in Employer’s National Insurance contributions next April.

The petition set up by a coalition of some of the UK’s leading business groups aims calls for the 1 per cent employer National Insurance Contributions increase - planned for April 2011 - to be scrapped.

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has estimated that the proposed 1 per cent increase in Employer’s National Insurance Contributions in April 2011 will cost businesses across Greater Manchester around £120m a year. The proposed rise is already causing businesses to rethink their recruitment plans, so not only is this a tax on jobs it is undermining the recovery. The £120m might alternatively be used by businesses for investment to help Britain compete as the global economy recovers.

The petition, can be found in full at the dedicated website www.no-nics-rise.co.uk

Chamber seeks to identify members involved in Carbon Reduction

Greater Manchester Chamber is seeking to identify those members delivering carbon reduction services to help direct the work of its newly-formed Carbon Reduction Group.

It is asking members to complete a short questionnaire to identify relevant skills and an services of member companies. The information will be used to help increase the levels of business within these organisations by providing a joined up body to address regional needs/initiatives and develop members' expertise and overall market offering.

To take part in the questionnaire click here.

Your views will help to shape our work and we will also keep you up to date about how the Carbon Reduction Group is being developed.

Sustainability subject of Chamber Building Seminar

By Richard Critchley, Policy Manager Transport, Environment and Planning

Local firms will be able to find out about the benefits of sustainable building techniques at a seminar being organised by Greater Manchester Chamber’s Building and Development section on March 8.

The subject of sustainable construction has risen in prominence over the past few years as businesses look at ways to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency to lower utility costs.

The seminar will cover the key areas of sustainable design, green refurbishment and recycling and will feature speakers from AECOM, Wates Construction and Builders Scrap. Bruntwood will also be speaking from a client’s perspective of sustainable refurbishment.

The event will be held at Manchester Central in Manchester city centre from 2:45pm. For further information and to reserve a place please contact Vicki Kerr on 0161 875 2359 or email: vicki.kerr@business-support-solutions.co.uk