A panel of eight IT, marketing, PR and communications specialists led the discussion, focusing on the benefits of using social media networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to improve brand awareness and also as a means of forming mutually beneficial, long-lasting and profitable relationships with clients and other business contacts.
“This event was not only well attended by like-minded professionals, but it clearly showed a need for more workshops in this area. It’s an area of mystique to some; what do you tweet? How often should you post to your blogs?” Dr Bekett-McInroy, said.
When addressing concerns raised by the audience relating to the potential risks associated with using these channels in a business context, the panel recognised the need to be cautious but suggested that companies could minimise these risks by establishing corporate guidelines for the use of social media that could form part of the contractual obligations of their employees.
Present on the panel were Mark Warman and Alexander Broers of Bahrain-based digital marketing agency East Innovations, Ali Sabkar, President of the Social Media Club Bahrain’s chapter, Ali Al-Sabbagh, Community Manager at Batelco and other experts each bringing a unique perceptive to the discussion based on their own particular involvement utilising social media.
“Although companies have historically been inclined to adopt a more formal approach to business communications, social media is here to stay and therefore companies need to embrace these new marketing channels and effectively engage with their stakeholders to avoid being left behind,” Mark Warman, Managing Director at East Innovations, said.
“By incorporating social media and other forms of digital marketing within their overall marketing strategies, companies will ensure that they don’t alienate themselves from the ever expanding online marketplace,” he added.
A study released in October of this year illustrated the widespread use of social media platforms throughout the GCC with 96% of respondents active on Facebook, 36% on Twitter and 24% on LinkedIn.