All Companies now Need a Social Media Policy - Best to Make Positive Use of It

Businesses may find they can improve their productivity by integrating social media, it has been revealed.

Tim Gibbon, co-founder and editor of the Social Media Portal, believes social networking can bring a creative edge to a business.  "Some employers block access to certain sites, web email and social networks which for some business is possibly damaging in circles they need to operate within," he explained.

However, implementing a company-wide policy on social networking can ensure it is used to its potential rather than being a hindrance to a firm, Mr Gibbon said.  The fact is that social media is here to stay, so therefore it needs to be embraced rather than feared, the expert added.

One in every four-and-a-half minutes spent online in the UK is accounted for by social networks and blogs, findings from the UK Online Measurement Company show.

The group established that time spent on social networks and blogs between April 2007 and April 2010 has increased by 340 per cent, from 40 million hours to 176 million.  Furthermore, Britons spent 65 per cent more time online in April 2010 (884 million hours) than they did in April 2007.