Facebook Turns Focus to Supporting Small Businesses in Manchester
I saw this and thought of attendees of the Manchester Social Media Surgery. If that’s you, this might be of interest:
Facebook Partners with Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to Run Workshop For Small Businesses Wanting to Make the Most of Social Media
Event: Facebook for Business: Growing Your Business SociallyDate: 1 June
Time: 10am-12pm
Location: The Studio, 51 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1FN, Manchester City Centre
An event to help small businesses in Manchester thrive is being held by Facebook on Friday, as its marketing and growth specialists take their expertise on the road as part of a series of workshops.
Facebook has teamed up with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to host the free breakfast workshop where small businesses can seek practical, face-to-face advice on how to build and maintain a Facebook page, engage fans and master advertising.
The workshop is the third of six being held across the UK this summer in association with the British Chambers of Commerce, and follows research published by Deloitte in January which found that the growth of Facebook and mobile applications in recent years has already contributed an estimated £2.2 billion to UK GDP and generated 18,400 jobs in small businesses across the country.
Increasingly businesses are seeking survival and growth through new technology, using Facebook’s free pages to build loyalty among existing fans and connect with new customers from its 30 million UK users let alone the 870 million users beyond. With no guarantee of imminent economic recovery, the workshops are designed to support more of Britain’s small businesses through difficult economic times by ensuring they are all fully equipped to reap the benefits of social media.
Simon Milner, Facebook’s UK and Ireland Policy Director said: “Many small businesses have thrived despite difficult economic conditions in recent years, thanks to savvy entrepreneurs spotting the opportunity to benefit from new technologies which bring people closer together. We want more businesses to prosper in this way, which is why we are rolling out this series of initiatives to give all businesses, whatever their digital experience to date, the confidence to use Facebook as an efficient and highly rewarding platform for growth.”
Dr Brian Sloan, Chief Economist at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said: “Facebook has become a fixture of many people’s social lives, but businesses have often been slower to see its potential. The challenging economic conditions we face mean businesses need to use every means at their disposal to raise their profile and win new customers. This event will show how you can use Facebook to help promote and grow your business.”
Sarah Brownless, Owner of Trumpet PR and Design, a Manchester based agency, said: “It’s impossible to overestimate the importance of Facebook in developing effective communications strategies for clients. From start ups to major brands, Facebook is pretty much always at the heart of our campaigns as one of the most effective ways of creating meaningful engagement with the target audience. What clients are realising is that it’s not just about building a fan base, Facebook is fundamentally a core part of achieving their business objectives and by not exploiting the opportunity it presents they’re really missing a trick!”
Louise Gillespie, founder of Liverpool-based Jessies Jewels which sells affordable costume jewellery, says: “Facebook has proved a real lifeline for my business. There is no way my business could have grown at the rate it has without Facebook. A business like mine relies on regular displays in shops and I’ve managed to set up many of these through our Facebook page. We’re also seeing more and more sales come directly through Facebook – our fans love commenting on our picture galleries, their friends spot their comments and then follow the link to our page and in return we get more fans! We’ve definitely seen a return on investment on Facebook – in fact, I can’t imagine running Jessies Jewels without it.”
As well as hosting three more workshops this summer in Sunderland, Sheffield and London, Facebook is preparing to launch further initiatives as part of its long-term programme to support small business growth. To be the first to hear about these initiatives, small businesses in Manchester should ‘Like’ the Facebook Marketing UK Page: www.facebook.com/FacebookMarketingUK
Image Credit: seocompanyofindia.com
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