E-Skills

Assignment

Collaboration 1

Authors:
Margot Guillemin
Loammi Goetghbeur
Thibault Vo
Hannes Van den Hende
Timothy Matthijs
Table of Contents
Table of Contents

Why these 3 questions

Question 1: Should we allow employees to use social media during working hours?
Question 2: use of social media by employees (the risk of social media to a company)
Question 3: Influencer-Marketing increasing or decreasing

What answers do you have to these questions

Question 1: Should we allow employees to use social media during working hours?
Question 2: use of social media by employees (the risk of social media to a company)
Question 3: Influencer-Marketing increasing or decreasing

What articles did you find about these 3 questions

Question 1: Should we allow employees to use social media during working hours?
Question 2: use of social media by employees (the risk of social media to a company)
Question 3: Influencer-Marketing increasing or decreasing

What is your conclusion?

References
Why these 3 questions

Question 1: Should we allow employees to use social media

during working hours?
It would be very interesting to know whether or not you should allow your employees
to have access to social media during work.

Some people say it is very interesting to do so. It gives them some sort of relaxation,
which prevents them from getting a burn-out. Some employees are also very proud
of working in a their company. They often publish something online related to their
work. This allows the employee’s friends to pick something up about their workplace.
It could serve as an interesting and indirect way of raising awareness through their
social network.

There are also other that say that it should be prohibited, because it reduces the
productivity of the employees or it creates problems related to safety and hate. I’ve
heard many employers before saying that their employees are constantly on
Facebook instead of focusing on working. Others say that most disputes get settled
on social media, which can have serious consequences. Safety on social media is
also a big issue. Some company secrets or privacy rules of employees might get
published online. This is obviously a big threat to the company its survival.

Question 2: use of social media by employees (the risk of social

media to a company)
It’s generally known that social media can be a risk for a company. When content is
shared openly to the world, this can cause a lot of harm. If companies were planning
a strategic move in the future, but one employee had the idea to share it on his
social media, the competition could react. This is just one example of a risk. It was
interesting to look up what other effects this could have for a company. Because only
one individual can cause a lot of problems by just posting 1 simple thing on the
internet. How can a company react on this? Could they prevent employees sharing
risky information? What if content was already shared on the internet? All possible
questions a company have to ask themselve relating to this topic. That is why we did
some research about this topic because social media won’t disappear when we start
working.
Question 3: Influencer-Marketing increasing or decreasing
As we all know Influencer marketing has recently joined the ranks of many other
digital marketing channels. Social Media has become an irreversible part of daily life
for many people and thus social Media was the next possible step in advertising.
This also signified the birth of Influencer marketing. Popular social media figures,
the newest kind of celebrity are the perfect candidates for a new kind of product
placement. Their reviews of products and subsequent recommendations can prove
to be of significant value to companies sales figures mainly because it is a much
cheaper and more impactful way of advertising through product placement.
So what does the future of Influencer marketing look like. More small fish in a larger
pond or perhaps more large fish in an equal size pond. Was the significance of
influencer marketing overestimated or underestimated? We aim to find out during our
research.
What answers do you have to these questions

Question 1: Should we allow employees to use social media

during working hours?
Pros:
- Allowing employees to use social media is a sign of trust that you give them
as employer. This also makes your employees feel very valued. It may also
be perceived as a special perk for your company. Small breaks boosts
productivity.
- If you allow your employees to use it, they might sometimes share love
related things about your company, thus boosting employer branding.
- It stimulates communication through the company.

Cons:
- Misuse of social media. Some employees will obviously exceed their time
limit. Simply taking a glance at Facebook does not exist, it’s addicting after all.
- Viruses. Clickbaits or dangerous links on social media can affect your
computer. It could be dangerous when some viruses steal secret company
data, or infect the whole system.
- The downfall of your brand. It is true that social media can improve your brand
equity, however it can also completely destroy it. It takes years to build a good
brand equity, and only a few seconds to lose it.
- Bullying, harassment and evil intentions. It has happened before that people
solve their fights online, thus leading to bullying on work. Some people also
think it is funny to spread negative news or company secrets through social
media.
Question 2: use of social media by employees (the risk of social
media to a company)
Employers need to develop and implement a good social media policy in their
company. They need to be aware of the risks and consequences social media can
have. On the other hand they need to consider what to do if one of their employees
violate their policies.

If there is a situation, employers need to consider if the situation creates a bigger

problem. They need to ask the question: “So what?” “How big of a deal was this
really?” “Do we need to react or not?”

It really depends from situation to situation and what the possible consequences
could be.

Trust is a strong factor in a lot of cases. In order to use social media in a successful
way for the company, trust is a necessity. This can be seen in both ways:
Employer<-> employee. A solution could be a training for both with the do’s and
don’ts. This creates a trust relationship and the policy is known by both parties.

Question 3: Influencer-Marketing increasing or decreasing

Arguments for increasing significance:
- Fast way to enter a market and reach the ‘real’ target audience
- Reach a younger target audience
- People take advice from people they feel they know and look up to.

Arguments for decreasing significance

- Is it ethical for Influencers to get paid by companies to advertise their products?
- Can a company truly promote and push new products and leave it up to the
influencer to decide?
- How much of a decision to promote a product by an influencer is motivated by
financial compensation versus actual belief in the product/service?

All information we’ve found so far has indicated that Influencer marketing is becoming
increasingly important. However, it is important to distinguish Micro-influencers and
Macro-influencers.

Micro-influencers ​are often referred to as ‘​real people​’, in other words people who are
purely built a following on social media. Micro-influencers have a smaller following (between
10 000 and 90 000 followers). Their posts tend to be more relatable of a much more
attainable nature.
Macro-influencers​ on the other hand tend to have a much larger following often (100 000
followers and up) and often enjoy a wider celebrity status in pop-culture.

Greater number do not always mean a higher reward as micro influencers tend to have a
greater engagement and are regarded as more trustworthy. Bigger isn’t always better i this
case.

Although one might argue that a company shall not and will not care about how genuine a
product review is all evidence seems to point towards that being incredibly important. If a
review is not genuine followers will see right through it and will not get the ROI they were
looking for.There are simply no shortcuts with marketing and influencer marketing is no
exception to that rule.
What articles did you find about these 3 questions

Question 1: Should we allow employees to use social media

during working hours?
Article 1​: The Debate about Blocking Social Media in the Workplace (by Shell Holtz)
https://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/workforce-management/employee-performan
ce-management/blocking-social-media-us.aspx

Article 2​: Should social media be allowed at work? (by Peter Crush)
https://www.raconteur.net/business/should-social-media-be-allowed-at-work

Article 3​: Should Employees Be Allowed to Surf Social Media at Work? (by Leah
Arnold-Smeets)
https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/12/should-employees-be-allowed-to-surf-social
-media-at-work

Article 4​: Social Media During Work Hours: 5 Reasons Companies Should Allow
Employees Engage In It. (by Adeyemi)
http://leadradio1063.com/social-media-during-work-hours-5-reasons-companies-should-allo
w-employees-engage-in-it/

Article 5​: Employees Really Do Waste Time at Work (by Cheryl Connor)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2012/07/17/employees-really-do-waste-tim
e-at-work/#7e7871a45e6d

Question 2: use of social media by employees (the risk of social

media to a company)
Article 1: Protect Your Firm From The 12 Risks of Social Media (by Joanna Belbey)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannabelbey/2015/05/21/protect-your-firm-from-the-13-risks-of
-social-media/#669c3745331e

Article 2: 5 Social Media Risks for Companies and Employees… And How To
Prevent Them. (By ilanaarazie)
http://www.adweek.com/digital/5-social-media-risks-for-companies-and-employees-and-how-
to-prevent-them/

Article 3: Top five risks companies face when using social media (by Steve)
http://techxb.com/top-five-risks-companies-face-when-using-social-media

Article 4: Managing and Leveraging Workplace Use of Social Media (by SHRM)
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingsocialm
edia.aspx

Article 5: Social Media in the Workplace: The Risks (by ​Sheldon Mills)
https://blog.microfocus.com/social-media-in-the-workplace-the-risks/

Question 3: Influencer-Marketing increasing or decreasing

Article 1: Belagatti, P. (2017, July 13). ​The Importance and Impact of Influencer Marketing in
2017​. Retrieved from Influencive:
https://www.influencive.com/the-importance-and-impact-of-influencer-marketing/

Article 2: Kovacs, D. (2017, June 7). ​How important is Influencer Marketing for brand
awareness​. Retrieved from Simply Measured:
https://simplymeasured.com/blog/how-important-is-influencer-marketing-for-brand-awarenes
s/#sm.00000hf0ywo8o7es5sv7n47k4bgx8

Article 3: Glassman, M. (2016, June 6). ​Influencer Marketing Ethical or Deceitful? ​.

Retrieved from I Analyst: https://ianalyst.com/blog/influencer-marketing-ethical-deceitful
What is your conclusion?
The use of social media during work hours, like every wide discussed topic comes with its
pros and cons. While some argue that it stimulates the communication throughout the
company others argue that a misuse of social media is just around the corner.

A balance between the two is hard to achieve, with the up rise of social media in our modern
daily lives it is hard to ignore the good and the bad that come of it. Companies are constantly
trying to find a balance between allowing the use or prohibiting it.

Most companies have adapted their policies towards social media usage and introduced this
topic into their Company Code of Conduct. The majority of companies allow the use of social
media because it is a part of the modern life that is hard to ignore. People will always find
their way around rules and customs so the best way is to embrace it into the daily company
life.

While use of social media is allowed, it comes with a wide variety of customs and rules. Most
companies have a straightforward policy that the opinion of their employees can in no way
reflect a negative image towards the company’s image and should it occur it is in the
company’s legal right to act on this in a proper way.

However, a positive reflection of your company’s brand is always welcomed with open arms.
Because of the increasing marketing via social media it has become one of the main
strategies to reach potential new customers. Companies nowadays are made or broken by
the voice of the people on social media. Shocking or positive encounters have their
interesting way of reaching the masses on social media in a viral way.

With Influencer-marketing on the rise, it is unavoidable to be exposed to this way of

marketing. Popular social media figures, the newest kind of celebrity are the perfect
candidates for a new kind of product placement. Their reviews of products and subsequent
recommendations can prove to be of significant value to companies sales. They are hired by
a company to promote their product or brand in a positive way to their follower base, with the
goal of attracting and gaining new customers for their company.

While social media has shown to be increasingly introducing itself in our daily life, there is no
question that it is working its way up to the companies and institutions. It is up to the users of
these social media to be aware of the dangers it might bring by making use of these social
media. And it is up to the companies to carefully pay attention to what can be disclosed
online and what can not.
References
Holtz, S. (2017, 12.10). The Debate about Blocking Social Media in the Workplace.
Retrieved from Monster:
https://hiring.monster.com/hr/hr-best-practices/workforce-management/employee-performan
ce-management/blocking-social-media-us.aspx

Crush, P.. (2017, 01.31). Should social media be allowed at work? Retrieved from
Raconteur: ​https://www.raconteur.net/business/should-social-media-be-allowed-at-work

Arnold-Smeets, L. (2017, 12.10). Should Employees Be Allowed to Surf Social Media at

Work? Retrieved from PayScale:
https://www.payscale.com/career-news/2013/12/should-employees-be-allowed-to-surf-social
-media-at-work

Adeyemi. (2017, 12.10). Social Media During Work Hours: 5 Reasons Companies Should
Allow Employees Engage In It. Retrieved from Lead Radio 1063:
http://leadradio1063.com/social-media-during-work-hours-5-reasons-companies-should-allo
w-employees-engage-in-it/

Connor, C. (2017, 12.10). Employees Really Do Waste Time at Work. Retrieved from
Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/cherylsnappconner/2012/07/17/employees-really-do-waste-tim
e-at-work/#7e7871a45e6d

Hughes, A. (2016, 09.05). Should you allow social media in the workplace? 5 Pros and 5
Cons. Retrieved from Coburg Banks:
https://www.coburgbanks.co.uk/blog/staff-retention/social-media-in-the-workplace/

Belbey, J. (2015, 05.21). Protect Your Firm From The 12 Risks of Social Media. Retrieved
from Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/joannabelbey/2015/05/21/protect-your-firm-from-the-13-risks-of
-social-media/#669c3745331e

Ilanaarazie. (2010, 06.10). 5 Social Media Risks for Companies and Employees… And How
To Prevent Them. Retrieved from Adweek:
http://www.adweek.com/digital/5-social-media-risks-for-companies-and-employees-and-how-
to-prevent-them/

Steve. (2017, 12.10). Top five risks companies face when using social media. Retrieved
from TechXB:
http://techxb.com/top-five-risks-companies-face-when-using-social-media

SHRM. (2016, 01.19). Managing and Leveraging Workplace Use of Social Media. Retrieved
from Society for Human Resource Management:
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingsocialm
edia.aspx

Mills, S. (2014, 05.06). Social Media in the Workplace: The Risks. Retrieved from Micro
Focus Blog: https://blog.microfocus.com/social-media-in-the-workplace-the-risks/

Glassman, M. (2016, June 6). ​Influencer Marketing Ethical or Deceitful? ​. Retrieved from I
Analyst: https://ianalyst.com/blog/influencer-marketing-ethical-deceitful

Kovacs, D. (2017, June 7). ​How important is Influencer Marketing for brand awareness​.
Retrieved from Simply Measured:
https://simplymeasured.com/blog/how-important-is-influencer-marketing-for-brand-awarenes
s/#sm.00000hf0ywo8o7es5sv7n47k4bgx8

Glassman, M. (2016, June 6). ​Influencer Marketing Ethical or Deceitful? ​. Retrieved from I
Analyst: https://ianalyst.com/blog/influencer-marketing-ethical-deceitful

Gonzales,G.; Greenwald, J. (2017, 04.12) Social media risks require light touch. Retrieved
from Business Insurance:
http://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20171204/NEWS06/912317605/Social-media-risk
s-require-light-touch