Half of workers do not use Twitter or Facebook for business purposes

Over half of UK employees do not use social media sites for business purposes, according to a recent survey of V3 readers.

While the UK has 41 million Facebook users and 10 million people on Twitter, the poll shows there remain obstacles to businesses engagement. Part of this may be because of a lack of buy-in from senior management.

According to the survey, 46 percent of businesses do not have a social media policy in place instructing staff on how and why they should be using social sites. The research also found that 41 percent of businesses are anxious about the legal ramifications of staff using social media.

Such concerns are understandable considering during the Olympics, a number of athletes were suspended because of comments they made on Twitter. Elsewhere, Lord McAlpine has confirmed he will take action against a possible 10,000 Twitter users, who had falsely linked him with allegations of child abuse.

The survey of 260 V3 readers, many of whom work for the UK's leading businesses, was undertaken in conjunction with Cisco. The results will be discussed by an expert panel in a V3 video panel discussion at 11am on Thursday 22 November. The panel will discuss the legacy left by the first social media Olympics. Click here to register.

While many businesses may have become more aware of the laws surrounding social media this summer, the overall feeling was that the Olympics was a positive social media experience.

The panel will also discuss how businesses can use social media to benefit their operations and how to create a successful social media strategy.

The event will also look at how TFL successfully used social media to limit travel chaos in London during the Games.

Sitting on the panel will be:

Silka Kennedy-Todd, head of the TFL press desk for the London 2012 Games Kennedy-Todd was responsible for the creation and implementation of TFL's media strategy for the Games, including PR use of social media. She was also a key member of the project team that delivered the £8m ‘Get Ahead of the Games campaign', of which social media was a key strand.

Dirk Singer, chief executive of Rabbit Agency
Singer has been working PR and digital media since the dial-up days of the mid 1990s and during that time has handled projects for three of the world's largest tech brands, Google, Yahoo and MSN. Campaigns he has handled over the past year include work for AVG, BMI and Gatwick Airport among others.

Amr Elrawi, digital marketing programme manager for Cisco
Elrawi looks after Cisco's entire digital activities in the UK and Ireland, and was the digital communications lead for London 2012.