#pborohour is trending

A social media initiative to connect Peterborough businesses is growing in popularity

“Peterborough Hour” occurs every Monday between 8-9pm where local businesses are invited to log on to Twitter using #pborohour to make new contacts, discuss ideas and plan events.

The idea was conceived in April by Rachel Parkin of Reba Boutique, and Clare Szurek who is behind the Big Local App, as a result of “coffee, conversation, and a can-do attitude!”

Rachel said:

The idea behind Peterborough hour was to show the vibrancy of the city and the endeavours of the people in it. Peterborough Hour is the chance to tell other local people what you’re doing and what is good, cool, or interesting about it. It’s as formal or informal as you make it – you can tweet from your sofa with a glass of vino in your hand!

As Rachel points out, this is a fantastic free marketing tool, but she does have a few tips on etiquette:

Trying to sell yourself without any real relationship is a bit awkward at best, and doesn’t work on Twitter. Think of it more as you putting forward your business or service and then waiting to be asked more information. Helping others is a key part of #pborohour, so if you can recommend someone’s services because you’ve used them and found them to be good – then tell others! There’s nothing like a personal recommendation. It’s also community building – running a small business can be an isolating and frustrating experience so it really helps to have a support network

The initiative has already attracted a diverse group of industries, from local breweries to cleaning firms, with up to 80 individuals taking part each week, and it has been very popularly received.

The Eco Innovation centre tweeted: “The positivity from #pborohour is fantastic! Peterborough
is a great place for business!”

Rachel said:

We are thrilled with the results! It’s still very early days – we’ve only been going for 9 weeks, so there are clearly hundreds of businesses who haven’t heard about #pborohour yet. To sum up: It’s positive, its popular and its free – what’s not to love?

Join in the conversation every Monday between 8-9pm using #pborohour