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-Information courtesy Sheri Jones, Director, VGCC Small Business Center

Small Business Six-Part Series on Creating a Digital Marketing Blueprint for Business

In a world where digital marketing reigns, the rules seem to constantly fluctuate. Small business owners need resources they can rely on that are easy to manage while maintaining all the other aspects of running a business. This six-part series provides small business owners with a blueprint, or framework, that will give them the knowledge and tools they need to successfully market their business in today’s online world.

Attendees who are present at each of the six 2-hour seminars will receive a 12-hour certificate of completion at the conclusion of the series.

Dates and times for each day in the series are listed below. These events will take place at the Thornton Library, 210 Main Street in Oxford, with instructor Melanie Diehl. Sessions are limited to 18 participants and lunch will be provided.

Participants are encouraged to bring their own technology, but laptops will be available for use during the seminars if needed.  It is important that participants also bring login information for their social media accounts.

To register for this series, please visit https://www.vgcc.edu/coned/small-business-center/#schedules

August 12, 2019

Lesson 1: Creating a Digital Marketing Blueprint for Your Business (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.)

Description: Before launching any marketing campaign it’s important to know what your business needs and why you need it. Not all businesses need to be on all platforms. Learn about the basics that will get your business started online and best practices for implementing additional platforms, or if you even need them!

Lesson 2: Identifying your Target Market (1 – 3 p.m.)

Description: Not everyone is your potential customer or client. In this session, we discuss how to identify your target market (aka Avatar) and how to create messages that they connect with and how to reach them where they are.

September 16, 2019

Lesson 3: Websites and Point of Sale Systems for your Business (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.)

Description: Your website is the one piece of the internet you actually own. There are multiple options for creating a website, from a single landing page to a multiple page site with customer access and shopping carts and more. How will you make online selling easy? In this session, learn from a panel of experts about websites and POS systems and determine what’s best for your small business.

Lesson 4: Email Marketing for your Small Business (1 – 3 p.m.)

Description: Email marketing has a 90% deliverability rate and an average of 38x ROI. Done right, it can really drive sales and brand awareness for your small business. This seminar will help you avoid common mistakes and maximize your emails for powerful impact!

October 14, 2019

Lesson 5: Facebook Marketing for your Small Business (10 a.m. – 12 p.m.)

Description: Learn the latest strategies for using Facebook to market your business: what’s new and why it’s important; the difference between a Facebook profile, a page, business manager and ads manager. Learn the difference between Facebook ads and boosted posts, and about groups and bots. Pre-requisite: Facebook personal profile AND Facebook business page.

Lesson 6: Harnessing the Power of Instagram (1 – 3 p.m.)

Description: With over 500 million monthly active users on Instagram, your business has the potential to reach, engage, and build a massive community on Instagram. But where do you start? Join us for this seminar where we will cover how to build your Instagram brand, the ins and outs of Instagram and hashtags. Bring your device and be ready for some hands-on time to practice what you learn in class. Pre-requisite: Instagram account.

SPONSORED BY:

Downtown Oxford Economic Development Corporation, Thornton Library and the VGCC Small Business Center.