Social media marketing is one of the biggest trends in business, and Knoxville-area business owners will have a chance to get a firsthand education in the phenomenon through a seminar being offered by Pellissippi State Community College’s Business and Community Services.
Mark Schaefer, a 28-year marketing veteran and executive director of Schaefer Marketing Solutions, will conduct the seminar, “Social Media Marketing Strategy and Twitter for Business.”
The three-day, three-part class is designed for small-business owners who want to find and serve new customers. Schaefer will introduce sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn, and he will help participants decide which media are right for them.
“Having a Web site just isn’t enough anymore,” Schaefer said. “People are spending less and less time on Web sites and more and more time on the social web.”
Unfortunately, he says, many business owners aren’t familiar with social networking sites, when their competitors may already be there.
“It’s like having a competitor advertise on television, and you don’t even know what television is,” he said. “You need to at least be aware of this new marketing channel so you can make the right decisions for your business.”
Schaefer, who was recently quoted in a Forbes magazine article about Twitter, will place special emphasis on that service during the sessions: “Twitter has become a serious business tool. This is not kid stuff. It is literally transforming the way customers listen, react and communicate with customers.”
Pellissippi State, in conjunction with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, an affiliate of the college, is conducting the seminar twice daily on Thursdays, Nov. 12, Nov. 19 and Dec. 3. Time choices are 8:30-10:30 a.m. and 7-9 p.m.
The cost of the class, which takes place on the Pellissippi Campus, is $150. Space is limited.
Call (865) 539-7167 to register. For more information, call (865) 539-7166.