Small Business and Technology Development Center to offer Facebook seminar

Jan. 7, 2010 -- In an effort to aid businesses in providing information about products and services in the Facebook social media setting, Arkansas State University’s Small Business and Technology Development Center is offering a seminar called, “Facebook ABCs for Businesses.”

The seminar will be held from 1-4 pm and again from 6-9 pm on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at the ASU Technical Center, 5504 Krueger Drive in Jonesboro.  Registration fee is $35 per person or $25 for Jonesboro Regional Chamber members and Downtown Jonesboro Association members.  For more information, or to register, contact the ASU Small Business and Technology Development Center, (870) 972-3517 or e-mail asbtdc@astate.edu. 

Each session is limited to 20 attendees.  The seminar is co-sponsored by the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Jonesboro Association, East Arkansas Planning and Development District, Simmons First Bank and Liberty Bank of Arkansas.

“Social media and inbound marketing are increasingly important assets for businesses to get found by and we to engage with potential buyers on the web,” said Herb Lawrence, ASU SBTDC Center Director.  “Many businesses and non-profits around the country have found Facebook to be an important tool for connecting with people searching for information about their products or services.  Small business marketers have a real opportunity to use Facebook to expand their online footprint and engage with customers directly.”

Facebook has over 325 million users and over half of them check their Facebook profiles at least once a day, said Lawrence.

Lawrence says, however, that many small business owners in Northeast and North Central Arkansas are unsure about social media, especially Facebook, as a marketing tool. The ASU SBTDC has created a special workshop for individuals interested in finding out more about how social media can help organizations and how Facebook can help them connect with customers. This seminar will take participants through the basics of setting up a successful Facebook page. 

“This seminar was created for beginners,” said Lawrence. “Our goal for this workshop is to educate small business owners about the advantages of social media in general and Facebook in particular.  We will walk through some basic hands-on training to show what is involved in developing an effective Facebook page for their organization, how to attract customers, and how to determine whether Facebook is even right for them.  ”

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