Small Business Technology and Development to offer Facebook workshop

Dec. 1, 2009 -- Arkansas State University’s Small Business Technology and Development Center (SBTDC) will offer a special workshop called “Facebook ABCs for Businesses,” Tuesday, Dec. 8, from 1-4 p.m. and again from 6-9 p.m. at the ASU Technical Center, 5504 Krueger Drive, Jonesboro. Registration fee is $25 per person or $20 for Jonesboro Regional Chamber members and Downtown Jonesboro Association members.  Each session is limited to 20 attendees.  For more information or to register contact the ASU Small Business and Technology Development Center (870) 972-3517 or e-mail asbtdc@astate.edu.

“This seminar was created for beginners,” said Herb Lawrence, SBTDC director. “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 it is even right for them.”

The ASU SBTDC created the workshop due to the demand for information by small businesses in the area.  This is a workshop for individuals interested in learning more about how social media can help organizations, how Facebook can help businesses connect with customers, and walks through the basics of setting up a successful Facebook page. 

Facebook has over 325 million users and over half of them check their Facebook profiles at least once a day.  Many users are looking for information about business products and services in this social media setting. 

“Social media and inbound marketing are increasingly important assets for businesses to get found by and engage with potential buyers on the web,” said Lawrence.  “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.”

The seminar is co-sponsored by the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Jonesboro Association and East Arkansas Planning and Development District.

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