ASU SBTDC offering two small business workshops in Jonesboro Tuesday, April 13th on Small Business Social Media Marketing on the ASU campus

JONESBORO, Ark (March 26, 2010)  - The Arkansas State University Small Business and Technology Development Center along with the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Jonesboro Association will hold two separate seminars on social media opportunities for small business marketing at the ASU Technical Center Computer Lab  5504 Krueger Drive in Jonesboro, Tuesday, April 13^th.

From 1:00-4:00 pm Improving Social Media Searches-Search Engine Optimization with Google Tools and Alerts workshop “Over 300,000 small businesses and non-profit organizations are using Facebook and finding the power of social media marketing to be an amazingly cost-effective way to build relationships on-line that drives business success,” said Herb Lawrence ASU SBTDC Center Director, “Everyday hundreds of thousands of potential customers are searching for information on the internet about your business, your products and services and about you. You must make sure you are visible to them in order for them to connect and like anything else it has to be done right.  In this three hour hands-on seminar Lawrence will show attendees how to improve their ability to be “found” on search engines by using simple tools on Google to learn keywords, to improve their search ranking without being a computer whiz, and how to set up simple alerts that will notify that business anytime people are taking about their business, their products or services or even their competition.  Attendees will leave with keyword for their business and a simple set of alerts to help them monitor activity on the internet. 

From 6-9 pm Get Listed Locally workshop will be conducted by Herb Lawrence, ASU SBTDC Center Director.  “Even if you are not using social media or even have a website, people are searching the internet for information about you, your business location, your products and services.  They are using iphones, mobile phones, mobile GPS systems to locate you,” said Lawrence, “The question is have you made it easy for them to find you?  If not your competition has”. In this three hour hands-on seminar Lawrence will show attendees simple on-line tools and websites they can access that will ensure their businesses are found locally, create unique marketing messages and standout from their completion EVEN if they don’t have a website.  Get Listed Locally will show attendees how to improve their search ranking on Google, Bing and Yahoo in a snap.  Both workshops are hand-on and attendees are encouraged to bring their laptop computers if they have one. 

Each seminar is $35 per attendee ($25 for Jonesboro Chamber and DJA members; $20 for ASU Faculty, staff and students). OR register for both sessions and receive a $10 discount.  For more information or to register for these seminars contact the Arkansas State University Small Business and Technology Development Center at (870) 972-3517, email asusbtdc@astate.edu, register on line at http://asbtdc.ualr.edu/training/jonesboro.asp or “fan” the ASU SBTDC on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/asu.sbtdc.

These seminars are co-sponsored by Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Jonesboro Association, East Arkansas Planning & Development District, First Security Bank, Liberty Bank of Arkansas and Simmons First Bank.