Tuesday, June 3, from 9-noon, San Juan Library

— from Victoria Compton —

EDC LogoSocial media is revolutionizing the way we use the Internet, and its low- or no-cost tools can be used by small businesses to achieve remarkable results. Join instructor Victoria Compton to learn more about social media and SIM – social influence marketing. The workshop will be held June 3, from 9am-noon at the San Juan Island Library community room.

The course will start out with a basic overview of social media and SIM – definitions, best practices, and most effective platforms. Then it will cover tutorials on setting up a Facebook fan page, a Twitter account and tracking SIM campaigns using tools like Google Analytics.

Additionally, the class will look at SEO – search engine optimization – with an eye toward results in both regional and global search engines and markets. It will also cover QR codes and how you can use them for your business. The participants will leave the workshop with all the tools they need to create a robust marketing program through social media.

Workshop instructor Victoria Compton has worked for over 20 years in marketing and advertising. She founded At Home Magazine and published the first three official Visitors’ Guides to the San Juans in collaboration with the SJI Visitors’ Bureau. She later worked for 5 years as a marketing consultant in Manhattan and the NY metro area, with a particular focus on helping small- to mid-sized companies get the word out about their products and services with very small marketing budgets.

Date: Tuesday, June 3, from 9-noon. Cost: $55. Wi-Fi enabled laptop, advance registration and payment are required. Class size is limited, so please reserve your space early. The class will be held in the San Juan Island Library community room in Friday Harbor. For more information: 360-378-2906 or info@sanjuansedc.org. The EDC thanks Whidbey Island Bank, San Juan County government, the Town of Friday Harbor, the Port of Friday Harbor and the Port of Lopez for supporting our Business Education Series.

The San Juan County Economic Development Council’s Business Education Series was created by the EDC in response to concerns from local business owners and the overall increased demand from new businesses. This series will present a variety of topics designed both for those opening new businesses and for those wanting to take their businesses to the next level. The EDC is the county’s state- and municipality-funded agency working solely to improve business conditions in the San Juan Islands.