SBDC Offers Social Media Workshops in Hilo in February

Denise Laitinen, DLC Hawaii Media. Courtesy photo.

As part of its ongoing commitment to providing business owners with affordable learning opportunities on practical business skills, the Small Business Development Center of East Hawaii is offering three social media classes in Hilo in February 2018.

The classes will be held on Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to 11a.m., at the Hawaii Innovation Center, 117 Keawe St.

The first class, held on Feb. 8, will focus on social media marketing. Attendees will learn how to create a solid foundation for their business on social media, determine which social media platforms best support their organization’s brand, and actions to take to build their social media audience.

An introduction to Facebook advertising workshop on Feb. 15 is the second class in the series. This seminar will guide participants through the basic types of Facebook advertising, including how to promote a business page, boosting a post and drive traffic to a business website. Learn how to target audience segments, set Facebook advertising campaign goals, and how to develop compelling copy and visuals.

The third class in the social media for business series will take place Feb. 22 and center on how companies can effectively harness online reviews. Business owners (and their employees) will learn how to spot review scammers, how to not respond to reviews, as well as the four types of negative feedback and how to respond accordingly to each type.

The instructor, Denise Laitinen, is a seasoned social media trainer, public speaker, writer and owner of DLC Hawaii Media.

Laitinen has taught social media to hundreds of entrepreneurs, business leaders and community volunteers all over Hawaii, providing practical, easy-to-understand steps to those looking to grow their business online.

Over the years, she has provided social media training for the University of Hawa‘ii at Hilo, the Hawaii Island Wedding Association, Amy Greenwell Gardens, the Hawai‘i State House of Representatives and several businesses.

A member of the Social Media Club Hawaii board of directors since 2014, she’s organized a wide range of community social media events across the Big Island and is a certified social media instructor with the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center.

Pre-registration is required; each workshop cost $25 or $65 for the entire three-part series. To get the discount fee, register for the first and second workshops online and type “Discount Fee” in the coupon code box when registering for the third workshop.

For more information, call the Small Business Development Center at (808) 933-0776.

The Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center is a program of the University of Hawai‘i at Hilo funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.