Community Futures is holding the final event in a three-part social media boot camp March 28, and it’s been sold out since January.
Having partnered with the Town of Okotoks, Okotoks Chamber of Commerce and Bow Valley College to bring the boot camp to the community, Community Futures is closing out Okotoks Business Series Social Media Boot Camp with a final lesson in Building Your Brand.
“The first one was in January, and that was an introduction to social media,” said Billie Charlton, junior business analyst at Community Futures. “What platforms there are to use, what they do, what platforms work best for what kind of business, that kind of thing, as well as what to post, finding your demographic.
“The second [session] was building on that, so talking about things like hashtags, interacting with your page versus your personal profile, just to understand because a lot of people who are in business don’t have that social media experience.”
Presented by Julie Boake of Awedity Creative Inc., the sessions have covered proficiency in social media, as well as what business owners want their page to look like and what platforms are available to use.
The final session this month will look at building your brand online and building an identity, as well as in-depth advertising and outsourcing.
“Social media has become a must-have aspect for probably about 85 to 95 per cent of businesses out there,” said Boake. “Not all small business owners, which are one of the leading groups we have here in Okotoks, have access or the financial resources to outsource their social media, but they still want to do a good job, they still want to get recognition, they still want to get their own promotion.
“It’s an opportunity for them to feel empowered with some of the tools to make social media a lot less intimidating.”
Boake said that small business owners often find social media overwhelming, and have concerns about how to use it properly.
“Since doing these boot camps, there’s been a lot more people who have asked me to do small boot camps within their own little groups or pockets or other small business collectives just because it has become such a big thing,” she said.
For those who weren’t able to attend the boot camp sessions, Boake said more opportunities will be coming in the near future, or she can do private sessions for a personal approach.
“While we thought we had a good understanding of what people wanted and what people were craving to learn, I don’t think three boot camps were nearly enough,” she said.
Boake also stressed the importance of checking for credibility before signing up for a social media boot camp, saying there has been a rise in people holding similar sessions who do not have the appropriate credentials.
“There’s a lot of demand because in Okotoks there’s not a lot of people who are qualified in social media,” said Boake. “So if you get an opportunity and you don’t have to go to Calgary and sit in a full day session or spend three weeks to try and learn it online, if you get that opportunity and it’s accessible, it’s something that small business owners will find a way to afford two hours of their time.”
For those who can’t attend one of the sessions, Boake offered some advice to help business owners get started, which boiled down to the Nike slogan of Just Do It.
“Starting now and not being perfect is better than not starting at all,” said Boake. “Don’t copy, but take inspiration from other businesses whether in your industry or not, just take inspiration and do your best.
“We live in a very forgiving area, if we’re not perfect people are very appreciative that we’re trying.”
Most importantly, however, is consistency according to Boake.
“If you’re going to take up social media, it’s worse to have a Facebook account and never use it than it is to not have a Facebook account,” she said. “If you’re going to start a Facebook account, use it and be consistent or don’t start it until you’re ready.”
Boot camp attendee Laurie Rae Rezanoff, owner of Laurie Rae’s House of Astrology in Okotoks, is no social media novice but has still found the sessions helpful for her business.
Rezanoff has been using social media since 2009 to create her own website and blog sites, and has been on Facebook and Twitter for several years and Instagram for the past year, but said the hands-on guidance provided in the sessions by Boake has been useful.
“You don’t realize how much you don’t know,” she said.
“Especially for Facebook, managing your page, some of the key things we have to have filled in, that kind of thing, a lot of people don’t know because there’s nobody to instruct you, you’re supposed to just magically figure it out for yourself.
“Before I met Julie I thought I didn’t know what the hell I was doing and actually I did.
“You just do what you think is relevant and integral to your own business and don’t try to be like someone else, be yourself. It’s all about being honest.”
The boot camp is open to any small business owner from the region, and costs $10 per session.
Competition for seats in the sessions is steep, but Charlton said there are talks of running the camp again if there is enough interest.
Those interested in attending that couldn’t make it this round are encouraged to contact Billie Charlton at Community Futures at 403-995-4151 to express interest.
