Yakima Valley Social Media Bootcamp 

Social media is a powerful marketing tool that can raise awareness about your business and allow you to engage with your customers in real-time conversations.  It can improve your search engine optimization and drive traffic to your website. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter can also be used as business development tools.

 You may be thinking, “But my customers aren’t using Social Media.” Think again:

• There are over 300 million users on Facebook, with 250,000 new users every day
• Nearly 50% of Facebook users are  over 35 years old, and almost 20% are over 45
• The largest age group on Twitter is 35-49; comprising almost 42 % of users
• As of August 2009, 17 % of all time spent on the Internet was at social networking sites

 In cooperation with the Greater Yakima Chamber of Commerce and New Vision, the VCB is offering a two hour social media boot camp February 23^rd, 10:00 a.m. at the Yakima Convention Center.  The goal of the workshop is to give participants the tools and the “know how” to create a social media strategy.  You’ll get ideas and techniques that allow you to put social media to work in your company with specific applications like Facebook and Twitter.

 Shawn Busse will give this engaging presentation. He is the founding partner of Kinesis, a marketing and design firm based in Portland Oregon.

 Cost for the boot camp is $20 prepaid, $30 at the door.  To RSVP and pay in advance contact Barbara Fleming, (509) 575-3010 or (800) 221-0751.  Advance payments can be made at the VCB administrative offices at the Yakima Convention Center, 10 North 8^th Street in downtown Yakima.

 The Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau (VCB) has implemented social media strategies to attract visitors, build awareness of the Valley and increase exposure to the travel media plus specialty audiences like wine bloggers.  We encourage others in the community to look at the opportunities social media presents.