Many small business owners in Iowa are trying to navigate the world of social media in hopes of boosting their bottom lines.
Dina Bechman, who sells artwork through her business Five Monkeys in Des Moines, admits it can be a bit overwhelming.
“Social media can be a large animal to conquer,” Bechman says. Last week, Bechman took part in a Facebook Community Boost – as officials with the social media giant hosted a training session in Des Moines.
“Was some of it repetitive for me? Of course, because I’m pretty well involved with social media,” Bechman said. “But, were there some ‘a-has’ of things I wasn’t doing? Or ‘that’s how you do that?’ Absolutely. Having Facebook come to town and help train people and teach people how to have a social media presence, and some of the tools available once you have one, was pretty amazing.” Like most small business owners, Bechman has a minimal marketing budget. But, she’s spending a few dollars on social media in hopes of drawing more traffic to her store and website.
“A typical month is usually right around $50,” Bechman said. Is it working? “Absolutely,” Bechman said. Last week, Facebook announced a partnership with Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) to develop a new Digital Marketing Certificate program.
In addition, at the U.S. Mayors Conference in Boston, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg announced a pledge to train one-million people and small business owners across the U.S. by 2020.
