The UGA SBDC Digital Marketing Boot Camp (DMB) has made quite a splash in Georgia. Since November 2014, almost 900 small business owners and managers have attended one of sixteen full day programs delivered in every corner of the state. The good news continues – Digital Marketing Boot Camps are back! Sixteen more programs are scheduled for the coming months.

“The feedback from the Boot Camp participants has been outstanding,” says UGA SBDC State Director Allan Adams. “People are learning a lot and putting it to work.” 

Rick Ricker, Owner of CEP, Inc., attended the program in Gwinnett County and describes the impact it had on his business: “The information provided a solid fundamental knowledge of how to develop and grow a more effective digital presence. It gave me the confidence I needed to develop and maintain our company website and Facebook page, work with SEO software, and ultimately improve our visibility online.”

“The UGA SBDC’s approach to training is unique,” says Bernie Meineke, SBDC Director of Continuing Education. “We have great content and instructors, and SBDC consultants are available after the programs to help the business owners apply what they learned.”

Dr. Julie Buzby, DVM, attended the Boot Camp in Savannah and offers high praise for the program and the follow-up help she received: “This is one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made. It set into motion a chain of events which has had a direct impact on our company’s visibility and sales. I walked away with so many practical tidbits that I could implement immediately, plus the opportunity for follow up with my local SBDC office. The next week I called to schedule an appointment with Kyle Hensel, my SBDC Area Director. Over the course of several key meetings, Kyle helped me identify specific areas of weakness in my business and formulate a plan to transform them into strengths.”

The full day, intensive program is designed especially for small business owners who want to use the power of the internet to increase profits and gain customers. Each DMB program includes multiple break-out sessions filled with powerful marketing tips, tools and help in developing an overall strategy to harness the power of digital marketing.

Some of the topics include:

• Making search engines work for your business
• Using social media to connect with customers
• Looking into the future of broadband technology
• Tapping into the mobile marketplace
• Effectively utilizing paid online advertising
• Free tools to improve website traffic
• Effective use of online photos and video

The Digital Marketing Boot Camps are supported by a grant from Digital Georgia, an initiative of the Georgia Technology Authority and Information Technology Outreach Services, a department of the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government. To learn more about Digital Marketing Boot Camp, please visit www.georgiasbdc.org/digital.

Upcoming Boot Camps: