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Summer camp to teach businesses, orgs social media marketing

Is your Elgin area business or organization looking to establish a social media presence or grow your business through social media marketing? Struggling with finding the time to keep up with your professional Facebook page? Is your business on Twitter or Instagram yet?

Then gather round the campfire because it's time to earn your social media and marketing merit badges at "Social Media Summer Camp for Business" on Thursdays, July 14-28.

From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., local social media experts will lead an in-depth and interactive how-to discussion on a variety of simple, practical social media marketing techniques that local businesses and organizations can easily incorporate into their daily and weekly routines.

Organized and presented by the City of Elgin, Elgin Area Chamber, Elgin Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and Gail Borden Public Library, the sessions are open to any local businesses and organizations who wish to learn more about social media and marketing done right. The presentations, including both lecture and open discussion, will be held in Community Room A at Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.

Presenters will include Krisilee Murphy, director of marketing for the Elgin Area Convention and Visitors Bureau; Jason Pawlowski, director of marketing & special events for the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce; Molly Center, communications specialist for City of Elgin, and Natalie Kiburg, graphic designer and social media specialist for Gail Borden Public Library.

The following are summaries of each of the three Social Media Summer Camp for Business presentations:

In session one on "Facebook" on July 14, the presenters will dissect the anatomy of good vs. poor Facebook posts and help participants discover timesaving and cost-effective methods to stimulate engagement, increase followers and grow your business.

Topics will include Facebook basics, posting and image best-practices, boosted posts, leveraging page insights and scheduling, and marketing content specific to your audience.

In the second session July 21 on "Twitter & Instagram," they will provide a Twitter 101 overview from tweets to hashtags and more, plus how to take advantage of local promotional tools soon to be available to Elgin businesses on Twitter via the Elgin 311 app. An overview on visual marketing through Instagram will also be provided.

Topics will include discovering the difference between Facebook and Twitter audience and how marketing differs to each, dissecting Twitter's vocabulary, tweet and retweet best-practices, an in-depth look at leveraging hashtags and lists, an overview of the Elgin 311 app and getting started with Instagram.

Now that you know how to use the tools to get your message out, the presenters will help you craft and deliver your message through content marketing, blogs, videos and other techniques during the final session July 28 on "Marketing & PR." Local reporters also will be in attendance to provide insights on the do's and don'ts of news releases and media relations.

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