WHITESBURG, KY – How do you successfully market a downtown Whitesburg Airbnb and a farmer’s market located in the longest holler in Letcher County? Why through digital marketing, of course! Whitesburg residents, who are serious about making their businesses a success, learned the ropes at a Be Boss Online (BBO) course offered there in October.
Eight aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners moved one step closer to successfully marketing their businesses online, by completing Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED’s) BBO this fall.
The Letcher County area residents completed the course offered at the Kentucky Community & Technical College System’s Whitesburg campus. All agreed the class gave them a better understanding of social media platforms and how they can help market their businesses online.
Luann Vermillion enrolled in the 12-hour class to learn how to market her Airbnb: The Stone Studio, located near downtown Whitesburg.
“This training has given me the nudge I needed to start marketing my business better,” she said.
SouthDown Farm owner Sheryl Long said the BBO training will go a long way in helping her get the word out about her farmer’s market, located at Crafts Colly – the longest holler in Letcher County without an outlet.
“I appreciate the helpfulness and learning atmosphere (of the class),” she said. “I am excited to put it to use.”
The other Whitesburg BBO graduates include: Jeannie Allen, KCTCS/Selling to the World; Sheryl Long, SouthDown Farm; Seth Long, SouthDown Farm; Grace Long, SouthDown Farm; Luann Vermillion, The Stone Studio; Arnemann Grender, Laura Mize, and Damaris Sexton.
During BBO training, clients master: Google business search and services, Google and Facebook advertising, building a simple website, understanding analytics and using social media.
SKED Small Business Training Director Amanda Kelly describes BBO as: An always current, turn-key digital marketing curriculum that allows you to help clients grow their bottom line by owning their presence on the internet.
“Our simple, innovative and comprehensive curriculum will help business owners feel as confident about using the internet and social media as marketing tools as they are about managing their business,” she said.
The BBO curriculum is customizable and includes four courses, each three hours long, packed with valuable digital marketing how-to information that will produce results for small businesses. But clients are not limited to that lineup: The curriculum modules can be separated into one-hour lunch-and-learn sessions, or even two-hour specialty courses on social media. It’s completely customizable to meet each client’s needs.
“We want to put East Kentucky small business owners on the same “playing field” as businesses across the country,” Kelly added. Be Boss Online has the potential to give our small business owners the same growth potential as others in more populated areas, because we’re teaching them the tools to market their products and services in ways they once could only dream of.”
Another Be Boss Online class is currently being offered in Ashland, Ky.
For more information about BBO, contact Kelly at Amanda@bebossonline.com, by phone at (606) 677-6119 or visit the website: www.bebossonline.com.