For Immediate Release Media Contacts: Collin Nash, Sid Nathan, and Jason Elan
October 20, 2011 (516) 869-7794
North Hempstead Business and Tourism Development Corp. Social Media Seminar Shares Strategies For Growing Small Businesses
PR Firms Zimmerman Edelson and Blu Chip Marketing Give Insight into Emerging Communications Field
North Hempstead, NY— In the face of stagnant consumer confidence, the North Hempstead Business and Tourism Development Corp. recently hosted a seminar on social media, focusing on strategies such as online and peer-to-peer communication techniques that small businesses can use to increase their customer base.
The Oct. 18 presentation, Social Media II: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Get You Started, featured experts in the emerging field from the public relations firms of Zimmerman Edelson, Inc. of Great Neck and Blu Chip Marketing of Bohemia.
One of those experts, Jackie DiBella, Associate Account Executive and Social Media Coordinator at Zimmerman Edelson, explained how Twitter is an information-sharing instrument designed to use only 140 characters. She mentioned how this short method of disseminating information can allow for rapid feedback from other users that can attract a larger following and bring publicity to your business, no matter how large or small it may be. Also using different facets of this technology like TweetDeck and TwitPic can allow businesses to constantly stream traffic and upload pictures, such as Grand Openings for businesses.
“I think this presentation was right on the money and exactly what we need to further business,” said Philip A. Raices of Turn Key Real Estate of Great Neck. “It’s not a kid’s thing, it’s an adult thing and there are boatloads of money to be made by using this,” he said. “You are either in it or out of it.”
The more than 60 attendees at the event enjoyed a free breakfast inside the Clubhouse at Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington as they digested invaluable information on how the use of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter can actually generate positive feedback when strategies are incorporated to build followers.
“When the Town can partner with small businesses to help find innovative solutions to grow a customer base in a difficult economy, it really does do a great service for everyone involved,” said Town Clerk Leslie Gross.
Karin M. Caro, CEO of Blu Chip Marketing, explained how utilizing groups on Facebook can build communities of followers and thus get out the word on your business as well.
“I thought the conference was excellent and in the future we should do a little more advanced techniques,” said Doris Mellina, Marketing Director for the Long Island Development Corporation.
Keeping in line with all of the gossip of social media, attendees were present with all of their gizmos and gadgets, including iPad’s laptops, smart phones and some were also live-Tweeting from the event as well.
The seminar was co-sponsored by Albrecht, Viggiano, Zureck & Co., P.C.; National Grid; Forchelli, Curto, Crowe, Deegahn, Schwartz, Mineo, Cohn Terrana LLP; Sovereign Bank/Santander and the Long Island Development Corportation.
For more information on the highlights of seminar, please visit www.northhempsteadny.gov or www.btdc.biz. Also, be sure to check out all of the latest news and updates on the Town of North Hempstead’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/townofnorthhempstead.
To reach one of the speakers from the day’s event, you can find them online at www.zimmed.com or www.bluchipmarketing.net.
Associate Account Executive of Zimmerman Edelson Jackie DiBella, Director of Print Publications of Zimmerman Edelson Deborah H. French, Business and Tourism Development Corp. programmer Roy Smitheimer, CEO of Blu Chip Marketing Karin M. Caro, North Hempstead Town Clerk Leslie Gross and Director of Public Relations of Zimmerman Edelson David Chauvin.
Jackie DiBella, David Chauvin and Deborah H. French of Zimmerman Edelson give a tutorial to the over 60 attendees at the North Hempstead BTDC Social Media Seminar on the importance of Twitter and how to use it to grow a business client base.