In this economy, businesses small and large are striving to pull ahead of the crowd- to be heard above the cacophony in the marketplace.

Social Media (ie: Blogs, Facebook,You Tube, Twitter, Flikr, etc) are unique platforms to engage your target audience and create the kind of viral buzz that can make or break your business. These days, consumers want to do business with people they know and trust.  And we can effectively forge these relationships, without breaking the bank, using Social Media.

The “Talk of the Town” Workshop Series will delve extensively into each mode of social media, and include knowledgeable speakers as well as peer coaching.  We will come alongside you as you navigate the world of new media and customize it to suit your needs.

• Instead of talking into the sea of people and hoping one will hear, learn how to inspire others to talk about you in a positive way!
• Reach out and draw consumers to your message through “permission marketing.”
• Discover how to make Social Media work for you, with specifically tailored workshops and peer coaching, abandoning the “one size fits all” approach!
• Teaming with successful bloggers and social media users to promote your message.
• Overcome the publicity challenges unique to a small town!

Future “Talk of the Town” events will be held monthly, and may be purchased individually or as part of a package.  Prices start at $30 per session.

The Introductory Breakfast will be an overview of our “Talk of the Town” Series on using social media (Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, and more) to create buzz for your business. The minimal fee includes a deluxe continental breakfast and a private room facility at the Broyhill Inn.

Speakers/Coaches include:

Scott Dickson is the President of Dickson Interactive, LLC. Scott has been helping businesses and organizations define and reach their target audiences for nearly 15 years. A veteran of traditional media advertising, including broadcast, newspapers, and magazines, Scott embraced the digital world when he became the Director of Online Sales for Media General in the NC region and as a Director of Business Development for the real-estate portal, Listingbook.com. After meeting success in the digital world, Scott realized there was a dire need for businesses to optimize their online marketing strategies to take advantage of the culture shift to the digital world. For the past 3 years, Scott has acted as both a consultant and project manager to help lead customers through the digital maze, maximizing their online presence with organic search engine optimization, usability and functionality analysis, competitive intelligence, conversion metrics, analytics, content development, distribution and social media marketing. A graduate of Appalachian State with a BS in Communications, Scott is also a published author and accomplished musician.

Boomer Sassmann is the President and Digital Technology Director for Big Boom Design. For over a decade Boomer has been building progressive, straightforward, and striking websites that combine the perfect mixture of form and function. His fascination with the internet and website design began in the mid 90’s before the days of Google. At that time website design and search engine techniques were fairly simple compared to today’s standards. Boomer began teaching himself Flash Animation and started incorporating these animations into his website projects whenever possible. This interest in Flash (motion) based websites forced him to become an expert in search engine optimization. As the internet continued to evolve, so did Boomers’ interest. First it was the Open Source movement followed by Content Management based websites, also known as blogs. This “worldly” knowledge of the internet gives Boomer an uncanny ability to select the perfect platform to build any type of website, no matter how complex. Basic HTML, Animated Flash, Content Management, and of course Blog design are all offered by Boomer and his staff at Big Boom Design. A graduate from Appalachian State University with a degree in Industrial Design, Boomer also works on the side tinkering with electric cars and sustainable building designs.

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