Small business and non-profit organizations around British Columbia are struggling to get noticed in an extremely competitive market.
But the battle can soon be over thanks to a one-day Marketing Bootcamp offered in Kelowna on Feb. 29 and Kamloops on March 1.
“Marketing is often an afterthought for small businesses, but it shouldn’t be,” said George Affleck, the president and CEO of Curve Communications, a Vancouver-based marketing agency.
“Without the proper strategy, companies can’t stand out from the competition.”
Affleck and a team of experts are behind these one-day intensive marketing classes, which will teach participants how to jumpstart their marketing campaigns and build their brands.
Affleck is a former journalist and Curve’s founder and CEO. He’s also the author of Buzz: How to Grow Your Small Business Using Grassroots Marketing. With more than 15 years in the industry, Affleck has developed a fail-safe grassroots marketing model that can help launch or create awareness about any business.
Amanda Bates, Curve’s vice-president, brings more than 20 years of experience in journalism, producing and television to the workshops. She is an expert crafter of pitches and knows what it takes to get journalists to cover stories.
Stephen Johnson is a master of Google search algorithms, pay-per-click campaigns and search engine optimization (SEO). He works behind the scenes to make marketing efforts stand out from the competition.
Buzz, Affleck’s book, was released at the end of 2015 and covers tools and tips business owners need to launch and grow their companies.
In it, Affleck describes his Buzz Formula—a marketing method he has honed over the years. It’s a formula he will share with participants in the Kelowna and Kamloops workshops.
“Unlike other courses, these marketing bootcamps won’t take a generic, catchall approach,” Affleck said.
“Before participants even set foot in the training room, we will evaluate their existing online presences—from websites to social media.”
For companies and organizations without websites, the Curve team will explain why having an online presence is a necessary component to an effective marketing campaign.
Business owners will learn how to manage their SEO, Google AdWords and Facebook advertising.
“I’ll take participants on a tour of search engines and reveal how companies can profit from them,” Johnson said.
Participants will discover how to create ads for print, radio, television and online formats, write compelling content and harness the power of email marketing while adhering to Canadian anti-spam laws.
Curve has years of experience in media buying and will show workshop participants how to negotiate ad placement, create promotional campaigns, foster community relations, place corporate donations and develop strategic pitches for journalists.
“I received countless pitches as a producer, but many of them lacked research and newsworthiness,” Bates said. “Journalists are busy and don’t have time to figure out what you’re trying to say. We know how to get their attention.”
Not only will bootcampers get all the advice they need to help their companies and organizations stand out from the competition, they will receive a free copy of Buzz and an hour-long complimentary one-on-one session with Affleck, Bates or Johnson.
Kelowna Capital News is also partnering with Curve Communications and will offer ad bundle discounts to all those who register for the marketing bootcamp.
“We’re happy to support a training program that helps businesses in Kelowna and Kamloops flourish,” said Karen Hill, Kelowna Capital News publisher.
To register, contact Kerry Slater via email at kerry@bccommunitynews.com.