SCHOHARIE — The Schharie Economic Enterprise Corp. (SEEC) is proud to kick off its Enlighten: Digital Marketing Series with a digital showcase, featuring local businesses that are participating in the Direct to Business Digital Marketing Grant program. SEEC invites the public to a panel discussion (virtual and in-person) at 4:30 pm Sept. 21, which will be followed by an in-person networking event from 5:30-7:00 pm hosted at 287 Main in Schoharie. The panel includes representatives from: Lisa Tenneson, Owner of Four Star Realty Group; Doug Guevara, Owner of Walt Whitman Books; Andrew Rowles, Owner of Hop House Farm.
The panelists will share their insights and experiences expanding their digital presence and efforts through the D2B Digital Marketing Grant Program, as well as the impacts of those expanded efforts. The participants of the D2B Programs utilized tools such as websites, e-commerce, social media, and more, to enhance their online reach and compete in a modern economy where a digital presence is essential. The panel offers participants the opportunity to ask real businesses about their reasons for expanding their digital tools and presence, what they have learned from this experience, how it has made their businesses more resilient, and the impacts their digital improvements have had on their business. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions, ambition, and their business cards.
“This session is meant to kick off a larger conversation with our local businesses about the importance of digital tools and strategies for the future of rural business,” commented SEEC Project Specialist, Spencer Cocca, “We have observed a shift in the way small businesses are reaching their customers, which has been hastened by the pandemic. Our intention for this series is to enlighten and empower our community with the knowledge and skills required to prosper in a 21st-century economy.”
SEEC continues to champion the importance of digital tools and infrastructure as Schoharie County works towards a 21st-century economy. SEEC Advisors, particularly Paul Conroy and Bart Finnegan, have been instrumental in shaping the Digital Strategy programs and have utilized data and best-practice information from across the country to communicate the potential for economic growth and inform the path to accomplishing these digital-driven goals . These advisors help identify a modern path to resiliency for businesses in Schoharie County, and the Digital Marketing Series at 287 Main looks to be an extension of that goal.
The US Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber of Technology Engagement Center report, “Unlocking the Digital Potential of New York” notes a sales growth potential of 23% supporting the demand for digital tools. Also noted in the report, 38% of rural small businesses reported a lack of access to the workforce needed to create or maintain digital tools. This series looks to not just create learning opportunities, but also networking opportunities to support local businesses looking to connect with digital marketing professionals. Attendees are encouraged to bring their business cards.
The next event in this series will take place at 4:30 pm Oct. 26 and will feature the topic, “Digital Marketing: Where do I begin?” Information regarding panels in the Digital Marketing Series will be announced at www.seecny.org. This series is free and open to the public but we ask that register by Sept. 20.
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