Candice Smith, VP of the local non-profit Connected Communities, presented "My Method to Marketing" to a full house at the September 25 Home Based-Business Lunch & Learn. Ms. Smith spoke about the five facets of her marketing strategy: identifying the product/service, the message, the audience, delivery, and budget. All these considerations need to be addressed before approaching design. She shared her approach to branding Connected Communities, choosing an aesthetic that is clean and professional, but with an approachable softness. She recommends the marketing and design platform Canva, which offers templates, stock photos, and drag-and-drop design tools.

Ms. Smith spoke in depth about maximizing social media marketing. Her tips included targeting your audience and scheduling posts for maximum visibility. She reviewed various platforms and went over Facebook's algorithm for distributing content. To increase your business's visibility, be a conversation starter, stay active without spamming, time your posts, use video content, and use analytics to track performance. Plus, consider using hashtags to expand content reach and emojis to personalize and connect.

Cathy Slider, owner of York River Business Advisors, was among the two dozen entrepreneurs who came to learn and network. She said of the event, "There was such healthy energy in there, and I learned some good things. It was just what I needed." If you missed the talk, it will be screened on Cox 48 TV daily at 6:30am, 1:30pm, 9:30pm, and 2:30am, and is available to watch online.