Social Media Bootcamp Equips Attendees Digital Toolbox for Success

Social Media Bootcamp Equips Attendees Digital Toolbox for Success

With the advent of the internet and, subsequently, the world wide web in the late 1990s, the landscape for how we communicate was forever changed. With that invention and the exponential growth of connectivity the internet afforded everyone, came also the increasing speed with which ideas can be exchanged and modified.

How we communicate with one another went from something that took a day or longer, down to mere minutes or seconds. Because of this, the small business had to come to grips with the idea that in order to survive, they had to go online. But what does that mean?

Chris Mahlmann, CEO and Founder of Ideas in Motion Media realized that digital media was the future of how businesses, individuals and not-for-profits would communicate with their audience. Due to the increasing speed at which things change online, it is very difficult to keep up for anyone, which is why we offer the Social Media Bootcamp.

Mahlmann wanted to make sure that clients who were struggling with the idea of how to leverage social media, and Facebook in particular, to their advantage, had the necessary tools to be able to do so effectively and efficiently.

The most recent Bootcamp attendees included team members from Team Chevy, Residences at Deer Creek, CASA, Vale Park Animal Hospital, Valpo Parks, the City of La Porte, St. Jude House, Mental Health America of Porter County, Center for Hospice Care, Fit Body Bootcamp, Family Youth Service Bureau, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana, CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana, and Oak Partners.

Tips and advice on how to not only utilize the Life sites, but also how to engage an already interested audience were provided. Emily Hoak from CASA was excited to be in attendance.

"This has been so beneficial. We learned so much and feel it will help us tremendously," said Hoak. 

Mahlmann expounded upon a wealth of information, beginning with illustrating the difference between the “old school” way of doing things (print mediums like magazine ads and billboards), to the “new school” way that has emerged (social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram).

Whereas before you would pick a dominant medium, like a billboard, and communicate with everyone, it was very expensive, but it was essentially a ‘fire and forget it’ way of advertising. Now, the situation has almost entirely been put on its head. Social media is basically free, highly interactive, but has a much more targeted audience.

But simply knowing that you need to utilize Facebook isn’t enough. There are so many ways in which to communicate on Facebook, it can be easy to get lost in the overwhelming amount of information. Mahlmann once again tackled this with experienced ease by distilling the information into easily digestible chunks, including recognizing when it makes sense to boost a post.

"Know when to pour gas on the fire and when to let it go go," Mahlmann noted. "Knowing when to do that is the best tool a business can have in their toolbox."

Engagement means that when someone views your post, they take some sort of action other than just simply scrolling past it after glancing over it for a few seconds. By getting your audience to like, comment, or share with a comment on your post, it will reach more and more people and relay the information about your business in a more effective and lasting manner.

It’s the attention to details that really stood out for most about the boot camp. The volume of information that can be taught about utilizing social media can’t be covered in just one boot camp. However, Mahlmann provided insight to those in attendance and gave them the tools and information necessary to begin their journey into the wonderful world of social media.