Chicago City Treasurer's Online Marketing Contest

 Educational Event Series - Event #2

Constant Contact is partnering with the Chicago City Treasurer's Office to host the 4th annual Online Marketing Contest for Chicago's small businesses.

Click Here for details on our Online Marketing Contest!

Join Us for this FREE Special Event and learn key information to market your business the right way!

 Tuesday, January 21, 2014 from 8:30am to 12:00pm CDT

8:30am - 9:00am - Registration and Networking  

9:00am - 10:00am - Tom Casale - Grow Your Business with Email & Social Media 
10:10am - 11:10am - Rachel Portell - Social Media Best Practices                       11:15pm - 12:00pm - Jeff Hays - The Cloud & Office 365 for the Small Business                       

Grow Your Business with Email & Social Media Marketing

Many small businesses and organizations find themselves seeking the right strategies, tools and tactics to make their marketing efforts as effective as possible.  But between Facebook and Twitter, email and mobile, deals, and whatever new social network is rolling out that month—there’s a lot to keep up with. And there are only so many hours in each day.  The number of possibilities can feel overwhelming. 

This session will help make sense of the noise:

• Learn how to make the most of the combination of email and social media for your business.
• Gain a greater understanding of marketing basics like goals and objectives.
• Learn what a “campaign” is and what to write about and offer in that campaign.
• Get simple but powerful tips for how to get your messages opened and read, shared and socially visible.
• Learn about some great tools you can use to help engage with your existing customers and supporters as well as expand your reach to new prospects.

Throughout the session you’ll be given opportunities to capture your own ideas and build out the framework of your own “next great campaign.”  So join us and start to build a plan that will help you grow your business by eliciting the responses you want from your customers or supporters.

Your Presenter: Tom Casale, Managing Partner, Simplified Solutions and a Constant Contact Authorized Local Expert

Tom founded SimplifiedSolutions in 2002 to bring affordable web-based solutions to small and mid-size businesses.  He’s been a Constant Contact Business Partner since 2003, named a Constant Contact All Star in 2010 + 2011, and a Constant Contact Expert since 2011.  From his experience as interactive producer at CNN, Managing Editor of Consumer Digests' online efforts, to his success as an enterprise software sales director, Tom brings a wealth of knowledge to our clients' business every day.  Tom leads client services and technology.  He went to the University of Iowa, plays guitar, coaches his son's baseball games, and is a die-hard Cubs fan.

Social Media Best Practices

Don't just do social media, learn how to make social media work towards your business goals. In this session you will learn how to create a strategy and plan consistent with your business goals, you will learn how to effectively engage your community, and you will learn how to measure the results that matter to your business. Plus take away current tips, tricks and trends!        

                                     

Your Presenter:  Rachel Portell, Founder and CEO of Convometrics   

Rachel Portell gets your brand noticed. Portell leads a team of strategists that build innovative social media campaigns which get people talking and are always tied to metrics; thus the name Convometrics. Portell has experience working with a wide cross-section of industries including technology, consumer goods, energy, education, non-profit, retail, food and beverage, and hospitality. Her adaptable nature and experience in diverse social and digital strategy allows her to create exceptional campaigns that push limits and boundaries, allowing her clients to truly stand out among the competition.

The Cloud & Office 365 - What Does It Mean For The Small Business or Entrepreneur 

Saving Money with Microsoft and Office 365 - How can a small business save over $50,000? 

Mitigating Related IT and Business Risks in the Small Business - How can the cloud save my business from a disaster?

 

Your Presenter: Jeff Hays, Director of IT at Corbett, Duncan & Hubly, P.C.  and a Microsoft Partner 

Jeff Hays works as an outsourced CIO through Corbett, Duncan & Hubly, P.C. He provides a wide range of IT, accounting and business consulting services via their New CPA program.  The program leverages a variety of cloud based services such as Office 365 that allows him to make a difference with their customers.  He is passionate about helping his customers grow and manage their IT business by aligning their IT strategy with their business plan.  Jeff has lived in the Chicagoland area through his professional career and is an avid Chicago sports fan.  He can be followed on twitter at @jeff_hays and reached via email at jhays@cdhcpa.com.

 When arriving at the event, don’t forget to check in on Facebook or Four Square at ‘Chicago Online Marketing Contest’

Register Now!

The contest is almost here.  Are you Ready?

Any online promotion you ran during 2013 or through the contest end date is eligible - submit something old, or something entirely brand new. You don't have to be a marketing whiz to win! The contest opens January 2, 2014.

Enter the Online Marketing Contest Here!

A special thank you to Microsoft for donating prizes for contest winners!

 

Watch for our next seminar in this Educational Series Coming in February!