TechTalk In Dallas This Week, Hosted by PPAS

There's no question that social media is an essential component of any successful marketing plan. And while there's much chatter in the industry about social media, there's been little to no real instruction on how to successfully and professionally use social media—until now.

TechTalk is a hands-on, interactive course that covers not only why social media has become a crucial component of successful marketing but also how industry practitioners can jump-start their social media efforts with tips that can be implemented on the spot. Taught by industry veterans Charity Gibson and Lisa Horn, CAS, this interactive workshop will be hosted by Promotional Products Association Southwest (PPAS) on September 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 3125 Skyway Circle North, Irving, Texas.

The one-day event kicks off with Social Media 101, where attendees receive step-by-step training on how to set up Facebook pages and Twitter profiles—from selecting the right name, writing a compelling bio, connecting with others and crafting the first posts and tweets. An introduction to LinkedIn will also be covered.

After the lunch break, Social Media 201 delves into scheduling content, using lists and hashtags, developing social media strategy, promoting your social presence and learning the lingo and etiquette used by social media pros. By the conclusion of the workshop, attendees will have the tools necessary to effectively and professionally develop their social media presence.

"Social media offers so many opportunities for creating brand awareness, developing your online reputation and increasing engagement with your audience, but many are not capitalizing on these opportunities because they don't know to get started and what kind of content to create to build a solid following," said Lisa Horn, CAS, TechTalk cofounder. "TechTalk was created to give practical advice that is easily implemented, regardless of technical skills, so that industry practitioners can feel confident using social media to professionally represent themselves and their companies."

Charity Gibson, TechTalk cofounder, added, "Trying to keep up with the rapid pace at which online advertising mediums are evolving can be overwhelming. That being said, however, we as business owners have but one choice: Adapt or become obsolete. TechTalk was created to help you adapt by providing an opportunity to not only learn why social media should be used for your promotional products business but also how to do it successfully without breaking your budget or letting it consume your day. The benefits of having an online presence have proven invaluable to my company as well as Lisa's business, and we can't wait to show you how it can do the same thing for you and yours."

Wi-fi will be provided for all in attendance, and participants are encouraged to bring their laptops and be ready to learn. To register for the September 27 TechTalk, contact PPAS executive director Barbara Frank at info@ppasw.com. The cost is $15 for PPAS members and $20 for nonmembers.

Like TechTalk on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TechTalkPromo, and follow TechTalk on Twitter at twitter.com/TechTalkPromo.