On Thursday, June 2nd the first digital marketing workshop for small business owners took place; a free event where experts on voluntary basis shared knowledge and information in the field of digital marketing, search engine optimalization and social media.
Host Arosha Brouwer opens the presentation in Leiden University’s Living Lab underlining the importance of a thorough digital marketing plan for entrepreneurs. The stats show the Netherlands has the highest percentage of smartphone owners in Europe; here lies a great opportunity to reach potential costumers! However, 45 percent of the websites by small business owners do not work properly on mobile phones. Another important tip from Arosha: ask for advice and feedback from costumers, family and friends. Sometimes the solution for your problems can be very simple and practical.
Ronald Kruin recognizes the importance of mobile coverage for a business. He is an online marketer with eFocus, a company that does the digital marketing for big clients (Heineken, Rabobank, Philips, to name a few). Ronald tells us about SEO (Search Engine Optimalization). To be visible and findable on search engines it’s important to have a decent mobile reach, a good website structure and unique content. Many participants have practical, technical and specific questions for Ronald. The same goes for Michiel van der Spek, digital consultant at Koppert Cress and owner of SPEKGLAD. As an expert in the field of social media, Michiel’s presentation consists mainly of practical tips and advices. Remember when your costumers are online to read your Facebook posts. Be aware of what’s trending on Twitter and act on that. Keep your LinkedIn profile up-to-date.
At the end of the evening we run out of time as the participants feel there’s still more to discuss with Arosha, Ronald and Michiel. The event was a big success and that might pave the way for future initiatives. The 25 guests go home satisfied after a long evening filled with fresh insights, an expanded network and goodies from eFocus and Koppert Cress.
