"The internet is an indispensable part of everyday life," says Valerie De Volder, AIM's marketing manager. "Everyone Googles day in and day out, but we see that most local companies don't use the power of the internet for their own marketing. We think it's simply a knowledge gap for Flemish companies."
While connecting with potential customers has its obvious benefits to AIM, attendees could stand to profit as well, given recent data regarding Belgium's internet marketing. A survey by Interactive Advertising Bureau Belgium showed that online advertising in 2009 was just 10.6% of total media spending, while it was more than 15% in France, nearly 22% next door in the Netherlands and a whopping 27% in the UK.
Business professionals all agree that the internet is a tool of which companies should be taking more advantage - to increase their customer base, forge business partnerships and further establish their presences in the industry. There are obvious advantages to online advertising: flexibility, less expensive than traditional advertising methods, wider geographic audience and a generally positive rate of return on investment.
But to take advantage of all the web offers, there are some necessary first steps, which is what this class covers. In Dutch and just 90 minutes, it should arm small and mid-sized companies perplexed by social networking with the basics to get started. Subjects include:
· Dos and don'ts of a Facebook campaign
· Website design: beautiful and functional
· Email marketing: legal advice; databases; and email design - content and layout
"We're offering this on a bus so we can come to you," explains De Volder. "We don't want people to lose a full day of work or travel a number of hours. We want to keep the barriers to attending minimal."
The price is also right: €49 (excluding VAT). For dates, locations and to sign up, visit the website.
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