Submitted by San Juan County Economic Development Council

Marketing is changing at lightning speed due to rapid changes in platforms on the internet and social media. Business entrepreneurs can learn how to stay ahead of the changes by participating in a free workshop offered by the San Juan County Economic Development Council, in partnership with the San Juan Islands Visitors’ Bureau from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Heritage Bank in Friday Harbor.

Workshop attendees will learn both old-fashioned and new-fangled key elements of marketing a small business, from research and branding, to e-newsletters and print brochures, to social media and websites, to media relations and community relations. Instructors Deborah Hopkins Buchanan and Barbara Marrett will answer questions such as “What is SEO?“ “What is content marketing?” and “What is an influencer?” along the way.

Instructor Deborah Hopkins Buchanan launched the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau in 2003, based on marketing experience she gained at Travel Portland, Washington County Visitors Association in Oregon, the Oregon Medical Association and the American Red Cross; instructor Barbara Marrett has worked as a writer and in editorial and marketing in the San Juan Islands for over three decades and is a Port of Friday Harbor Commissioner.

The workshop is from 10-11 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6, in the meeting room of Heritage Bank, Friday Harbor. The workshop is free; advance registration is required. Call 360-378-2906 or email summer@sanjuansedc.org for more information.

The EDC thanks Heritage Bank, San Juan Propane and all our funders for their support of this workshop and other EDC initiatives.