Korhan hosts Social Media Summit

Lawn & Landscape columnist and new media marketer Jeff Korhan recently hosted his first Social Media Summit in Chicago – an event designed to give small businesses direct experience with social media best practices.  Participants represented companies from the green industry, tourism and retail.

“When you get small businesses together from different industries, they often discover that despite their apparent differences, they share many of the same challenges and opportunities,” Korhan said. “Since there are as many ways to use social media as there are companies, this proved to be especially refreshing for everyone.”

“I really appreciated the opportunity to get some practical solutions in place and walk away with a definite plan of next steps to work on with my team,” said Shannon O’Neil, marketing director for Ryco Landscaping, Lake in the Hills, Ill.

Mark Hunter, CEO of Hunter Resources, and the owner of several retail and wholesale businesses in western Wyoming said, “Getting the overall social media structure was hugely valuable for someone like me that came into this with only a basic understanding. We are now ready to use social media to expand our reach to new markets beyond what was possible with traditional media.”

Who is using social media?  According to the Pew Research Center, “The graying of social networking sites continues, with many Baby Boomers beginning to make a trip to the social media pool part of their daily routine.”

Based upon the favorable response, Korhan plans to offer the two-day program next year in multiple locations across the United States.  He notes, “The interaction with peers and the hands-on learning environment were mentioned as the top take-aways.”