Brandon HOFFMAN
Special to the Tribune
Working in the arts, the non-profit sector, or running a small business, you can’t really get away from social media these days. Love it or hate it, the vast majority of people use Facebook to find out what’s going on in their world. Personally, I hate it when it feels like my life is getting sucked down a social-media wormhole, so I was somewhat hesitant about joining Evie Lavers’ social media workshop at Northern Exposure Conference in the fall. I had been to this type of workshop before, and expected this one to be the same bland, mildly-soul-sucking experience. But strangely enough, the hour-and-a-half workshop didn’t feel nearly long enough, so I asked Evie if we could arrange to have her give a more in-depth workshop in Williams Lake.
On May 5, Evie Lavers will be coming to Williams Lake to host a workshop at the Arts Centre about social media for artists, arts organizations, non-profits and small businesses. The workshop has been supported by the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society, so for arts-related registrants, admission is just $25 for the full-day ($45 for non-arts-related registrants). The workshop is designed for people who already have a bit of a foundation when it comes to social media (manage a Facebook or Instagram page, know the basics like making an “event page” and sponsoring posts etc). The class is designed to provide a bit of a boost, to make your social media game more effective and efficient. There’s no need to bang your head against the computer screen — Evie will help you design a practical and manageable timeline to promote your product or event, leaving you more time to explore the real world outside the box.
Over the course of a day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a break for lunch), we will walk through the development and execution of a social media campaign. The structure of the campaign could be used for a small-scale product launch, or a larger scale operation like a festival or book release. We will develop a detailed timeline, set measurable objectives, and establish a routine to see the campaign through to completion.
The material will focus on tools like Facebook, Instagram, Mailchimp, and a handful of other online apps designed to streamline these platforms. We will spend some time on hashtags, and the elusive Facebook algorithms that dictate which posts rise to the top, and which are buried. Very often, subtle changes in wording and photography-styles can drastically impact the success of a post. We will discuss “paid” versus “organic” reach, and spend some time getting to know the “back end” of Facebook’s ads manager.
Evie has some impressive accolades — workshop trainer for the BC Touring Council, Marketing Coordinator for Island Mountain Arts, Event coordinator of the 2017 Kootenay Music Awards, and more. Yet, she makes the material extremely approachable.
Space is filling up for the May 5th workshop — to sign up, visit centralcaribooarts.com/social or drop by the Arts Centre during office hours (Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Thursday from noon to 5 p.m.).