COVID resources: Free 5-hour digital marketing course available for small businesses

BizHack Academy and the Village of Pinecrest have joined forces to offer any business impacted by COVID-19 a 5-week crash course in digital marketing – at no cost to the small business. This training is funded through the federal CARES Act.

This five-hour course will cover how to use digital marketing to drive revenue and increase brand awareness. Each week, it will review key online tools and tactics to find new customers, bring back past customers, and increase sales during COVID-19.

Dan Grech, founder and lead instructor of BizHack Academy, will lead the five one-hour sessions. For experienced marketers, it’ll be a concise review of marketing best practices. For businesses just getting started in online lead generation, it’ll be an easy-to-understand introduction to digital marketing.

Grech said that more than 500 entrepreneurs have already enrolled since spots became available less than a week ago. That’s a proof point of the need out there in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, Grech said. The first session is Nov. 16 and they will run through mid December. All the the sessions will be recorded so if you miss a session — even the first one — you will be able to access it later. Up to 1,000 participants can enroll, but spaces are going fast.

The training will focus on the marketing channels that are most relevant to a Main Street businesses – website, social media, Yelp, Google My Business, video, email, phone, Messenger, mail, signage, and flyers – but any small business can benefit from the information, Grech said. Graduates of the training will receive a certificate. As part of the funding, any storefront business located inside Pinecrest is eligible for personalized coaching from a BizHack certified instructor.