To help build a better relationship online with customers, more than 20 business owners and representatives attended a social media training May 2.
The crowd, mainly comprised of women, listened intently as Dogwood Social founder Missy Creed explained how Yelp reviews would have a positive or negative effect on businesses.
The California Chamber of Commerce arranged for Dogwood Social out of Jefferson City to host a two-hour session on branding and social media platforms.
Robin Arnold, owner of A Good Hair Day Salon in Clarksburg, said the event interested her as her business is expanding.
"Our business is growing, and we just remodeled our salon," Arnold said. "I was looking for ways to get better advertising out to reach a wider audience."
Although she is not big on social media, she admitted, she brought her salon stylist and esthetician Rebecca Hamilton.
They said they learned how to claim a social media handle on all platforms to keep branding consistent. Arnold said the training confirmed they are moving in the right direction.
Marketing coordinator Sarah Bohl also led portions of the session. The company was hands-on in helping guests set up Instagram accounts and schedule posts on Facebook.
The goal of the session was to answer questions and help alleviate concerns.
"We discussed branding and making sure before you start social media you've laid the foundation with your brand," Bohl said.
Community business owners should help each other out, she added.
Jenny Cain of Elevate Fitness Studio was able to set up her businesses Instagram account on site. She said the event gave her the opportunity to network with other business owners in the area.
The training was the first to be organized by the chamber benefits committee. Chairwoman Brandy Brockes and co-chairwoman Chelsea McGill plan to increase what businesses get for being on the chamber.
"Our goal this year is to do quarterly educational classes for members," Brockes said.