Getting Publicity for Your British Columbia Business the Low-Cost Way

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- A new BC-based training program called the PR and Social Media Intensive (www.prinyourpajamas.com/training)  allows small business owners in British Columbia to avoid the expense of publicists by training their employees to successfully implement public relations (PR) and social media marketing strategies.

The PR and Social Media training course is based on the concept that employees are company evangelists who can learn how to create buzz-worthy stories and make them stick.

The three-class publicity and social media program is offered as a live seminar, in-house training or webinar, and is available to all companies within British Columbia. The first live seminars run on November 29, December 1 and 2 in Vancouver.  In-house training dates are flexible and small businesses may qualify for free funding.

Maximizing on Thousands of Dollars of Free Publicity

The PR and Social Media Intensive is geared towards start-ups and small businesses in BC that want to maximize their marketing budget by training in-house marketing or support staff to get free publicity using insider secrets and time-saving tools.

Taught by Elena Verlee, founder and managing partner of Cross Border Communications and author of the award-winning PR in Your Pajamas blog, attendees will come away with the tools and strategies they need to land media interviews and social media buzz that attract quality leads, clients, employees and partnerships.

"Small businesses want to get publicity but simply can't afford a publicist," says Verlee. "This training is a way to empower their employees so that companies can take advantage of the high ROI and positive ripple effects PR and Social Media can bring to other marketing initiatives."

These ripples are creating waves of opportunities:  According to various studies by the Institute of Public Relations, Social Media Examiner and CNN:

• The return on investment for PR is $8 for every $1 spent
• 48% of those using social media generated qualified leads
• 45% of those using social media reduced overall marketing expenses
• 43% of online news sharing occurs via social media networks and tools
• 47% of social media users say social media sites influence their decision to purchase specific companies services and brands

Learning the Best Tricks from the Best Teacher

For almost 20 years, Verlee has helped companies build their credibility and attract customers through public relations. Verlee is also a Visa Business Network blogger, a Forbes "20 Women for Entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter," and was honoured in PR Web's "25 Essential PR Blogs You Should be Reading."

The PR and Social Media Intensive training program is $1495+ taxes per person. Companies with less than 50 employees may be able to send participants for free.  For more information contact [email protected] or call 604.947.2930.

SOURCE Cross Border Communications