Bakersfield News

Monday, April 19, is the deadline to register for two Facebook workshops next week. After receiving many accolades for our Facebook workshops in February, with many students asking for more, the Arts Council of Kern, through its new Tech Arts Academy, is offering two upcoming workshops on social media with an emphasis on Facebook.

The classes will be held Wednesday, April 21, in the Tejon Computer Lab at the UC Merced building, 2000 K St., third floor. The beginning class, “Intro to Social Media and Harnessing the Power of Facebook,” is from 8 a.m. to noon. The advanced class, “Making Facebook Work For You,” is from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The cost for each class is $50, or $90 for both classes. Arts Council of Kern members pay a discounted price of $45 per class or $80 for both. Cost is payable online at www.techartsacademy.org or by mailing or dropping off a check to Arts Council of Kern, 2000 K St., Suite 110, Bakersfield, CA 93301. Registration must be received by Monday, April 19. For more details, call Jennifer Baldwin or Carlin Jones at the Arts Council of Kern, 622-4243, or e-mail info@techartsacademy.org.

These workshops contain two key elements that impact students:
1) They are taught in a computer lab, with each student getting real-time, hands-on experience working within Facebook.
2) They are tailored to meet the specific questions and needs of the students, whether they’re using Facebook for personal use, marketing for an organization, or marketing for a business.

In the beginning class, students will learn:

· What is social media, and the difference between a standard website and an interactive social networking site.
· The basic functions of Facebook, such as creating and maintaining a fan page
· The potentials of advertising on Facebook with real examples of how it works
· The potentials of networking on Facebook and how to reach out to new audiences
· How to create an online “personality” and “netiquette” (etiquette on the Internet)
· How to customize your security and privacy settings to determine who sees what.

In the advanced class, students will learn:

· How to customize your Facebook user experience.
· How to separate your personal and professional Facebook personas.
· The components of a successful Facebook marketing campaign.
· Tips and tricks to get more eyeballs, such as tagging photos and wall posts
· How to maximize the concentric circle effect to grow your friends and fans.

Students are invited to bring materials (photos, pdfs, etc.) on thumb drives or CD/DVD for uploading to their Facebook pages. The instructors will give individual attention to workshop participants during a short lab time at the end of each session.

The Internet is a powerful tool for individuals and organizations to market themselves, reach out to new audiences, and build online communities. The Arts Council of Kern recognizes the need for artists and organizations that support the arts to learn how to harness the power of technology and stay connected in the online world. To meet this need, we launched Tech Arts Academy, a series of workshops that introduce participants to a variety of technical arts such as social networking, blogging, Podcasting, photography, video, design, music technology, grant writing, technical training for nonprofits and more.

Workshops are held in the Tejon Computer Lab at the UC Merced building, 2000 K Street, third floor. Businesses and organizations can also request on-site workshops for their staff and members. Workshops are taught by Arts Council staff as well as outside instructors.

About the Instructors:

Jennifer Baldwin has worked in the world of media for 13 years. She is the founder and editor of BakersfieldExpress.org, a local nonprofit news website focusing on arts and culture, quality of life issues, green living and nonprofits. Previous to launching the website in 2009, she worked at The Bakersfield Californian, where as an online editor for Bakersfield.com she helped launch blogs, Podcasting, online video and more. Jennifer is also a marketing consultant (clients include the Arts Council of Kern) and teaches media courses at Bakersfield College.

Carlin “C.J.” Jones is the marketing associate and social media guru for the Arts Council of Kern. He has 12 years of experience in web design and content management, and five years of web marketing. More recently, he has gained the nickname of “Facebook cowboy” for wrangling up community leaders to get on board with online interactivity. He manages five local websites and facilitates 10 Facebook fan pages for community groups, including Arts Council of Kern, Arvin Green Arts, Taft Oilworker Monument, Kern Veterans Memorial Foundation (kernvets.org) and Bakersfield Green Expo.