The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – Social media expert, Josh Wade, will offer a free presentation on how to use social media to win and build business online. The four-hour course will take place at Dayton's Best Western Plus Hotel on Tues., Oct. 27, from 4-8-p.m.

The class, which is hosted by the Port of Columbia and the Southeast Washington Economic Development Association, will focus on how to acquire new customers through the use of tools like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other online venues.

Wade is a consultant with NectarMEDIA, and is the creator of NectaråWineBlog.com, owner of Nectar Tasting Room in Spokane, publisher of Spokane Wine Magazine, author, speaker, consultant, and creator of Go Social Conference.

Wade made extensive use of social media tools in his former position as a marketing executive at Bank of America, and his commitment to content has built a loyal fan base of nearly 12,000 unique monthly readers of his wine blog.

He used social media to successfully launch Nectar Tasting Room in 2011, which was named Spokane's best business start-up that year, while spending no money in traditional marketing.

Today, Wade is in demand for teaching, consulting, and business conference engagements. In 2011, he was named one of the top 20 under-40 business people in Spokane by Inland Catalyst Magazine.

Tuesday's social media course will discuss the need for an online presence and how to be found on the web, easily. Wade will discuss how to make the most of Facebook to create interest and engagement in your product or service. He will also share how to gain the edge against your competition and improve branding and Facebook ads.

Wade will also talk about the importance of Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn and Google Plus, and will speak about measuring your return on investment and building customer loyalty online.

There is no cost for business owners to attend. Food and beverages will be served for registered participants. To register contact Brad McMasters at (509) 382-2577 or brad@portofcolumbia.org.