Bladen County businesses have the opportunity to learn about the latest strategies in Marketing through a new Lunch and Learn seminar series.
The Small Business Center at Bladen Community College in partnership with the Elizabethtown – White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce announced a new Lunch & Learn Marketing Series, starting Sept. 1. Topics to be covered include how to increase your exposure on Google, how to use Facebook to sell your products and services, how Instagram’s posts build your followers and customers and why LinkedIn is important for networking and business growth.
These free seminars are free and will be held in the conference room of the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, 207 E. Broad Street, Elizabethtown. Lunch for a nominal price can be purchased from the Chamber.
LUNCH & LUNCH SERIES:
Tuesday, September 1: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch & Learn: Get Found on Google – In-person
Elizabethtown White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, 207 E Broad St, Elizabethtown
Your business website has to be found before your products and services can be seen. Since 92% of shoppers use Google to search for products and 75% will click on the first or second link on the page; it is important to be ranked higher in search results. The secret is Search Engine Optimization. During this class, learn how to use a SEO audit tool and keywords to enhance your ranking. Higher rankings mean more traffic and more customers, which leads to more sales.
Tuesday, October 6: 12:00-pm – 1:00pm
Lunch & Learn: Facebook Shops & Marketplace – Turn Followers into Customers – In-person
Elizabethtown White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, 207 E Broad St, Elizabethtown
Facebook has more than 1.1 billion people logging in daily to spend an average of 1 hour on the platform. If you sell products online and have a local outlet or store, you should be using Facebook Marketplace. During this class, you will learn to set up a Facebook shop, make attractive listings, reach local buyers and make more sales.
Tuesday, November 3: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch & Learn: Master Instagram Marketing – Grow Your Business – In-person
Elizabethtown White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, 207 E Broad St, Elizabethtown
This course will help you master Instagram Marketing strategy, which will help you grow your business at a rapid speed and gain thousands of the right kind of followers. Learn how to turn followers into paying customers, understand the secrets of hashtags and stories, and how to generate sales with Instagram Shopping.
Tuesday, December 1: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Lunch & Learn: Learn How to Use LinkedIn to Grow Your Business – In-person
Elizabethtown White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, 207 E Broad St, Elizabethtown
Did you know that LinkedIn has surpassed Facebook as the preferred place for providing small business content? With over 1.5 billion users, you can’t afford to ignore this powerful ecommerce tool. In this class, you will learn how to create a compelling “online presence” and to position yourself as an expert.
This FREE series is sponsored by the Small Business Center at Bladen Community College and the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. To find more about free classes on business start-up and development, go to the SBC website at https://bladencc.edu/instruction/sbc/.
Brian and Staci Graybill opened their third business together, Market Square Pantry, in December 2025. Photo provided by Faith Hatton. For Fayetteville entrepreneurs Brian and Staci Graybill, building a business has often started when they were
The venue features two levels, two fully stocked bars, audio-video systems including projectors, and lighting solutions, an in-house culinary team, lounge space, a bistro section and private rooms, a state-of-the-art DJ booth and on-site staff to hel
Brad and Kelley McLawhorn became business partners in 2001 when they first opened a restaurant on Reilly Road. Now, their highly praised catering company continues to impress community members with flexibility, quality and personalized service. Photo
