State Tourism Official Conducts Social Media Marketing Workshop in Smithville

By: Dwayne Page

Aimed at learning about how better to reach more potential customers and expand tourism locally, members of the Center Hill Business Association sponsored a social media marketing workshop Monday at the County Complex.

Sara Beth Urban, Middle Tennessee Division Manager for the Tennessee Department of Tourism Development, was the guest speaker and provided some helpful tips.

“DeKalb is ranked 32nd out of the 95 counties in tourism and that includes $48.02 million in tourism expenditures coming directly into DeKalb County. Considering the growth that you have from 2002 to this past year it’s amazing how much growth has come out of this county and your rankings have gone up and been phenomenal,” said Urban.

“We know people come to Nashville or to see the colors in the Smoky Mountains but with $48 million dollars coming to DeKalb County they are coming here too. We need to make sure we are creating a whole product and getting the word out about what businesses are here and what there is to see and do in DeKalb County,” said Urban.

“The main purpose of today’s workshop is to provide tips and tricks for social media marketing. Trying to improve everyone’s posts they are doing on facebook and instagram and trying to let them know the practices we followed to help get the word out to visitors about how wonderful Tennessee is,” Urban continued.

One way is by taking advantage of the free partner pages on the state tourism website www.tnvacation.com.

“We offer free partner pages on our website for any tourism business in the state. If you are running a shop, restaurant, coffee shop, etc. you qualify for a partner page. Go on line and add information and photos. It shows how you can start a partner page. This gives us the opportunity to look at your business and make sure when we are writing articles about DeKalb County events and Center Hill Lake your page will be linked with ours to expose your business to more traffic through our website,” said Urban.

“DeKalb County is doing wonderfully. We love the growth we have seen over the past 15 years here but there is a lot more to be done. I think you are on track to break the $50 million mark in tourism next year. Tourism is the number 2 industry in the state. The first is agriculture. We bring in $20.77 billion. That is direct dollars coming back to local businesses, gas, restaurants, lodging, shopping all of those elements,” Urban said.

Joe Brown, owner of the Button Willow General Store and Coffee Shop downtown Smithville and Vice President of the Center Hill Business Association, said the workshop was helpful.

“It was huge. I think social media is definitely a way we are going to reach out to our community that for some of us has been unavailable. Not a lot of us are social media savvy or have the time to do it but the things Sara Beth has said I believe are going to be keys for helping grow our businesses and to help promote each other which is what we are about. We have to promote ourselves and one another and let people know that our services and businesses are out there,” said Brown.

Tony Luna, owner of Lake Homes Realty and Marketing Director for the Center Hill Business Association, said the group of 20 members formed about four months ago. Luna said Urban’s workshop will help the local business owners think outside the box when it comes to marketing themselves.

January 9, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

Three members of the award winning DeKalb County High School Fighting Tiger Band, Axel Rico, Javontae Martin, and Victor Luna have earned All Mid State Band honors.

Mid-State is a weekend event held each Spring that provides an opportunity for the best musicians of Middle Tennessee to perform with one another in large ensembles. Each Mid-State ensemble will prepare and perform a concert with just a few short rehearsals.

To make the Mid-State Band or Orchestra, students must go through the audition process in the Fall, which includes three parts: scales, prepared music, and sight reading. The highest scored musicians in each section are selected to be a member of the Mid-State Band or Orchestra, with the top few high school musicians from each section qualifying for All-State. This is a tremendous opportunity for students as it prepares and propels them toward post secondary musical experiences.

Martin, Rico, and Luna performed outstanding auditions for adjudication from specialists in their respective instrument families, alto and tenor saxophone.

“Axel Rico auditioned and was awarded 1st alternate for the silver All Mid state Band. He is the first call if someone cannot make it or gets ill. He was chosen from dozens of 11th and 12th grade superior alto saxophone performers from the mid state,” said DCHS band director Tracy Luna.

“Javontae Martin, alto saxophone, performed a very high scoring audition. Javontae was 16th out of almost 60 players! A very good showing for a freshman performer,” added Luna.

“Auditioning and being selected in his third midstate band was Victor Luna. Victor successfully auditioned for the top band and was awarded second chair tenor saxophone, one chair away from his first all state experience. Sophomore Luna has two more years to shoot for all state,” Luna continued.

“I am proud of each student that auditioned and the accomplishments and strides each has made this last year,” said Luna.

January 9, 2019
By: Dwayne Page

NASHVILLE — State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) took the oath of office on Tuesday in Nashville as the 111th General Assembly was gaveled into session. The oath was administered by the Honorable Mark Norris, U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Tennessee, during the first day of the legislature’s organizational session.

“I am humbled by the confidence placed in me by the citizens of Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith and Wilson Counties,” said Senator Pody. “My pledge is to work every day to maintain that trust and make them proud of my service as their state senator.

Other organizational tasks that will be taken up this week include the election of the state’s constitutional officers on Wednesday. The organizational session will conclude after the inauguration of Governor-elect Bill Lee, which is scheduled for Saturday, January 19 at 11:00 am on Legislative Plaza.

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