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Social media has become a necessary part of doing business for many companies, but keeping up with changing platforms, new tools, short-form video, artificial intelligence and evolving rules can quickly become overwhelming — especially for a small business with limited time and resources.

That challenge is at the center of a new Social Media Cohort for Small Businesses being offered through Wright State University–Lake Campus in partnership with NOW Marketing Group.

Cassandra Osterholt, Coordinator for Workforce Development and the Business Enterprise Center at Wright State Lake Campus, and Jessika Suter of NOW Marketing Group joined WCSM's Spectrum to discuss the program, who it is designed for and what participants can expect.

Osterholt said the Workforce Development and Business Enterprise Center partners with the Small Business Development Center in Lima to provide state-supported resources and programming for entrepreneurs and small-business owners throughout the region. The Lake Campus offers different small-business programs throughout the year, and social media was an area officials wanted to address in greater depth.

The reason is simple: social media has changed dramatically.

Businesses today are navigating Facebook, Instagram, Threads, short-form video, artificial intelligence and a growing number of tools and platform rules. Suter said the answer is not simply trying to chase every new feature. Instead, the cohort will begin with the fundamentals businesses can continue using even as individual platforms change.

Suter said one of the strongest drivers of new business remains word of mouth. The opportunity presented by social media is taking that traditional concept and expanding it from "word of mouth" to "world of mouth" by using digital platforms to develop relationships and reach new people.

Those relationships will be a major focus of the program.

Rather than simply accumulating followers, likes or views, Suter said businesses should understand who they are trying to reach, what conversation they want to have with that audience and which platform or type of content is best suited to deliver that message.

The program is being called a cohort rather than simply a class or one-day workshop because the learning will continue beyond an individual session.

The cohort begins with a virtual kickoff on October 7. That kickoff will be recorded for anyone unable to attend live. Participants will receive workbooks and begin a social-media audit of their own business before moving into the in-person portion of the program.

Three in-person sessions are scheduled for January 13, January 20 and January 27.

Suter said participants will be able to use the time between sessions to begin applying what they have learned and ask questions as they encounter challenges. She will also be available in person during the sessions to work through questions specific to participants and their businesses.

The cohort is not limited to people who are completely new to social media.

Suter said the material can benefit entrepreneurs working with limited marketing budgets, people building a side business, creators and established companies that want to make sure the employees representing their brand online understand current best practices.

Short-form video will be among the areas discussed, including the guardrails businesses need to consider when creating Reels and similar content. Suter noted that businesses also need to understand issues surrounding ownership, music and other material used in their content.

The Spectrum conversation also touched on recent changes and experiments by Meta surrounding external links in organic content. Suter used the changes as an example of why businesses cannot build their entire digital strategy around one feature or one platform.

Her broader message was that businesses should focus on earning permission to continue the conversation with potential customers. That can include creating content that encourages someone to respond, ask for more information or move the conversation into Messenger rather than relying solely on a link inside a social-media post.

Suter said the first in-person cohort session will begin with something even more basic: making sure businesses actually have their accounts set up correctly.

For Facebook and other Meta platforms, that includes understanding the difference between a personal account and the tools designed for businesses, checking who owns and controls the business profile and making sure the company maintains access even if another employee or outside person originally created the account.

Participants will perform an audit, review their profiles and make sure the foundation is correct before moving deeper into content and strategy.

Osterholt said keeping the program practical was important to the Lake Campus. The goal of the Workforce Development and Business Enterprise Center is to provide attainable programming at a reasonable price that can be applied in the workplace.

Registration for the full Social Media Cohort for Small Businesses is $100 per person, and businesses can register more than one employee.

Osterholt said the partnership with NOW Marketing Group developed after the Lake Campus had encountered Suter through other area businesses and programs. Osterholt also attended Social Media Week Lima this summer and said what Suter was able to provide closely matched what the Lake Campus wanted to offer through the cohort.

Suter said the partnership also fits NOW Marketing Group's emphasis on community and relationships. She said having connections throughout the digital-marketing community provides another resource when a participating business has a question requiring additional expertise.

During the Spectrum interview, Osterholt also highlighted several other activities and workforce-development opportunities at Wright State Lake Campus.

The Lake Campus kickoff for Wright Day to Give is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Moeller Brew Barn in Maria Stein. Osterholt also discussed the Fall 2026 Career and Internship Fair on October 13 and additional workforce-development and continuing-education programs being offered throughout the remainder of the year.

For more information about the Social Media Cohort for Small Businesses or to register, visit the Wright State University–Lake Campus Business Enterprise Center online and select Current Course Offerings.