Chattanooga Digital Marketing Workshop: Hands-On Training for Local Business Owners
A quarterly workshop series run by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce teaches small business owners and marketing managers how to execute digital campaigns without hiring a full-time agency, using real case studies from Chattanooga companies.
What this workshop covers
The program runs four times per year, typically on a Saturday morning at the Chamber's downtown office. Each session lasts three hours and focuses on a single marketing channel: Google Ads and local search, Facebook and Instagram advertising, email marketing fundamentals, or SEO basics for service businesses. Instructors are working marketers or account managers from local and regional agencies, not generic trainers, so examples reference actual Chattanooga businesses—restaurants on Market Street, HVAC contractors serving the North Shore, dental practices in East Brainerd. You learn what works here, not what works in Denver.
The workshop does not teach design, copywriting, or strategy at a deep level. It assumes you have a website and social media accounts already and want to spend your own ad budget more effectively or reduce reliance on outsourced help. If you need someone to build a campaign from scratch, this is preparation for working with an agency, not a replacement.
Cost and enrollment
Each workshop costs $79 for Chamber members and $129 for non-members. Class size is capped at 25 to allow questions and small-group troubleshooting during the final hour. Registration closes five business days before the session date. The 2024 schedule and next available dates are posted on the Chamber's website; confirm the current year's schedule directly, as dates shift.
Attendees receive a workbook with templates (Google Ads keyword lists, email subject line frameworks, Facebook audience targeting checklists) and a recorded link to the session for 30 days after the workshop, useful if you miss a section or want to review specific tactics.
How it compares to other Chattanooga options
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's School of Business offers a semester-long "Digital Marketing Fundamentals" course open to the public for around $800, taught by faculty and deeper in theory but meeting once a week over 15 weeks. Choose this if you want accreditation or an immersive deep dive; choose the Chamber workshop if you need a quick, actionable refresh on one channel and prefer to stay on Saturday.
Several full-service agencies in Chattanooga, including those along East 9th Street, offer ad-management services on retainer (typically $500 to $2,000 per month depending on spend size and channels) and some offer brief training sessions as add-ons. If you're paying an agency to run ads, ask if they include a one-hour training session so you can understand what they're doing; the Chamber workshop is better if you want to manage campaigns yourself and cut agency fees.
The Chattanooga Public Library's Technology Center offers free one-on-one digital literacy sessions but does not cover paid advertising or advanced analytics. Attend the library if you're new to email or social platforms; attend the Chamber workshop if you already use these tools and want to spend money smarter.
Who this workshop suits and who it doesn't
This is built for small business owners, marketing coordinators at growing companies, and nonprofit fundraisers in Chattanooga who manage a modest ad budget (under $5,000 monthly) and want to reduce guesswork. It works well if you've run ads before and want to improve returns, or if you're considering ads and want to decide whether to manage them in-house.
It does not suit you if you have no website or social media presence yet, if you need graphic design help, or if your budget is under $200 monthly—paid advertising requires minimum spend to see reliable results, and instructors will say so plainly. It's also not a replacement for a full agency if you have a six-figure marketing budget or a complex B2B sales cycle; you'll get more from a consultant or account team in that case.
What to bring and expect
Bring a laptop and log in to your own Google, Facebook, or email accounts during the hands-on portion so you can follow along in real time. Instructors will walk through a live campaign setup and show you how to read reports, so you'll leave with screenshots and notes specific to your account. Coffee and pastries are provided; the workshop runs 9 a.m. to noon.
Register with your business email and confirm the specific date and topic before signing up, since each quarterly session covers a different channel. Spots fill 10 to 14 days ahead.
Parking and location
The Chamber office is at 10 W. Martin Luther King Boulevard, one block from the Chattanooga Convention Center, with street parking along MLK Boulevard and a surface lot shared with nearby offices. Arrive 15 minutes early to find parking and test your WiFi connection. The nearest transit stop is the CARTA bus stop on Martin Luther King Boulevard, about a two-minute walk.
The Chamber workshop fills a gap between free library training and expensive agency retainers, making it the logical stop for Chattanooga business owners who want control over their ad spending without the cost of full-time help.
