Internet group Google on Tuesday unveiled Google Engage, a new partner programme to support South African web professionals who provide services to small and medium businesses.
The group recently launched Google +, its new social network to rival social network darling Facebook.
Through Google Engage, advertising agencies, webmasters, search engine marketers or anyone else who provides web services to South African businesses can apply to join the programme and receive support from Google. Engage members would receive free access to educational resources, online training material and promotional vouchers to help customers get started with online advertising.
“At Google, we're committed to the success of SA's digital economy and we believe that assisting small businesses in getting online and thriving is fundamental to that success,” said Luke Mckend, country manager of Google SA. “There are many small companies in SA that would benefit from greater visibility on the internet, and we recognise that many of them call on freelancers and agencies to create and manage their online presence. Engage is Google's way of reaching out to these agencies locally and providing them with the training and support they need to attract more small business clients and become more valuable to their existing ones.”
Google Engage SA will officially launch on July 19 in Johannesburg, where 500 people from all over SA will participate in a one-day seminar. Attendees would range from web designers and search engine optimisation experts, to small business owners and consultants aiming to invest in offering digital marketing services to their clients. - I-Net Bridge