Google offers free training

The academy will be opened by Google's head of new products for Africa, Brett St. Clair, who will deliver a keynote on reaching consumers in a multi-device world. The group recently announced an upgrade to AdWords with enhanced campaigns: agencies will learn how this helps advertisers reach people with the right ads, based on their context such as location, time of day and device type - including phone, tablet, PC or even TV. After the keynote address, there will be in-depth training sessions, ranging from basic to more advanced, on online marketing skills, including products such as AdWords, Google Analytics, Google Display Network and YouTube.

The Google Engage South Africa programme was launched in Johannesburg in July 2011. To date, more than 1000 agencies have registered and received assistance in developing their clients' online advertising campaigns. As a result, it has indirectly empowered hundreds of thousands of SMEs to grow their online presence. A study by World Wide Worx in 2012 found that SMEs with a website are almost three times more likely to be profitable than those without. In addition, approximately 20% of all small businesses revealed that they would not be able to survive without an online presence. With SMEs accounting for about 7.8-million jobs in the country, this means as many as 1.56-million jobs would be in jeopardy if not for the Internet.

For more, go to www.engageforagencies.com/za/engageacademy/.