Submitted photo The West Virginia Wesleyan College Digital Marketing class was taught by Dr. Kim Conrad and featured 14 junior and senior students.

BUCKHANNON – West Virginia Wesleyan College’s Digital Marketing class is proud to announce its semester-long partnership project with the Lewis County Economic Development Authority.

The class was taught by Dr. Kim Conrad and featured 14 junior and senior students. The project involved developing a digital marketing plan to communicate and engage with local and outside businesses as well as potential employees.

The Lewis County Economic Development Authority is committed to more than just the expansion of lands and businesses, it is about the quality of life for its employees and residents coming to Lewis County. By committing to sustainable growth, supporting local and potential businesses, and investing in community well-being, this matches the plan for growth and allowing potential and current employees/residents to thrive in their professional and personal lives.

Dr. Kim Conrad, Associate Professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College, said, “Partnering with Ray Smith and the Lewis County EDA was an outstanding opportunity for students to learn and apply digital marketing skills throughout this project.

“The recommendations they made to Mr. Smith will push the organization to higher levels of awareness and engagement with multiple target audiences. I’m very proud of my students’ creativity and professionalism when developing and presenting their digital marketing plan.”

Carly Wolfgang ’25, said, “Being able to get real life experience in helping develop a digital marketing plan was beneficial for my future endeavors as a marketing major looking for a job in the marketing realm. Our class worked really hard to develop different strategies for different target audiences to get the Lewis County EDA more recognized as a top EDA in West Virginia!”

The digital marketing plan featured a breakdown of the Lewis County EDA, a competitor analysis, target audiences, and strategies that most effectively communicated with those target audiences. The overall recommendations included how to reach consumers across different social media channels, website content and design for the upcoming new website, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), and content marketing.

Students used their knowledge from previous classes to develop and present a step-by-step digital marketing plan that featured the strategies for different target audiences, how to implement the strategies, the benefits afforded the Lewis County EDA, and estimated costs. Students presented the plan to Smith and he was delighted with how it went and stated that he had received wonderful insights on how to engage different audiences and expand the Lewis County EDA’s digital presence.

Lewis County was established by the Virginia General Assembly on December 18, 1816. “The Lewis County Economic Development Authority stands at the crossroads of opportunity and success, ready to support and welcome your business. Explore the unique prospects and resources available to help your business thrive in our vibrant community. Join in making Lewis County a hub of innovation and growth.” Contact them at lceda@lewiscountywv.org or call them at 304-269-8200. 

West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for 135 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars.

The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2026 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2026  Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan second in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and counseling; 22 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations.

Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.