Egyptian entrepreneurs can finally attend professional training courses on key topics related to the marketing of their own startups at prices much lower that those set by big training institutions, thanks to a new program launched by Interact Egypt. The Egyptian communications agency specializing in the distribution of digital content on broadband and mobile phones announced its plan during its first annual Ramadan Geeks iftar event in late July.  

Interact Egypt intends to launch the Digital Media Academy in December, offering offline training courses for entrepreneurs and whoever else wishes to dive into the business world. Courses will be available in various areas, including video production, social media marketing, online public relations, online advertising, video ads, and content marketing. 

Interact Egypt co-founder Fady Ramzy spoke to Wamda about the Academy’s business plan, saying that it “will be the first [in Egypt] to step beyond social media marketing to address content marketing in general.”

Academy courses, targeted at entrepreneurs and startups, will be offered at affordable prices, with sponsors bearing at least half of the costs. Previously, Egyptian entrepreneurs either had to study marketing at university or vocational school, try to acquire experience on the job, resort to an expensive social networking and marketing management program, or outsource these tasks to freelancers.

Interact Egypt comes from Italian backgrounds and experience. The Egyptian version, launched in 2009, offers web/mobile application development, Digital media and streaming solutions, second-screen apps, as well as other e-marketing and online identity services. In 2011, it became an independent sister to the Italian company of Inside Out10, a business incubator specialized in semantic web technologies, content management, online reputation management, and OTT solutions, Ramzy says.

Interact Egypt's team will deliver crash-courses in e-marketing, online video and social media, which will include theoretical lectures as well as practical application excercises and hands-on experience testing the ability to apply lessons learned.

Ramzy coordinated with several organizations, including the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, to train their personnel on e-marketing and the use of social media. In the coming months, Ramzy will be giving two training courses directed at tourism professionals, including owners, managers, and employees of hotels, travel agencies, and airlines in Hurghada and Cairo. These courses, organized by the Arab Tourism Organization affiliated with the Arab League, in collaboration with the Worldwide Union for Digital Marketing and Consulting (WUDMAC), will help develop online and social media marketing skills for tourism professionals, especially in light of the current political situation in Egypt. The cost of each course does not exceed 1,000 Egyptian pounds (around $150 USD), making them affordable by many entrepreneurs, even those suffering from the collapse of tourism. 

Many companies in Egypt offer e-marketing and social networking page management services; however, it is rare to find specialized training courses in this field at prices entrepreneurs and startups can afford. Digital Marketing Arts, for instance, offers specialized courses in social media management and e-marketing and often brings internationally renowned trainers to Egypt, which raises the subscription fees up to an average of 4,000 Egyptian pounds (more than $350 USD) per event. Interact Egypt hopes to attract those who are unable to pay these fees – and in doing so, enrich the Egyptian startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems.