The third C4F-ELEVATE professional event in Szombathely equipped craftspeople with practical knowledge for building an effective online presence, reaching audiences and presenting their work through digital channels. 

On 24 June 2026, the C4F-ELEVATE partnership organised its third professional event, “Online Presence and Digital Visibility for Modern Craftspeople”, at the Back Office Plusz office in Szombathely, Hungary. The event formed part of the project’s educational activities under the strategic pillar Digital Tools for Promotion and Participatory Engagement. Following a welcome and a brief presentation of the C4F-ELEVATE project by Zsuzsa Sohajda of the Vasvár Folk High School Foundation, Dóra Rosta from Back Office Plusz introduced participants to online audiences and social media. Her contribution addressed the foundations of defining a target audience and developing a buyer persona, user habits, the current functioning of algorithms and the particular features of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Participants also received an introduction to paid advertising on Facebook. Izabella Bognár from Back Office Plusz focused on content creation and an effective web presence. She presented the fundamentals of planning online content, responding appropriately to reactions and negative comments, and preparing a useful website. The session also covered the basics of search engine optimisation (SEO) and the role of Google Business Profile in improving visibility, strengthening trust and helping potential customers find local products and services. Bakon Krisztián Attila from the University of Pannonia then presented the digital platform being developed within C4F-ELEVATE. The platform will support the visibility of craftspeople and craft heritage in the Slovenian–Hungarian cross-border area and create new opportunities for presenting knowledge, products and experiences to a wider public. The programme combined strategic guidance with concrete tools that craftspeople can apply in their everyday communication. It highlighted that successful digital promotion is not simply a matter of being present on many platforms, but of understanding one’s audience, choosing appropriate channels, communicating consistently and creating content that conveys the quality and story behind handmade products. Slovenian–Hungarian interpretation supported exchange between participants from both sides of the border. The knowledge shared in Szombathely will contribute to further educational activities and to the development of the project’s digital platform, helping make the region’s craft heritage more visible, accessible and relevant in the contemporary digital environment.

Photos by C4F-ELEVATE