With a rise in Facebook and Twitter use, the opportunity for DeKalb businesses to create marketing and promotional initiatives has skyrocketed.

Local businesses have been looking to social media websites to host special offers and for targeted marketing for students and locals. The businesses take advantage of social media sites to post promotions and events to bring in more customers.

Melanie Bowling, manager of Aspen Leaf, 1015 W. Lincoln Highway, said her location mostly uses the page to advertise special discount offers, including one that happened on Election Day.

“For Election Day, we posted that if our customers came in wearing an ‘I voted’ sticker, they received 15 percent off of their purchase,” Bowling said.

While some businesses use the social media sites rarely, the people at O’Leary’s Restaurant and Pub, 260 E. Lincoln Highway, utilize their business’s Facebook multiple times a day.

“We use our page to post specials, events and activities,” said O’Leary’s owner Mel Witmer. “If nothing is going on and it is a slumper, we may throw a special on there or a quote, mainly something to get your attention.”

Fatty’s Pub and Grille, 1312 W. Lincoln Highway, uses both Facebook and Twitter, but uses Facebook the most because the site is visited more by its customers and has more promotional opportunities.

“Facebook is the way we get most of our information out because it is the most effective way to reach our target audience,” said Fatty’s owner Jeff Dobie. “We do everything on that page from posting statuses of upcoming events to wishing Facebook friends happy birthday.”

The DeKalb businesses believe the social media pages are bringing in more customers by being able to get in touch with new people, helping more people to hear about events that are happening and connecting with the students in the area through the popularity of the websites.

Dobie said he is pleased with the results of marketing on social media sites.

“It’s been great,” Dobie said. “If you’re not using it, you should start. It’s basically the future of marketing.”