Little House on the Prairie actress to speak at Wexford Social Media Fest 2024

It's something she aims to put right by hosting Social Media Fest 2024, which takes place in The Talbot Hotel on November 20.

"As a business tool, social media is a great leveller," Samantha says.

"It's equally and readily accessible to small and big businesses. Brand awareness is essential for any enterprise, and, these days, a business is losing out if not using the power of social platforms to reach potential customers and to drive trust and 'likes' for their offering".

Social Media Fest will include contributions from international experts from different social media platforms as well as small business owners who have implemented successful marketing strategies.

Among the speakers will be 'The Fabulous Pharmacist' Laura Dowling, YouTube Queen Anita Wong from the UK and top cybersecurity expert Wayne Denner.

The key note speaker on the day will be Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie Oleson in Little House on the Prairie and is a New York Times Best Selling Author of Confessions of a Prairie Bitch as well as an avid social media user.

"During lockdown, Alison, like the rest of us, had to learn how to use the tools available, in order to reach her audience online and to support her career and business interests," Samantha explains.

"I'm delighted that Samantha asked me to speak," Alison said. "I myself had to pivot and be more strategic around how I used social media during the pandemic. Thanks to Samantha's guidance I was able to see the potential for going live online to my audience and we even met on Twitter (X). And there's an added bonus to finally get to Ireland as I have ancestors there.

"I love how the past and the future collide! Who would have thought that a TV show that aired in the 1970s and takes place in the 1800s, would become the focus of such a huge online community for people in the 21st century. And that in my 60s, I would find a whole new world of opportunity because of it? And I certainly couldn't have imagined that I would attend a conference in Ireland, and have it turn out to be just a short drive from the village where my great great grandfather was born."

Last year's Social Media Fest was a huge success, selling out a month in advance and a small number of tickets are still available, from socialmediafest.ie, priced at €97 which includes lunch.