BARNESVILLE — Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce Director Jill Hissom utilizes social media as a way to promote businesses and shopping locally.

Hissom worked as a gate agent for American Airlines for about 17 years, working out of many different cities, including Chicago, Miami, Cleveland, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Columbus. After she married and had children, she moved back to Barnesville to raise her children and the opportunity came about to work at the Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce as the director. Hissom worked at a few businesses before then, but has been the director for eight years now.

“I just have a big heart for shopping locally and supporting our small town businesses,” she said. “Because I just like to see Barnesville thrive.”

Hissom works as the director promoting local businesses, networking and trying to get people to go downtown to shop locally.

She added the key part of what the chamber of commerce does is business networking.

The biggest trend Hissom sees now is utilizing social media to help advertise.

At the Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Hissom and John Rataiczak, board president of the chamber, make “John and Jill” videos, promoting local businesses.

“John and Jill” will go live on social media, such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, to walk through downtown and promote or go into the businesses to do videos.

“Social media is a huge aspect, as far as getting the word out there,” Hissom said. “And if everyone would just go and like and share different business pages to get the word out, that’s just getting their name out into the local area.”

The chamber has more than 250 members, and Hissom hopes in the future it can grow bigger.

Hissom added that people should “always remember to eat, shop, support local Barnesville.”