GREENEVILLE, Tenn. -- Jones Media Inc. is launching High Road Digital, a new marketing agency that delivers what a news release calls "a full suite of tools" to help local businesses optimize and monetize their presence on the Internet.

A Greene County Partnership-hosted Business After Hours event including a formal ribbon-cutting for the new company has been scheduled for this evening from 5 to 7 p.m. at the General Morgan Inn.

High Road Digital primarily serves small and medium-size businesses in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, where Jones Media operates 14 newspapers, including The Greeneville Sun, The (Maryville) Daily Times and The (Boone, N.C.) Mountain Times, as well as companion websites to the newspapers.

The new company can help clients "market, promote and advertise themselves across virtually any desktop and mobile computer device, including cell phones," said Brett Hulsey, general manager and partner of High Road Digital.

"Our clients know they need to do more marketing on the Internet, but many of them just don't have the time or resources to do it effectively," he said.

"That's where our digital agency comes in."

A news release states that High Road Digital manages clients' use of Facebook and other social media outlets, safeguards businesses' online reputations through high-tech monitoring tools, and helps customers find the client businesses more easily via Internet search engines such as Google.

The new company also "builds and improves business websites, mobile websites, videos, e-mail marketing campaigns, text-messaging communications, digital promotions and online contests," said Jason Edmisten, Hulsey's partner in the new company.

Services are offered in bundles or a la carte.

"The Internet is ever-evolving," Edmisten said, "so we keep up-to-date on all the best practices to help generate revenue for our busy clients."

Another popular service the company will offer is "targeted" online advertising, where High Road Digital can deliver advertisements for local businesses to local customers on hundreds of regional and national websites, including CNN.com and Facebook.com.

"The Internet can be a scary place for some businesses," Hulsey said, "but the right tools can generate real business and turn those Facebook 'likes' into sales dollars."

Josh Shores will be the Digital Marketing Consultant for Greene County.

Businesses wishing to schedule a free "online visibility/reputation check" or learn more about High Road Digital services are asked to contact Shores by calling (423) 620-0154 or e-mailing (josh@highroaddigital.com)

Additional company information is available on the website http://www.highroaddigital.com.