Lakeland PR agency publishes column

Lorrie Walker recently had a column published in the spring issue of Upside Downtown magazine. The column offers tips on questions to ask a potential social media provider, as well as best practices for handling your company’s social media in-house.

Upside Downtown has a circulation of 15,000. Published quarterly, 12,000 copies are inserted into The Ledger and delivered to subscribers’ homes. The remaining copies are free and available at a variety of Lakeland locations. The magazine also is available online at TheLedger.com. Scroll down to Magazines and Special Sections.

Walker’s office is located in downtown Lakeland and she has been a member of the Downtown Lakeland Partnership since 2011.

The social media news release has actually been around for several years, and has experienced some mixed reviews. Some professionals think the traditional press release is the only valid pitching tool, while others think the social media news release is a more engaging way to catch the online media’s attention.

So what makes the SMNR different than the traditional press release? It’s all in the numbers. According to Ragan Communications, “A social media news release is three times more likely than a traditional press release to be picked up and read by a mainstream media reporter.”

A social media news release is formatted with social media in mind. SMNRs make it easier for journalists, bloggers and other audiences to find the information they’re looking for. 

Here are some key components that make an effective SMNR:

1. Bullet points and bold font- these simple techniques assure the SMNR breaks down information so readers can scan it quickly and choose the relevant information.

2. SEO- use keywords that will make it easier for readers to find the SMNR online. Also, remember to keep the headline’s character count to a minimum, so it can be easily shared on Twitter.

3. Social media icons- embedding these icons makes sharing the SMNR quick and simple.

4. Multimedia, pictures and links-by providing additional interesting information, media mentions and examples, you make the journalist’s job easier. Your SMNR can be an inclusive source of information that doesn’t require journalists to spend more time researching the topic.

5. Independently sharable- each section of the SMNR should be easily shared by itself, so your audience can pick and choose the parts they want to share.

When creating a social media news release, remember that it is not meant to replace the traditional press release. It’s another way that can generate awareness for your story, but it shouldn’t be the only way. Create a sharable SMNR along with a strong traditional press release to increase your media hits.

Infographics- or information graphics- have been around for quite some time, but lately it seems like they’ve taken over social media. Just take a look at the search results we got when typing infographics on Pinterest.

But how can they help you and your business? Here are four ways you can use infographics to your benefit:

1. Visual information – infographics can be used to display any information a company wants to make public. Cold hard numbers and statistics can be transformed into beautiful charts that catch your audience’s attention.

2. Data analysis- infographics can take complicated topics and break them down into attractive bits of information. That doesn’t sound like much, but at a time when attention spans are at an all-time low, people are more likely to view an infographic than read a lengthy article.

3. Sharing options- infographics are not only easy to share, but they are far more shared than any other form of content. That means if you create a compelling infographic you can increase your search engine ranks because your infographic links back to your website.

4. Unique features- you can create a visual resume with the right infographic. Check out this list of websites that can help you stand out in the crowd by adding a visual representation of your resume and sharing it on LinkedIn and other job search websites.

Infographics make it easy for small and big businesses to share their story with their audience. However, when you make your infographic, be sure to provide accurate information, and keep in mind that numbers may change after it is published.

To make sure your infographic goes viral, post it on social media sites, as well as infographic sites that can help spread it further.

Here’s how the rest of the conversation went:

Company: Hello Lorrie, just a quick update for you. After contacting Facebook it appears that with recent timeline changes their database was missing some of the likes. Quite a few other Facebook pages were affected by this as well, including our own which is now back up to over 17,000. The missing database has been updated and likes should be returning to the pages.

Me: How do you obtain your likes for your clients? Do you purchase them?

Company: No we do not. Our marketing procedures are proprietary to our company.

Me: Understood. Here’s why I ask: It is so strange to me, for example, that so many of the likes that have returned are from Buffalo, NY and Los Angeles, and appear to have no Florida affiliation, let alone a Lakeland affiliation. The owner doesn’t know these people. What do you suspect is the case here? Because let’s face it. The business is not THAT well known.

Company: Absolutely, we have a very large network nationally and internationally through our efforts and that of our partners. When we first take on a new client what we have found is that it is very important to give them an immediate BOOST in presence. Through research, people in local markets will not “like” a business page that does not already have an established presence. People only do what others have already done if you will, unless they know the business personally, which is not the market we are after for our clients.

This part actually pissed me off: “People only do what others have already done if you will, unless they know the business personally, which is not the market we are after for our clients.”

I’ll say this again: social media is social. Why wouldn’t people a business owner knows personally be the market their company is after? The people you know personally are the ones who can talk you up! They’re the ones who’ve likely done business with you and will share their experience. And they’re the ones who likely will come to your defense when some wackadoo from left field spouts off an unfair complaint or insult on your social media channels.

Social media really is just a new way of doing an old thing- networking. You start with people you know. Friends, family members, coworkers, devoted customers, etc. These people want you to succeed. They’ll start conversations, like your posts, share your information with their friends. And THAT is how you can grow your social media following.

The other comment I found irritating was this: “Through research, people in local markets will not ‘like’ a business page that does not already have an established presence.”

What the WHAT? I feel like I’m pretty mainstream in my social media behavior. I can tell you that I’ve never liked a page simply because it had a ton of existing likes. In fact, I get kind of disappointed when some pages have lots of likes.

Let’s say I find a respected public relations professional who’s well-known in PR circles and he/she has a business page on Facebook. I am positively delighted when I see that they have a relatively small amount of fans. My reason? I actually have two.

1. I feel like I’m getting in on the ground floor before the whole world realizes how relevant/cool/whatever they are.
2. It’s called “social” media. It’s about building relationships, and the less likes there are, the greater my chances of sparking a conversation with this person that might be reciprocated.

However, I don’t hesitate to like a page that already has a ton of likes. I just simply get more excited when there are fewer.

To buy into this company’s philosophy of gaining likes on your Facebook page is to buy into the fact that we’re a world full of followers.

I think a lot of companies try to paint social media as a more complicated platform than it has to be, when a common sense approach can render great results.

Here’s hoping these last two posts will prove helpful as you navigate the social media seas.

The revelation occurred when our firm began doing some public relations work for The Loft Art Gallery and Paint Along Studios, who sought our help in managing their social media- specifically, their Facebook page – and helping them gain media exposure for the fantastic things they’re doing.

Prior to contacting us, they contracted with a local social media management company and didn’t feel as though they had gained any real benefit from that company’s social media efforts, so they canceled.

Over the next several days, I watched as the number of Facebook likes vanished by the hundreds on the Paint Along Studios Facebook page, and by the dozens on The Loft Art Gallery’s page. I couldn’t imagine this happened organically. Yes, people will “unlike” your page once in a while. But in my experience, it’s one or two “unlikes” every now and again on the pages we monitor. Paint Along Studios lost more than 100 likes per day on each of three days. See for yourself. In the first image on the right, you can see the page had 195 unlikes on Feb. 28; 107 on March 2; and 117 on March 5.

In looking at previous months’ statistics for this page, this phenomenon isn’t repeated. The massive unliking didn’t begin until the client canceled the contract.

Let’s review some screen shots of The Loft Art Gallery’s likes and unlikes. The second image on the right shows that on Dec. 21, The Loft Art Gallery got 468 likes. That seems unnatural to me, particularly when I went back several months and never saw more than 50 likes happen in a single day.

The third image is a screen shot of their likes and unlikes for Jan. 14- Feb. 9:

In the fourth image, notice how the number of unlikes shot up beginning Feb. 28. They got 63 unlikes on Feb. 28 and another 44 on March 5, followed by 18 a day later.

You know what I say about those unlikes? Let them go. This client actually NEVER had those likes. It was a falsely inflated number. Those likes probably never translated to conversations on Facebook, nor did they become sales in the store.

What the Experts Say
I’ve shared this scenario with several social media professionals for whom I have a great deal of respect.

“This is a prime example of how ineffective that company’s social media campaign was,” says Chris Ratchford, who owns Prodentite, a Charlotte dental Internet marketing firm.

Tonya Lockamy of Firefly Tech Solutions suggested a possible scenario of what could have happened:

• Client signed up
• Social media management company got access to client’s Facebook accounts
• Company employees began a massive cross-liking campaign among their other clients
• When client discontinued services, company went back and took away their other clients’ likes

I Want Answers
After stewing over this for a few days, I couldn’t resist. I reached out to this company for some answers. Here’s how it went:

Me: Question: what happens to your client’s “likes” when they end their services with your company?

Company: Likes are typically permanent as long as the page is kept interesting enough for them to stay. The client always maintains control of any pages we have managed or created.

Me: (I explained what was going on).

Company: Last week Facebook did a site-wide wipe of inactive accounts. If there were inactive accounts that liked the pages, those likes would have been removed. We are in the process of having the likes brought back up to standard.

Me: Everything I’ve read about what you just wrote says that is a hoax. Can you show me in writing where it says Facebook did that?

Company: Here’s a post from Facebook Lorrie https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-security/improvements-to-our-site-integrity-systems/10151005934870766. Again, this is something that is known to happen from time to time throughout Facebook. If you are involved in the industry I’m sure you are aware of these updates.

That last sentence struck me as a bit condescending. Nonetheless, I was completely baffled at this point, and still felt like I was being BS’d.

I contacted Erika Warren, the chic geek in charge at Your Electronic Specialist. I felt relieved when she confirmed my assertion that this “site-wide wipe of inactive accounts” was a hoax.

“Facebook doesn’t delete anything,” Warren said. “It actually shadows posts. I also can confirm that inactive accounts have NOTHING to do with the above listed link that company sent you.
 However, that link is a good reference to your unethical social media management groups and ‘buying likes.’”

Buyer Beware
So here’s my takeaway: this company doesn’t know its butt from a hole in the ground when it comes to social media. Yet here they are, day in and day out, signing up unsuspecting clients and providing a worthless service.

I’ve said this countless times: social media is social. If you hire a reputable firm, your organic likes will occur gradually. It is doubtful you’ll get more than 400 in a day. Your page’s unlikes will occur organically as well; one here, a few there. That’s how you want it.

Also, please remember, social media is about quality- not quantity. You should care more about your reach and the number of people talking about you on Facebook than the number of likes you have. Those numbers are where the rubber meets the road.

We’ve talked about the importance of hiring an editor in an earlier post, and a press release is the perfect example of how crucial editing and proofreading can be to a company’s public relations effort. As I’ve just mentioned, it can be the difference between seeing your story get the media coverage you want and never having your press release picked up because reporters remember that one bad one they got from you.

Nowadays, newsrooms have fewer people covering the same or a growing amount of news. A well-written press release helps reporters because not only do they not have to fix your mistakes, they can simply run a brief of your release by copying and pasting your info. They’ll remember you for how easy you make their jobs, and in a world of information overload, that’s a good thing.

When you send out a press release with these mistakes or others, you risk your credibility, which can create a chain reaction:

- Reporters go through hundreds of press releases a day. A poorly written release will stand out and will never be used no matter how awesome the product or service it talks about may be.

-Damaged reputation -once journalists see one poorly written press release they may ignore subsequent press releases because they associate your name or company with poor writing and unprofessional efforts.

-Miss out on media coverage- as a business owner, you want to catch the media’s attention with your press release, but if your press release is bad you may never get the coverage you deserve. Your story won’t reach potential clients and the media will overlook you in the future.

Like it or not, judgments are made based upon your written words. Put your best face forward in the eyes of the media by writing great press releases and get the coverage you deserve. If you need assistance in this area we can help. Not only do we help with the writing, but we work to get your press release to the right reporter and we follow up to increase the opportunity to get coverage.

Soon to be graduated and flung into the proverbial “real world,” Jordan brings to our office an eagerness to learn and a refreshing curiosity about the industry, helping to remind us just how nifty of a gig we have in public relations.

Jordan, a native of Jacksonville, began her collegiate journey as a broadcast journalism major, and discovered soon after that she has a real knack for news and feature writing. After dabbling in print and broadcast journalism, she felt convicted to add a public relations major, in hope of becoming well-versed in various avenues of communication.

Crushing course loads kept Jordan preoccupied, but not quite busy enough to prevent her from joining Alpha Delta Pi sorority, where she was elected to three executive positions and gained invaluable leadership and marketing skills.

Jordan’s other experiences as a “Moc” include contributing to Florida Southern’s student led newspaper “The Southern” and serving as videographer, editor, producer and co-anchor for the campus sports network. She’s amassed more than 180 hours of shooting and editing footage of FSC’s athletic teams.

Jordan lists her coolest achievement at school as meeting a nice boy. Jordan and Jacob Guengerich, an accounting associate for Lockheed Martin Corp. and former member of the Florida Southern baseball team, are set to get hitched this July.

Jordan’s stint with us is her second internship in the communications field. Last summer, she interned with CBS47/FOX30, Jacksonville’s local CBS and FOX news affiliate. Her time spent submersed in the broadcast industry aided her decision to commit to writing and public relations.

“I am so thrilled to have this opportunity with such talented and fun public relations professionals,” says Jordan. “I have such a clearer picture of how this industry operates, and I feel right at home!”

We think she’s pretty neat, too.

“Jordan is a talented writer with an excellent news sense,” says Lorrie Walker. “She has a personality that is ideal of public relations, too. Jordan doesn’t seem to have ever met a stranger.”

Jordan walks across the stage of the Lakeland Center and snags her double degree April 27. Until then, we are pleased to have her company here at LWC.

Welcome aboard, Jordan!

The Michigan native struck out for Florida in 2005 to pursue a spot on Florida Southern College’s waterski team, where she eventually became captain. She earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in graphic design, and also snagged her best friend and future husband Jake Slaydon.

Jes, who’s always in a good mood- even on Mondays- didn’t slow down there.

“I have always enjoyed writing and event planning,” says Jes. “The positions that I have sought, I feel reflect my passion for those areas.”

Jes’s experience includes:

• Event chair and assistant at the Seminole Club of Polk County
• Campaign manager for the Gow Fields mayoral campaign
• Event coordinator intern at Polk County Sports Marketing
• Director of marketing and communication at Natural Air Energy in Winter Haven

Jes has been a member of EMERGE, a Lakeland young professionals group, since 2009. She is serving a three-year term on the steering committee, is the marketing committee chair and has also served on the membership committee.

“I was in a transitional phase of my life, between getting married and choosing what career paths may be available for me,” says Jes. “I saw working with Lorrie as a great way to sharpen my writing skills, and it has been.”

Jes hit the ground running since she started lending her expertise at the PR firm in July. She writes press releases, articles and other search engine optimized content. She’s also been able to use her graphic design skills by designing client newsletters.

“Jes has been a great resource,” Lorrie says. “I love her personality and her talent, and it’s rewarding to watch her grow as a writer. I know gaining writing experience is important to Jes, so it’s rewarding to know we’re helping her build upon those skills, while also benefitting from her social media talents. It’s safe to say we’d like her to stick around.”

That shouldn’t be a problem, since Jes and Jake just bought their first home here in Lakeland last month.

“Jake and I love this town, the location and the community,” Jes says. “I also enjoy my time here a little more each day. Working with Lorrie has taught me that a positive work environment can make all the difference in productivity.”

Well Jes, here’s to your everyday good moods, increased productivity, enhanced writing skills and your new home. Welcome to the team!

Barbara Cagle

“I love the work I do and I’m looking forward to every opportunity that comes my way, as the company continues to grow,” said Barbara.

From writing blogs, press releases, and mastering SEO techniques, Barbara the “P.R. Ace” has taken public relations by the horns and to the next level. Her creative ability and witty attitude are just two of her many talents that make her great at her job.

“Barbara is a quick learner who doesn’t back down from a challenge,” said Lorrie Walker. “In her short time here, she has shown a tenacity that is key to being successful in getting publicity for our clients.”

Barbara grew up in a family heavily involved in the thoroughbred racing industry. She wanted a career in the horse industry for as long as she can remember. As a child, she dreamed of being a “rodeo queen.” Since her early teens, she has competed in rodeos and received several college scholarship offers to schools in Texas and Oklahoma.

Her goal of being successful in public relations might seem a far cry from her early childhood dreams, but Barbara sees this career field as a way to expand on the two things she loves- writing and horses.

“I feel the equine industry relies heavily on word of mouth to publicize their business,” said Barbara. “That may bring in plenty of business for some, but in today’s world, there is a huge opportunity to spread the word and increase business by using social media, search engine optimization and public relations. I would love to have a hand in making these forms of marketing available to those in the equine industry.”

When she’s not working, she likes spending time with her family, watching home improvement shows, do-it-yourself projects, hunting, cooking, helping people, and is a part-time barista for Mitchell’s Coffee House.

As if that’s not enough, Barbara will become a full-time Polk State College student when she returns to school in January to pursue a business degree.

Fun Facts About Barbara

Q. What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever done?
A. Probably breaking horses to ride.

Q. What is your favorite word?
A. Sorry toastmasters, my favorite word at the moment is umm…

Q. What’s he best advice you’ve ever received?
A. To be my own advocate.

We are proud to have a representative from the Lakeland Downtown Farmers Curb Market with us during the open house to take orders for poinsettias. This annual poinsettia sale is the curb market’s way of paying for live music at the market every Saturday. They will accept cash, checks and credit cards for preorders.

Information also will be available in our office during the open house for the Platform Art (client) annual fundraiser, The Artful Bowl. Attendees receive an original ceramic art bowl as a gift, and dinner is provided by local chefs.

The Open House gives you a great opportunity to support these local organizations who provide so much to enrich our community. And while you’re here, enjoy our cupcakes, cake pops and cocktails. Karen, our amazing public relations intern, will transform into a mixologist for the night and offer up a complimentary Gin Sling to each visitor.

We here at Lorrie Walker Communications are huge supporters of our local businesses. If you’re looking for truly unique gifts this holiday season and you care about supporting our local economy, we look forward to seeing you on the 9th!

Lorrie Walker Communications will take part in an open house 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 9 that includes dozens of awesome businesses. We’re offering a Mad Men-style cocktail, cake pops and cupcakes to those who swing by for a peak, so don’t miss out.

We aren’t the only ones offering an incentive to hang out downtown on a Friday night. Other shops and restaurants will offer treats, demonstrations and drawings.

Other businesses you’ll want to be sure and visit are:

Bay Street Bistro- 211 E. Bay St.
Black Swan Bazaar- 229 N. Kentucky Ave.
Brooke Pottery- 223 N. Kentucky Ave.
Creative Journeys- 215 Bay St., Ste. 3
Crowell Insurance- 231 N. Kentucky Ave, Ste. 217
Herring Family Partnership- 231 N. Kentucky Ave., Ste. 221
Home Essentials- 314 N. Kentucky Ave.
Lloyds of Lakeland- 301 N. Kentucky Ave.
Lorrie Walker Communications- 231 N. Kentucky Ave., Ste. 209
Mitchell’s Coffee House- 235 North Kentucky Ave.
My Cottage Garden- 325 N. Kentucky Ave.
Parresol Jewelers- 327 N. Kentucky Ave.
Pumpernaks- 233 N. Tennessee Ave. (accessed via Traders Alley)
Rafa Natural- 229 N. Kentucky Ave.
Reflections of the Past- 230 N. Kentucky Ave.
Sifu Och’s Wing Chun Martial Arts- 116 E. Pine St.
SuSu’s Particulars- 229 N. Kentucky Ave.
The Purple Onion- 316 N. Kentucky Ave.
The Scrappin’ Shack- 228 E. Pine St.
Traditions Unlimited- 221 N. Kentucky Ave.

For a complete list of open house activities being held at all locations, check out the Downtown Lakeland Partnership’s website.

We hope to see you on Nov. 9!

Laura Modrall and Lanette Strong. Photo by Pierre DuCharme, courtesy of The Ledger.

Know this: you will be called upon by the media if you can build a reputation for being a valuable resource who provides information quickly.

There are no guarantees in this business, but I believe it’s a safe bet that if I have a story idea about a client in the future, I will be able to get this reporter to give me a few minutes of her time to at least hear my idea.

Here are some tips on how to build that reputation as a resource:

1. Write and submit press releases to media outlets about newsworthy items that help paint you as the expert in your field.
2. Find popular national trends related to your work and suggest ways in which local media outlets can localize the story for their audiences.
3. Promptly reply to reporters’ requests. They work on tight deadlines, and those who return calls first typically are the ones quoted in articles.
4. If you aren’t the best person to be interviewed for a reporter’s article, say so. More importantly, suggest others who would be better to quote. A reporter will appreciate your honesty and will be left with a favorable impression.

I realize that some of these tips require some time and effort on your part, but I believe the payoff makes them worth your time. If you’re too busy handling the day-to-day operations in your company, perhaps it’s time to consider hiring a public relations firm to handle these tasks for you.

Call us if you have questions. We can help.

Prior to starting a Lakeland public relations firm in 2007, I spent many years as a journalist. To this day, I continue to work occasionally as a freelance writer because:

1) I love to write
2) I feel like it keeps my skills at finding great stories sharp

Those skills come in handy when trying to attract media attention for my clients. I help a local hair salon promote Hair for Hope, a charity cut-a-thon, annually. Every year around this time, we brainstorm ideas on how to garner some coverage for what, on the surface, seems like just another boring cut-a-thon.

GET THEIR ATTENTION
When you’re trying to get the media to pay attention to what you’re doing, ask yourself these questions:

1) What does my product/service do/provide that people can’t get anywhere else?

2) What is the most unique/unusual aspect of my product/service?

3) What is trending locally or nationally that my product/service ties into?

All of these answers might be enough to generate some media attention. To use Hair for Hope as an example, it is held annually in October- Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Media outlets provide a great deal of coverage on breast cancer-related topics during October, so sometimes the fact that Hair for Hope takes place that month is enough to generate some interest.

LOOK AT WHAT OTHERS HAVE DONE
Our greatest success in garnering media attention has been in painting a picture for media outlets. Pay attention to coverage of products/services similar to yours and consider the story angles. Angles we’ve successfully pitched for Hair for Hope include:

1) We located a breast cancer survivor who had received a wig through the American Cancer Society’s wig bank (hair collected during Hair for Hope is made into wigs that are distributed through ACS wig banks). This brave woman spoke on camera about what having a wig meant to her; how it made her feel “normal” on the outside, even when she was sick on the inside.

2) We got a donor to cut her hair on camera and talk about why she was donating it.

3) Because pink is the official color for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the salon provided pink hair extensions to promote the upcoming cut-a-thon and donated the proceeds to ACS.

I suspect it would be difficult to get a news station to come do a story if you only said, “Hey! We’re having a cut-a-thon!” But when you find a great story to tell and you wrap it around your cut-a-thon event, that’s when you strike gold.

FINDING THE HOOK
I’ll admit that it’s sometimes a challenge to find “The Story.” It can be difficult to identify the news hook that will get a reporter to pay attention. That’s when you pull out the big guns:

1) There’s strength in numbers, so recruit some help. Get friends, coworkers and others familiar with your product/service to brainstorm possible ideas.

2) Identify trends, studies and statistics that help lend more credibility to your story.

3) Hire a PR firm to help you. They deal with media outlets constantly, and a good firm knows many publications’ and reporters’ tastes when it comes to topics.

Photo Credit: Novel Novice

Courtesy of City of Lakeland

The City of Lakeland’s Parks and Recreation Department hosted the Camper Scamper 5k back in March. Someone from another city department did Parks and Rec. a favor and created a Facebook page for the event. However, those overseeing the event in Parks and Rec. didn’t realize that had happened.

My husband loves to run in local 5ks and posted a question to the Facebook event page that went unanswered, so he missed out on the race. Parks and Rec. is on Twitter, so I tweeted them a note to say that better handling of their social media would’ve gained them at least one more runner for the event, a fundraiser for Parks and Rec. and YMCA Summer Camp programs.

What happened next was a class act, and a great lesson in making things right. The Parks and Rec. representative reached out to my husband, explained the mistake, apologized for it and offered him a free registration in next year’s event.

I would imagine that next year, there will be no Facebook page that goes unchecked. I hope Parks and Rec. also realizes that my husband will tell ALL his running friends about the event when it comes around again, so giving away one registration likely will yield a great many more paid entries.

Sometimes businesses seem to think acknowledging a mistake is a sign of weakness. Here’s hoping you never fall into that trap.

Media newsrooms are a section of a company’s site that is dedicated information such as press releases, story ideas, contact information, biographical information of company employees, and multimedia elements, to name a few examples. They are beneficial because they provide journalists and citizen journalists with access to information that could spark their interest in a potential story idea. Media newsrooms also help customers feel connected to industry trends and company happenings.

A media newsroom means your business’ information might be seen by a greater number of eyes and the more people who read your press releases and watch your videos, the greater coverage your content potentially will gain.

Creating a helpful online media newsroom is one thing; producing one that thrives and increases your company’s visibility is another. Here are five ways to make the most of your media newsroom:

1. Allow users to post comments on press releases, photos and other elements of your newsroom. They can provide you with useful feedback about products and services, as well as how to improve your newsroom so it’s easy to use. Use this as an opportunity to interact with your customers and make them feel like their opinions are valued.
2. Know your audience. The above tip will help you do just that. If you aren’t posting information that’s useful to the media and your customers, what’s the point of putting your time and energy into something that isn’t helping your business move forward?
3. Use keywords in your press releases and articles to help improve search engine optimization. This is an area where we excel and if you’re unsure how to do this, call us. Once you know your audience, you’ll be able to generate keywords that they’re likely using to search for your company. This is an easy way to drive more people to your site and newsroom in particular.
4. Include links to your social media outlets. The easier you make it for journalists to learn more about your business and get in contact with you, the more likely they are to pursue writing an article or blog post about something going on in your company. Also, providing users with “share” buttons may make them more likely to post your information on their sites and social media profiles.
5. Keep it simple. Organize the information in a fashion that is logical and attractive to readers. It should fit the feel of your company and complement the theme of your company’s other Web pages. Include a search box, maybe even an RSS feed option, where they’ll be visible. Update your content as often as possible. If you don’t, visitors won’t stop by as often as they would if they see you’re pushing out content on a regular basis. This will also help improve your SEO because Google loves sites with fresh content.

If you decide that creating a media newsroom is beneficial to your business, our Lakeland and Tampa public relations firm can help you write press releases, articles and blog posts, as well as create story ideas and more that will attract readers to your online newsroom. Our group of experienced writers is ready to assist you with all of your content and SEO needs.

With more than 900 million monthly active users on Facebook alone, according to Forbes, it seems archaic for a business to attempt reaching their full potential without utilizing this valuable tool.

Lorrie Walker is the owner of Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc., a Lakeland public relations firm, and an advocate for social media use in businesses.

“In this day and age, there are so many outlets available for people to spout-off if they’re unhappy or to praise a company when they are pleased,” said Walker. “Regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative, a company can use those candid comments to their advantage.”

No matter the size of the business, social media can provide numerous benefits.  This is our accumulated list of the top four reasons every company needs to go social.

1. Become Visible

Participating in social media and blogs regularly allows for a company and its brand to become a part of its audience’s daily routine, according to the website Small Business Trends.

Visibility is crucial in ensuring that whenever your Twitter followers or Facebook fans require a service, your business is first to come to mind.

2. Increase Transparency    

It might seem contradictory that social media can provide visibility and transparency for a company, but that is exactly what it does.  Some companies might feel that if they open up a forum for discussion, they might get negative feedback.

Even though it seems bad, negative commentary actually provides your business with the opportunity to improve, and to possibly show those with disparaging opinions that your company hears their voice and is trying to change.

“The key is to address the conflict directly and openly,” said Walker. “Businesses can turn around issues by building a relationship with not only the person who posted the comment, but all of their other followers as well.”

3. Develop a Community

When you start to build those crucial, two-way relationships, you develop a thriving community. Walker went on to say the freedom of anonymity is one of the many benefits of consumers voicing their views on social media sites because they feel a freedom to speak their mind that is often unattainable with face-to-face interactions.

Once the issues are addressed, you start to share a deeper dialogue by increasing the number of voices, according to Small Business Trends.

“You can even see that if someone insults a company unjustly, using social media, that company’s other followers often will jump to its defense,” said Walker.

4. Increase Credibility

You can tell your public how wonderful your service or product is, but they won’t believe you until they try it for themselves.  The same holds true in social media.  Third-party endorsements are viewed as more credible because they are from consumers, for consumers.

Even if negative comments are shared, responding in a timely and efficient manner will help increase your company’s credibility.  Consumers are more likely to forgive a company’s shortcoming if they are open about their mistake and work hard to fix it.

“Social media means being social, and that means that your company needs to be a part of it,” said Walker.

If the business is large but you don’t have extra manpower to dedicate to social media affairs, there are several reputable businesses that can handle that for you.

Social Forces, a company located in Tampa, Fla., handles various business’ social media needs as well as Maximize Social Media, a business social media provider in Lakeland, Fla.

However, Walker recommends small businesses do their own social media if possible because that is when the interactions with customers will be most authentic.  Since small businesses usually handle their interactions with their clients face-to-face, it makes sense to carry that relationship over to the world of the Internet.

In the end, social media is merely another outlet for communication that can help spread awareness and increase your company’s productivity.  We live in a culture dependent on Internet, which makes now the opportune time to finally get social.

We all look to spell check to correct our mistakes, but there is only so much it can do. Proofreading goes beyond spelling mistakes and should be used to produce professional work.

Before publishing any written content- whether it’s in a publication or just on your company’s blog- it is important to hire an editor who will review your work and catch any last minute mistakes. By hiring an editor, you are setting a higher standard of quality for your work.

A client recently contacted our Lakeland and Tampa public relations firm to edit their proposal for a major statewide event. When you’re submitting a proposal to gain business, your first opportunity to make a lasting impression may be with your written proposal. This client realized that and turned to us to help them put their best foot forward.

The 4 major benefits an editor can offer a writer are:

1. Credibility- simple grammar, spelling and punctuation errors can seriously hurt a writer’s credibility and even leave readers with the feeling that you lack professionalism. That’s why another set of eyes should be used to catch more mistakes. While writing, it is often hard to see the obvious mistakes because as a writer, you understand the story. As time goes by, you become more invested in the writing process, which makes it even more difficult to catch these mistakes.
2. Consistency- it is easy to forget information when you are familiar with the story and understand the point you’re trying to get across. An editor will point out the areas that lack consistency and offer suggestions to keep the text flowing.
3. Review work to assure appropriateness for the audience- choosing the right word can make the difference between connecting with your audience and appearing condescending.  Editing the work reminds the writer to look out for jargon.
4. Feedback- An editor offers an objective opinion that can give you an understanding of how readers might react to the material. Editors will make suggestions on how to make the story clearer.

Seeing your name signed on a poorly written article or story is less than exciting. Hiring an editor will help guarantee the content you create is professional, relevant, and well-organized, which can help you establish a loyal audience of readers.

The Bartow native says she chose to attend Flagler College since it is at the center of active and historic St. Augustine.  She practices her PR skills by writing a blog about what’s happening in St. Augustine, called “The St. Augustine Clambake.”

The blog started out as a project in her magazine writing class, but found it was a new and fun way to keep her creativity flowing.  The original assignment was to write a blog with a specific purpose in mind and she chose a topic she thought would be the easiest to manage.   When her blog received hits and likes she was excited and encouraged to continue it. “It feels freer than journalism because writing the blog feels story like,” Laura said.

Laura has practiced her interviewing skills and her blog writing techniques as a result of writing the blog.  At the end of her project, she won a contest for “best blog” out of the two class sections that competed.

Majoring in public relations with a minor in graphic design gives Laura the ability to make brochures, promote events, choose themes, and organize PR campaigns, things she loves to do. She worked on a proposal to change the image of Mothers Against Drunk Driving for a class project.  During this project she remade the MADD logo into something more vibrant and youth-friendly.  Laura suggested MADD become more involved in social media and change their website from a “mother-oriented” website into one that a younger audience could relate to.

Another suggestion of Laura’s was to orchestrate a program that operated similarly to SunPass but would work when an individual is too intoxicated to drive home safely. It would be called “Ride to Save Lives.” The program would operate via a debit card-like device.  Money would be placed in an account linked to the card and would be available for use when an individual is too intoxicated to drive.  On the card would be the phone number of a local cab company.  Once the cab delivers the individual to their destination, the person would use the card as a means of paying the cab driver, just like using a debit card. She felt that MADD should be more against drinking and driving, not necessarily drinking.  “Drink responsibly and have a designated driver,” said Laura.

She would love to have the opportunity to work in a PR position in Italy or France. However, Laura said she feels she would be more suited in the PR department of Tiburon, an Electronic Arts games development studio located in Maitland, Florida.

“I started off wanting to do graphic design for video games, but then realized that I could use my public relations skills to promote video games.” Laura said.

Video games hold a special place in her heart because she plays them with her family, and watches her brother play games like Madden NFL.  What made her fall in love with EA, though, was the Sims.

She said, “The way you can build your own house or change the Sims personality is so customizable.  It’s kind of like acting, but you get to play God. The more expansion packs you add, the more options you get on things like additions to the house or job types.”

Laura has become a part of Flagler College’s acting department and has been active in performing The Yellow Dress, a play about a young woman’s journey through a relationship that started beautifully, and ended in tragic domestic violence.  Domestic violence was a topic that Laura didn’t know much about before performing in The Yellow Dress, but now that she is more informed, she wishes to integrate her PR skills into promoting awareness of domestic violence in public schools.

Modrall says that in five years, “I’d love to have my loans paid off” in addition to working with the school board system to promote awareness of domestic violence, or in Tiburon’s PR department.

She wants to learn how to write better press releases, and learn more about Web publishing and how to write an effective blog from this internship.

Laura will definitely get the writing practice and fine tuning that she desires from this internship, and we’re excited to watch as she grows as a writer and PR specialist.

For Laken, writing is the most fascinating aspect of her profession, and she said she has had plenty of experience with writing stories and poetry in her free time.

“I enjoy writing in PR, because I am able to take information and put it into a story format” said Laken.

Born in West Virginia, Laken and her family moved to Miami, Fla., when she was 10, where she lived until moving to Lakeland to attend college.  She now calls Lakeland home, and loves experiencing the city by spending time with friends and walking around at First Friday events.

She chose Florida Southern because it is a liberal arts college with a tight-knit campus and small classes.  Her first semester, she shared a room with three other girls.

“It was a good experience of close encounters,” joked Laken.

It was there at Florida Southern that she first discovered our Lakeland public relations firm.

While searching the Internet for local public relations internships, Laken came across an article about one of our former interns.  Intrigued by the success of a student in a similar situation to herself, Laken was motivated to apply in hope of securing an internship of her own.

Although new, Laken has already learned many valuable lessons in the public relations track, and when looking back on the things that she has written, she can’t help but to feel proud.

“Whoa, I actually wrote that? Cool,” she said of the experience.

Laken’s name is as unique and fun as she is, and she explained that it is Native American for “abundance of riches.”

“Seeing as I’m a broke college student, it doesn’t mean riches in money!” she said, although she went on to admit that she was wealthy in the support of friends and family.

In the future, Laken hopes to take the knowledge she has learned here and combine it with her passion for advertising.  She believes that this real-world experience will help her to become a well-rounded employee in the future.

I’ve read statistics published by the Small Business Administration that say seven of 10 new employer establishments make it to the two-year mark, while 51 percent survive at least five years. While it’s awesome that slightly more than half of businesses make it, it’s also sobering to realize that almost half do not.

When I think about being in business for five years, I’m reminded of that saying about the turtle on the fence post. If you see a turtle on a fence post, you can be sure he didn’t get their on his own. I certainly didn’t get here on my own.

I couldn’t have done it without my husband’s support. To be supportive of me quitting my “regular” job with a guaranteed income to do my own thing took an amazing amount of faith in me. I didn’t want to let him down.

Vonya Griffin, a brilliant writer and excellent researcher, helped me in the early days when I had too much on my plate and needed another writer to ensure everything got done.

Typically when you hire an employee, you’re taking a chance on that person. But when Lanette Strong came to work for me, she took a chance on me. She has been an invaluable resource in this office.

And then there are the clients. Without them, this business would fail to exist. Through the years, many of them have become more than clients; they’ve become friends. We represent them because we believe in their work, and we love spreading their good news.

Five years has seen a change in scenery in terms of office space. I started out in the spare bedroom of my home and held client meetings at local coffee shops. It worked then and I’m convinced it’s still a good business model today. But in 2011, I felt the urge to move out. I wanted this business to be a part of Downtown Lakeland. I jumped at the chance to have space at Tennessee Carriage Lofts. Moving out really took this business to the next level, and in five months it became apparent that more space was needed. Thankfully, a bigger space was available in the same building, so we moved next door in July 2011.

Operating your own business isn’t easy. It causes sleepless nights, seven-day work weeks and 16-hour days at times. It’s stressful and frustrating. It sometimes can make you want to throw in the towel.

But it’s also so very rewarding. Thank you to everyone who has helped us be successful.