That holdup frequently is caused by clients’ failure to provide the content. Because of that, I thought I’d offer three reasons why hiring a Web copy writer is a good idea.

Focus Your Energy
I’ve always been a big believer in focusing your energy where your talents exist, and hiring someone else to do the work that falls outside your gifted area.

Let’s say you own a hair salon. You know how to cut and color hair and run your business, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you are good at writing about cutting and coloring hair or the latest hair trends.

Hiring an experienced web copy writer ensures that the content on your page is well-written in a format that is reader-friendly.

Content is King
Having a Web site that looks sharp is important, but providing relevant information and consistently adding new content to that site is what keeps people coming back.

Many business owners and managers spend the bulk of their time handling the day-to-day business operations and don’t consider routinely updating their Web site a priority.

Hear this: it SHOULD be a priority. Everyone turns to the Internet these days for research and information. We have a generation coming up that doesn’t even use a phone book anymore; they Google it.

Having a regularly updated site increases the chances that when people search for terms related to your business, your Web site appears in the search results.

Get on a Schedule
Your Web site needs to give people relevant information to aid in their buying decisions or to educate, and you need to give people a reason to keep coming back.

By using a professional Web copy writer, the two of you can create a schedule for adding content to your site on a regular basis.

Josh Hallett, a local social media expert, once said businesses with Web sites that include blogs basically train their visitors how often to return to their sites. Update content weekly, and visitors are likely to visit the site weekly. Update it monthly, and you’ll see them once a month.

Getting on a schedule for updating content gets visitors on a schedule for checking out your site.

If you’re interested in creating a new site, updating the content on an existing site, or creating a plan to routinely add Web content, consider the Lakeland and Tampa, FL public relations firm of Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc. Our professional web copy writers are happy to help you create site content that keeps people coming back for more.

Call for more information: (863) 614-0555.

When it comes to public relations, a good way for small businesses to garner publicity is to become known as experts in their fields.

That might be a difficult notion for some to buy into. After all, most of us were raised not be braggarts and to keep our self-confidence in check.

“Those in search of publicity have to get over those hang-ups,” said Lorrie Delk Walker, president of Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc., a public relations firm in Tampa and Lakeland.

For professionals to establish themselves as experts in their fields, they have to do a bit of self-promotion, and there are ways to look good without coming on too strong or making the wrong impression with potential clients, said Walker, an article and press release writer.

Walker shared these tips on how small business professionals can “take HEED,” when seeking to attain expert status by: Hiring a Professional, Education, Experience and Developing an effective Web site.

Hire A Professional
Getting your name “out there” as an expert may seem like a daunting task, and when in doubt, Walker recommends hiring a public relations firm to do the job right the first time.

“I’m a big believer in focusing your efforts on your own talents and hiring a professional with talent in the areas where you lack,” Walker said.

PR pros can offer a plan for assisting small business professionals in establishing themselves as experts in their fields. Some steps that Walker recommends include:

– Create a newsletter to send to interested readers.

– Add a blog to the company’s Web site and update it frequently with useful information.

– Join community and professional groups for networking purposes.

– Get involved in social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Education
Educate yourself. Although a degree isn’t always necessary to be an expert, many people associate education with knowledge and expertise, Walker said. So a framed diploma on the wall may impress some. But there’s a lot to be said for education that happens outside the classroom.

“To become an expert in your field, you must make it your mission to absorb as much information as you can in your area,” Walker said. “Read books, publications, findings and Web sites dedicated to your field.”

Communicating with others in the same field also is helpful, because it enables professionals to learn of other viewpoints and become well-rounded on topics.

Experience
Some things take time, and you can’t become an expert in a field in which you lack experience, Walker said.

Look for opportunities to take on additional projects and gain experience in different niches within your field.

Develop an Effective Web Site
Having a Web site with helpful information allows small business professionals to share their expertise with visitors. Frequently updating and adding new information gives those visitors something to return to, Walker said.

“You never know when a journalist researching a topic may happen upon your site,” she said. “Once they find useful information, they are likely to call you for comments for their articles and to remember you the next time they write about a topic in your field.”

Learn More
If you would like additional information on how a PR professional can assist in establishing you as an expert in your field, visit www.lorriewalker.com for more information, or call (863) 614-0555.

While organizations are typically prepared for an anticipated crisis, public relations professionals understand that organizations also need to prepare for the unexpected crisis.

“It is not a question of if a crisis will occur, but when,” said Julie Fix, a University of Houston assistant professor at the Jack J. Valenti School of Communication. As the former president of the Texas Public Relations Association, Fix is a 25-year veteran of the PR industry and specializes in crisis communications and PR campaigns.

According to Fix, a crisis can be defined as any interruption of normal business activities that affects the consumer. She places every crisis into one of three categories: an act of nature, an intentional act of violence or an unintentional crisis.

While the basic approach to any crisis will have similarities, it is important that businesses plan for the potential crises that could occur in their specific industries, said Lorrie Delk Walker, president of Lorrie Walker Communications, Inc., a Lakeland public relations firm.

“A university may be faced with a school shooting, while a grocery store’s crisis might be contaminated food,” Walker said.

Public relations’ role of maintaining the relationship between an organization and its constituents makes it an integral part of crisis communications, according to Kevin Lachlan, director of communication studies at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. He has spent the past five years studying audience responses of crisis communications. According to Lachlan, preparing a crisis plan beforehand helps to better maintain relationships with consumers.

Before preparing a plan, Fix recommends seeking outside council. Professional crisis management companies are better inclined to find the weak links in an organization that could lead to a crisis.

“If your company influences the general public, you need a plan,” said Jason Maloni, vice president of Levick Strategic Communications. “We go over company concerns and the strategies of a plan.”

To create a plan, an organization must first identify the different groups potentially affected by a crisis and then identify the best way to get the information to them, said Lachlan. He recommends studying consumer demographics and the best way to communicate with those demographics.
Maloni suggests designating a spokesperson to make a public statement about the situation. A holding statement must be made to the general public within the hour, he said.

In her classes, Fix teaches her students to write holding statements that address the “Four C’s”: concern, competency, compassion and credibility. If the situation is at the obvious fault of the organization, Fix teaches her students to express the “Three R’s”: responsibility, remorse and remediation; an action that may not be supported by the organization’s legal council, but one that will keep the trust of the consumer.

Organizations should remember that outlets such as their Web site, text messages, Twitter and Facebook are viable options in communicating in a crisis, Fix said.

“If you don’t say something quickly,” said Fix, “there are so many others who will.”

Once a plan is created, a good organization practices the plan once or twice a year with different scenarios, said Fix. Drilling the plan prepares employees to act quickly without confusion.

After a crisis has been dealt with, Maloni reminds his clients to keep in communication with the consumer through polls or surveys. By polling consumers, an organization discovers if there are any problems with the crisis plan or if the consumer has a problem with the organization.

“It’s all about bulletproofing your brand,” said Maloni.

Intern Responsibilities:
Research and write basic news releases and articles for search engine optimization purposes. Work on media campaigns as opportunities become available.

Intern Qualifications:
Candidate should have strong interviewing and writing skills and must know how to use the Associated Press Stylebook. Candidate must be able to work on deadline and must have the discipline to work alone and as part of a team.

Other Information:
Part-time; flexible hours. This is primarily a telecommuting position that requires weekly meetings with supervisor. This is a paid internship.

How to Apply:
Applicants should e-mail a resume and three writing samples of articles and press releases to:

Lorrie Delk Walker, president. E-mail: lorrie@lorriewalker.com, Phone 863-614-0555.

Deadline to apply for summer internship is May 8.

The Lakeland public relations firm underwent some improvements earlier this month in an effort to be more Earth-friendly and environmentally sensitive in honor of Earth Day, which is today.

The first step was replacing old, worn-out carpeting with new carpeting made from recycled plastic water bottles.

“I had heard about carpeting made from recycled content and I knew I wanted that for my home and office,” said Lorrie Delk Walker, president of the PR agency. “I wound up with carpeting that not only is made from recycled content; it also is recyclable, should I ever need to replace it again.”

Walker purchased the carpeting from Galloway’s Flooring Warehouse on Edgewood Avenue.

“Mike and the rest of the staff there were great, and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product,” Walker said.

Walker also repainted her office walls using no-VOC paint. Volatile organic compounds in paint are what make the air smell bad after painting.

New, energy-efficient light bulbs were installed for Earth Day last year and they haven’t had to be replaced yet, she said.

Walker is an avid recycler and always looks for ways in which to reduce waste, she said. Printing documents is kept to a minimum when possible and often, scrap paper is used to print documents that are maintained in the office.

All drink cans and bottles, newsprint, cardboard, fiberboard, plastic, steel and tin are recycled weekly.

Invoices and other correspondence are sent via e-mail whenever possible, in an effort to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used in the traditional mail delivery system.

Although she couldn’t complete the project in time for Earth Day, Walker is working on one other Earth-friendly element for her office- a desk made entirely from reclaimed materials.

“I’m working with Tom Monaco to make that dream a reality,” Walker said.

Monaco, who owns The Fourth Wall Specialty Design and Fabrication, Inc. is working on the desk design and will offer suggestions on the types of reclaimed materials he can use for the project.

“Once that is fleshed out, we can begin the process of searching for the materials to make the desk,” Walker said. “I plan to hit yard sales, thrift stores and maybe even scrap yards to find the materials.”

Walker said she looks forward to having a piece of functional art that will be a conversation piece and may encourage others to find alternative uses for items that otherwise would wind up in the trash.

“It’s easy to talk about being green, but people need to see your actions, too,” she said. “That’s what I’m trying to do- talk the talk and walk the walk.”