Gem PR & Media Account Manager, Ericka, on life as a PR professional

So far, working at Gem PR & Media has been a bit of a whirlwind – to say the least.  I hopped on the Gem wagon in late August and since then not only have I been exposed to new areas of PR and media, but I’ve also had the opportunity, and support, to raise my game as a working professional.

From day one I knew that this was going to be a fast-paced environment where I would learn hands-on how to navigate my way through the world of Gem PR & Media. I have learned an extraordinary amount of information on topics I have never thought of reading about, whether it’s retirement planning, mortgage loans, website development, or even local Springfield businesses – and enjoyed it. Who would’ve known that there is so much to see and do in what is perceived as such a small town from the outside looking in?

Overall, I find that each day is a new adventure. The proverbial anthill that I started upon continues to mound as I explore new areas, am pushed outside of my comfort zone, and find creative ways to help each of our unique and wonderful clients discover their, and my, true potential.

Search Engine Optimization

I write about social media, in my blogs, a lot and there’s a reason for this. I want people who are searching for social media companies in Springfield, IL, or Central Illinois to come across Gem PR & Media early on in their search. 

We blog almost every week and post links to our Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages. We do it because we know this will improve our search engine optimization (SEO). 

The key to improving SEO is adding new and relevant content to your website and social media platforms regularly. By relevant content I mean anything that is helpful, or of interest, to your online audience. So, I tend to write about social media, the benefits and my top tips for a successful campaign. I also talk about public relations, because that’s a major service we offer our clients. Content creation is another thing that we are known for so I try to write about that too. And finally, I’m always telling you what we’re up to because then you know that we’re not only investing in the communities in which we operate, but that we are continually educating those around us of our expertise.  

Making sure you’re properly registered with Google is key. There are other things you can do too, to help with SEO, such as registering with search engines other than Google, like Bing, for example. 

When it comes to social media, it’s all about quality over quantity. It doesn’t take too much to visit your LinkedIn page every few days, like an article or even comment in the feed. Anytime you write for a publication, have an interview on TV or radio or are featured in an industry journal make sure you list these on your LinkedIn profile. 

Engage with one or two people each week on Twitter, whether that’s a retweet, a like, or by having a conversation with them. 

Improving SEO is something we work on for many of our clients and their businesses. 
If you have any concerns or questions about your SEO get in touch with the team at hello@gempremdia.com.  

Public relations in action

The world of public relations can be brutal at times. You think you have a great story but no one will buy into it because everyone else believes their story is great too. Sometimes a crisis can occur and your day, week, or even month is thrown completely off schedule and you have to spend your time doing damage limitations.

Natalie Bomke and Sensible Innovations founder and creator of the Aware app live at Fox 32 in Chicago.

That’s why, at Gem PR & Media, we think it’s important to enjoy each and every success our clients experience – and today we had a major win for Sensible Innovations! Our client, the founder and creator of the Aware app, Rasha Said appeared on Fox 32 in Chicago with Springfield native Natalie Bomke to talk about the impact this technology is making, and can make, in improving the lives of America’s 21 million visually impaired. 

A massive thank you to Natalie for recognizing a great story! And a huge thank you to Sensible Innovations for trusting us with the brand and allowing us to be part of your journey. 

Today we are a step closer to bringing this technology to the mass market for those who need it most! 

Eighteen21.com one month on

Since we launched Eighteen21.com at the beginning of September we’ve had more than 10,000 visits on the site and reached more than 30,000 people on Facebook. Our content has ranged from reviews of new businesses to interviews with artists to the donation of more than $90,000 to local non-profits by the American Business Club. One story, about The Real Estate Group, was shared on facebook.com/est.1821 more than 50 times and reached more than 8,000 users. Proof that positive, quality, and relevant content about Springfield Illinois is what you guys want! 

In the first four weeks, we published more than 20 stories and we even broke news with the donation by the American Business Club because we were able to publish the article immediately. 
We are proud of what the team has achieved so far and are grateful for your support in reading and sharing our content. 

This month we’ll have a fall fashion shoot with clothes from the Itty Bitty Fashion Truck and photos by Kate Spencer Photography. We’ll also have further stories on businesses and people in, and around, Springfield that makes this great city tick. 

If you have a story to tell get in touch! If you want to gain exposure and build your brand on a positive, online, and FREE lifestyle magazine then get in touch by emailing eighteen21@gemprmedia.com. 

5 ways to optimize your social media platforms.

1.  Make sure that updating Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn etc. with the latest information about your company, is part of your social media strategy. On Facebook, for example, pay attention to your business description, category designation and fill in your address, hours, and location; providing relevant information on the platform can help boost your SEO. Think of the short description as your digital elevator pitch; use your platforms to network and business develop. 

2.  Reinforce your branding with your cover and profile photos. Cover and profile photos have a high level of visibility on your social media platforms so make the most of the potential brand awareness raising and exposure. You can promote an event, fundraiser, product or service through your cover photo. Use Photoshop or Canva.com to add text to your cover image. Make sure your cover and profile photos look good on both the desktop and mobile devices. 

3.  Add a call to action button on Facebook. If you’re promoting an event you can link to the registration page on your website or if you are involved in a fundraiser link to the Go Fund Me page, for example. You can match your cover photo and call to action and even add an arrow to your cover photo pointing to the call to action button. 

4.  On Facebook and Twitter, you can pin posts to the top of your page so that anyone who visits will see these posts first. You can continue to send out posts to your followers, but this is a great way of alerting people to a campaign that you may be running, for example. Don’t forget to unpin when you want the most recent post to appear at the top of your feed. 

5.  Did you know you can add milestones to your Facebook page? Visit your timeline and click Offer, Event +, then click milestone and fill in the details. This is a great way to highlight your business’ achievements and continue to build brand awareness. 

Representing Springfield

We are excited to announce that our newest client to join the Gem PR & Media family is the Springfield Jr. Blues! 

Now, some of you may already know this but my maiden name is actually Hockey, and although I have a lot to learn when it comes to ice hockey, I’ve played my fair share of field hockey. 
We are looking forward to supporting this fantastic Springfield team by assisting with their online and traditional media activity. Our ultimate goal is to keep the fans happy at the same time as increase attendance at games – there are 28 taking place at the Nelson Center during this year’s season – so plenty of opportunities to watch our team hit the ice. 
We’re focusing on families and making each home game a great night out – that anyone living in or around Springfield won’t want to miss. 

You simply couldn’t ask for a better, cost-effective, family night out with food, drink, and some of the best entertainment in town. For example, part of the line up of games this season includes a Halloween party in October, Star Wars night in December, and Valentine’s date night in February. But one of my favorite events planned next month is the Breast Cancer Awareness night when the ice rink at the Nelson Center will be dyed pink! 

Working with the Springfield Jr. Blues team we’ll keep you up-to-date with this season’s activity on www.facebook.com/SpringfieldJrBlues, through the Twitter feed: @Jr_Blues and using traditional media, of course. 

Tickets are available at the Nelson Center during office hours and at the concession stand the week of Springfield’s first home game on September 30th. 
Also, don’t forget to check out the new app available to download for free on iOS and Android. 
For more information about Springfield's hockey team visit their website.

Millennials

Chris recently prepared a presentation about marketing to millennials for one of the networking groups we attend in Springfield. Here, he explains why, no matter your business, you cannot ignore this generation in your marketing, media or public relations planning. 

Essentially, a millennial is anyone born in 1981 and onwards, according to popular opinion – although some say it goes as far back as those born in 1976. More simply, millennials were the first generation to come of age in the new millennium. 

One of the world’s most famously successful millennials is Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Facebook is a key marketing tool that we use for clients in order to target and engage with their preferred audience. It’s extremely cost effective and measurable – it’s where, not just millennials, but all generations are at. For example, within a 25-mile radius of Springfield, there are more than 46,000 Facebook users over the age of 50. 

Millennials work hard when motivated; they like the opportunity to be  heard, prefer an interesting office environment (at Gem PR & Media HQ we have a range of workspaces from a large table that seats six for collaborative work to sofas and quieter breakout areas – oh and of course, we have a beer fridge). Millennials are decisive and want their leaders/mentors to be the same way. 

Millennials appreciate an environment that rewards creative problem solving: hence our collaborative desk at Gem PR & Media. The open culture that millennials have adopted allows people to move around and solve problems they care about most. For example, sometimes life means it’s difficult to work from the office and we need to stay home for a day or more – we have no problem with that. Happy employees mean happy clients and continuous growth for our business, which also means we have more resources at our disposal to give back to the community. Something else millennials care about – brands that care. 

Did you know, according to Hubspot, 84% of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising? We also spend a great deal of our time researching potential purchases – online mostly – before taking the plunge. We pass on to our peers for advice about products, we read news stories and blogs before committing to a brand. However, once we’ve chosen a brand were vehemently loyal to it. 

The value of columns, blogs and paid for editorial is far greater than the traditional, bog standard ad. So think about your market – 90% of millennials log more than two hours a day on Facebook – and how you want to spend your marketing dollars – or speak to us and we’ll show you how! 

Online tools

There are a number of online tools we use at Gem PR & Media almost every day. So, we thought we’d share these with you – especially as most of them are completely free!

Wetransfer.com

One of our favorites. Wetransfer.com allows for the sharing of large files without subscribing to the platform – and it’s free. You simply upload, or drag and drop, your files onto the page, type in the recipients email, add a message if you want, and send. You’ll not only receive an email to confirm that your files have arrived safely, but you’ll also get an email when the recipient has downloaded the files. The only drawback is that the files must be downloaded within a certain time, about a week, however you are sent an email notifying you if the files have not been downloaded about two days before deadline, which is handy because you can remind your recipient to do so. When you’re editing magazines from around the world, like we do at Gem PR & Media, this tool is invaluable.

Toggl.com

At Gem PR & Media we time keep so that we can measure our effectiveness in managing client accounts and track other activity such as admin, or our own PR, for example. Toggl is free and easy to use. You can also add members of the team to your account so you’re all recording to the same timesheets. There’s also an opportunity to download projects, which is extremely helpful for ad-hoc clients.

Canva.com

Canva.com is fantastic for creating images for social media. Now, we have some pretty creative people in our team, such as Courtney who’s a whiz when it comes to Photoshop and video, but I’m better with words so Canva is perfect for me. What I like about Canva is it’s pretty foolproof. You can upload your own images, add text and download to your desktop. The images are even sized for the various social media platforms – which is fabulous!

Facebook.com

An obvious choice right? As a team, we don’t just use Facebook for the promotion and marketing of our clients, we also use messenger to communicate, especially if there’s more than two of us involved in the conversation and we’re working remotely or it’s the evening and we’re watching TV with our cell phones in hand.

Grammarly.com

I was a skeptic, at first, when I came to grammarly.com but now, I wouldn’t be without it. Essentially, Grammarly.com is an automated proofreader – anything I write online is tracked and when there’s a typo or a missing comma grammarly.com suggests a correction. This is great if you’re multi-tasking or in a hurry. I love to get my red pen out and proofread, but when you’re in the middle something and you have to quickly add a post to Facebook, the phone is ringing, and you’re in the supermarket – Grammarly.com has your back! 

E-newsletters

Newsletters are an effective way to get your message out to a captive audience. However, I would highly recommend that you go for an e-newsletter over a traditional one. Cost effectiveness, increasing engagement with your target audience, and the ability to measure the success of your newsletter are major reasons for sending by email.

The key to successful e-newsletters is:

1.     Having a ready-made, captive, database for past, current, and potential clients. Newsletters allow you to remind past clients of your continued existence, developments, and new offerings. It’s always good to keep your current clients/customers updated about your activity and efforts. And, with potential clients, it’s another great marketing tool.

2.     Interesting content is vital. If you’re able to create content that’s not just interesting, but also informative or educational then all the better.

3.     If you say you’re going to send out your e-newsletter monthly, or quarterly, make sure you stick to your timetable. The worst thing you can do is begin sending out great content only to let it fall by the wayside and leave potential clients disappointed – thinking that you’re a flake.

4.     Evaluation. Make sure you are measuring the success of each e-newsletter. Which stories/articles are you getting feedback on? Which links are getting the most clicks? This will inform decisions about how you proceed with your newsletter.

If you’re thinking about devoting your valuable time to creating and sending out e-newsletters you should have a clear idea about success and what that looks like. What I mean by this is set goals. Is it your intention to drive recipients to your social media platforms? Do you want people to visit your website? Or will you have a direct link to a donation page?

Here are my top tips:

1.     Select a single goal for each newsletter – it’s easier to concentrate on one aspect of your marketing campaign and you won’t get bogged down when it comes to content creation.

2.     Align the goals of your e-newsletter with your marketing/PR strategy and objectives.

3.     Generally, the first link in the e-newsletter gets the highest number of clicks.

4.     Don’t bombard people with information. Make stories short and to the point. Use photos and graphics to illustrate, and create, a theme.

Don’t panic when it comes to content. Here are a few ideas:

1.     Use exerts from your blog page.

2.     Create a calendar of forthcoming events.

3.     Include information and updates about new services or products.

4.     Feature employees, interns or volunteers.

5.     Remind your audience of ways to connect with you, for example, links to your social media platforms.

6.     Feature case studies.

7.     Provide client testimonials.

Whatever you do, have fun with it. Create an engaging reminder of your quality offering, while at the same time providing your readers with the advice they will find useful. Start small and grow as you become more confident. Good luck! 

Don’t Just Do Facebook Videos—Do Them Well

According to the social media analysts at News Whip, engagement is down across the platform for every kind of Facebook post except for one: video. And it’s not just for easy cooking or the latest Wine About It. According to the Boston Globe, it generated 12 million views through video on social media—something its team could never have imagined hitting on its website.

Why does it work? Well, frankly, it’s less work than reading. When done right, it’s easy and informative. When done right, it’s a boon to your company and what it’s capable of in terms of delivering a message in a timely and interesting way.

When done wrong, however? It’s a massive waste of money and can make you look bad.

But don’t worry. We’re here to help ensure you do this right.

1.     Keep it simple.

According to a recent study, 85% of users watch Facebook videos with the sound off. Consider your viewers—if they’re busy professionals in an office, they’re probably not wanting to draw attention to the work they’re not doing. With that in mind, you’ll want to use text to get your message across rather than or in addition to voiceover. But no one wants to read a novel in a Facebook video. If you’re using voiceover, show only the major bullet points on-screen. Keep the text short and concise—no more than seven to 15 words on screen at a time.

2.     Keep it short.

With that small amount of text on the screen, it would likely take a long time to get every bit of the message you want across or an entire interview. Don’t do that. Frankly, it’s rare that anyone has the attention span to watch a video online for longer than two or three minutes. If you can’t get your message across in that amount of time, break it up into a few shorter videos, or use video in addition to a lengthier blog.

3.     For the love of all that is good and holy make sure your spelling, punctuation, and grammar are correct.

It does not matter how good and well-produced your video is if the text is poorly written. The fact is, a lot of people think they don’t need writers. Everyone thinks they can do it themselves. And that may well be the case at your company—but you must check, double-check and triple-check that it looks good. If there’s a typo, not only do you discredit yourself as an expert in your topic, but also this is the internet—people are going to comment on it. And who wants their awesome video to turn into a conversation about “your” versus “you’re?”

4.     This isn’t the Blair Witch Project. Don’t bounce the camera around too much.

If you don’t have fancy tools, keep the camera still. You don’t want to make your audience seasick.

5.     You don’t need a big budget.

That said, you don’t need fancy tools at all. I once made a video using an IV stand in place of a tracking dolly. One time I used a rolling golf bag (this worked terribly, I do not recommend it). Try different things and see what works for you. You don’t need expensive lights if you have a nicely lit room. You don’t need a costly boom mic if you buy a $30 lavalier microphone on Amazon.

6.     Landscape. Please do landscape.

People get really annoyed about portrait. Just turn your phone on its side and head off complaints before they happen.

Video is scary if you’ve never done it before. But you don’t have to be a film major to get it done. Smartphones, iMovie, these simple tools make it easy. Practice and see what works and doesn’t. Go forth and have fun!

Hot stuff

We are getting ready to make the final touches to the July/August edition of Springfield’s Own Magazine. One of our last tasks was the Summer themed fashion shoot. We could not have chosen a better day for it, a nice spot, or a more beautiful model. We headed out to Lake Springfield Marina with the beautiful water as our backdrop. 

The ladies from Full Blown Salon worked their magic on our model, Allie, clad in summer dresses and shirts from Itty Bitty Fashion Truck. Kate Spencer of Kate Spencer Photography took gorgeous photos. Choosing just seven, including the front page, is going to be tough. 

It’s a great day, I love collaborating with talented people who are all willing to volunteer their time, put in the work and gain amazing results. Springfield has a wide talent pool and I love to remind people of that in the pages of SO Magazine. 

I can’t wait for everyone to see this edition, which is full of fab stories; from the remarkable Rasha Said of Sensible Innovations, to a travel piece from the Big Easy, a book review by the wonderful Courtney Westlake, author of the blog Blessed by Brenna, and her latest release ‘A Different Beautiful,’ to an interview with the CEO of Sojourn and a look at domestic violence. It’s going to be a great read! 

Lake Springfield Marina

Alyssa Furling from Full Blown Salon starting hair and make up

Heidi Furling of Full Blown Salon doing Allie Fitzgerald's hair and make up.

Heidi Furling of Full Blown Salon Doing Allie Fitzgerald's make up.

Allie with hair and make up finished

Dresses from the Itty Bitty Fashion Truck

Kate Spencer and Allie Fitzgerald braving the shore for the perfect photo.

Allie at Lake Springfield Marina

It's all yellow

We did not "borrow" any flowers from Lake Springfield Marina...

New style

Hanging out on the docks at Lake Springfield Marina

Allie smiling with flowers in her hair.

Final outfit of the shoot.

Award winning entries

As a professional public relations company, with years of experience in gaining positive exposure, we know the importance of recognizing the achievements of our clients. 

This is why, as part of our PR and media plans for each, we work towards gaining clients recognition within their industries, amongst their peers, and for giving back to the communities in which they operate. 

A great way to do this is through the entry of awards, whether that be the Chamber of Commerce in the area, awards given through a media outlet or an industry association or body, which recognizes those that excel in its field. Sometimes the awards we enter, on behalf of clients, are for the entire business and at other times for individuals within the organization. 

The benefit of entering an award comes, not just, from the winning of it, but other PR opportunities, which derive from entering. Although this may sound contradictory, it really isn’t all about winning when it comes to positive exposure and award entries. Clients who are nominated for awards often gain significant recognition in the run up to and during the occasion. Not only will the media participate in spreading the word, but also there is an opportunity for us to PR the nomination through traditional and online content, such as the business’ social media platforms. 

We pride ourselves on an outstanding record when it comes to gaining clients’ recognition for their achievements and making the very most of their nominations and/or wins. There’s no denying it takes skill, knowledge and experience, not everyone can write a winning award entry. This is why we work hard to get to know our clients and their businesses too – it’s all part of our strategic approach to PR, media and marketing and to running successful campaigns, which see our clients’ companies grow and achieve their objectives. 

A professional guide to social media

This month I had the pleasure of presenting my professional guide to social media at the Illinois Women in Leadership luncheon. In order to provide attendees with the information they were seeking, I worked with the program chair to develop an online survey, which went out to the membership in advance of the event. Over 25% of IWIL’s members responded and about half of the women involved in our organization attended the social media presentation. 

The survey revealed that most of us use Facebook, but want to learn more about LinkedIn and Twitter when it comes to promoting our businesses. It also found that 67% of respondents have a social media strategy for their business, which is fantastic. Surprisingly, or not perhaps, only 13% use a social media management platform. 

So, armed with this knowledge, I prepared a presentation that reflected the online activities of our membership. I spoke about the benefits of social media, content creation, my top tips for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, the need to set objectives and then manage these through engagement and measuring results. 

So here are a few of the tips that I shared with the ladies at IWIL: 

1 Social media is about quality over quantity when it comes to followers/likes/connections. 

2 These are public profiles, which can be seen by journalists, your employees, donors etc.

3 You must address complaints quickly. Take the conversation offline when necessary. 

4 Limit access to your accounts and change the password regularly. 

5 Content is key; make sure it’s relevant, engaging and informative. 

6 Accompany posts with links, images, videos, and tags. 

7 Do one platform really well then expand.  

8 Create a vanity URL for your business page e.g. facebook.com/gemprmedia and LinkedIn profile linkedin.com/in/gemmalonggemprmedia

9 Images boosted on Facebook must contain less than 25% text. 

10 It is ok to repost the same messages; less than 10% of your followers will see a single post – unless you boost – or have followers that share posts. 

11 On LinkedIn, you can tag users that you are not connected to.

12 You can add posts to your LinkedIn profile. 

13 When tweeting, think about leaving space for people to retweet your @name and add a comment (140 characters max per tweet) 

14 Use #s on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; these allow for the identification of topics or trends.

15 75% of users are more likely to purchase from a brand they follow on Twitter 

Gem PR & Media Team Expands

This month we’ve welcomed a new member to the Gem PR & Media team – Courtney Enlow Hall. Courtney is Gem PR & Media’s Account Director, tasked with managing client accounts, developing strategies, content creation and supporting the business’ growth. Courtney, wife to John and mom to Juliane and Jack, has worked in Chicago and Springfield. She has experience in PR and marketing for local healthcare organizations, events and festivals, and nonprofit organizations. She has written for multiple publications and websites, including Vanity Fair and VH1.com. In her spare time Courtney loves cooking, reading and scouring thrift shops for vintage treasures.

What drew us to Courtney is her enthusiasm for change, creativity, and accuracy. She’s also a great people person and the kind of woman we need at our side as we continue to expand.

Welcome to the team Courtney! 

Family first

What a delight it was to spend a few hours with the Westlake family during the Springfield’s Own May/June fashion shoot, which took place at Bunn Gourmet. If you haven’t been there yet – it’s a must! (And they have free WiFi). 

I first met Courtney Westlake last year, she’s an accomplished writer and keen photographer and I wanted to get to know the face behind the blog Blessed by Brenna. 

When she spoke at the Illinois Women in Leadership luncheon in February I, like many in the room were inspired. So, when the time came for us to select a family to photograph for our fashion shoot in the Family/10th-anniversary edition we couldn’t think of anyone better than Courtney, Evan, Brenna, and Connor. 

As always, I leant on Kate Spencer who is a phenomenal photographer to take charge and do what she does best – take fantastic photos. We chose Bunn Gourmet as our location because Bunn is a family run company, which operates internationally, but has remained at its core a Springfield business. We worked with the Itty Bitty Fashion Truck team when it came to Courtney’s outfits, I selected clothing from Macy’s for Evan, Connor and Brenna (I got a little carried away with Brenna’s outfits … so many cute items to dress her in) and we also featured t-shirt designs by Jesus Couture by Paige Plummer one of this year’s Sangamon CEO students. The BJ Grand Salon and Spa girls did an awesome job with Courtney’s hair – as always. A huge thank you to everyone that helped! 

So, don’t miss your next edition of SO featuring Springfield family businesses, 10 Sangamon CEO students, a GREAT fashion shoot and more non-profits in the SO Positive section, which is available on May 15th. 

Meeting Hillary and reflecting on change, challenge and opportunity

Yesterday I met Hillary Clinton. It was brilliant. I was lucky enough to attend the MSNBC town hall at the Old State Capitol because my very talented friend wrote a fantastic piece in support of Hillary, six weeks ago, which was read by two million people. Not only is Courtney Enlow-Hall my friend, an extremely talented writer, but also the latest addition to Gem PR & Media. We are so excited that she will be working with us to continue the strategic and sustained approach we take when it comes to delivering global public relations, social media and marketing services for our clients.

Each year the president at Illinois Women in Leadership chooses a new theme. Our current president, Cheri Plummer, chose challenge, change and opportunity. I mention this because sat there, yesterday, listening to a woman who is likely going to be the next president of the United States of America and the country’s first female president I thought about the challenge, change and opportunity that had lead up to this moment for me.

The challenge of moving from one continent to another, making new friends and building a business.

The change of living in what my niece calls ‘the other world’, where, as Hillary said yesterday, on average 90 people die each day from gun violence and you’ve lived most of your life on a 25-square-mile island, with 60,000 people in the English Channel and it’s safe to leave your front door unlocked; it’s a big change.

When it comes to opportunity for me it’s about leaving my mark by giving back, by using my experience to help those who need it, whether being PR chair for Friends of Memorial, volunteering for Daily Bread through Rotary or working with people like our friend Tony DelGiorno who is running for the State Representative in the 99th district. I am extremely thankful for the opportunities that have come my way over the past 18 months, living in Springfield, Illinois. I do not take for granted the people I have met, those I get to work with and the growth our business is going through.  

Meeting objectives through professionalism and innovation

As a PR and media consultancy we rely on the professionalism of others to uphold the standards set by our clients. We are responsible for their reputation in public and in the media, on and offline, but we rely on others to provide support in other areas and that is why we choose to work with individuals or organizations that are experienced, knowledgeable and innovative.

We work with small, medium and large businesses, so it’s only right that we collaborate with professionals that offer a range of services and price points. For example, if you’re a start-up you may not have the capital available to invest in a $5,000 - $10,000 (£3,500 - £6,500) website right away, but if you speak to the right person he or she may be able to work with you to provide the $3,000 website now, which can be developed, built upon and invested into in the future.

It’s hard to find good people, but when you do it’s important to champion them, support them and remind them how fantastic they are.

Kate Spencer is a photographer in Springfield, Illinois she is professional, hardworking and continues to improve her own work and the industry. Kate Spencer Photography is our go to in the US. We would ask Kate to work with any of our clients and know they would be impressed with the end result. Kate is the fashion photographer for SO magazine; she works with us to conceptualize the story we want to tell through the clothes, make up, location and models. And she nails it every time. Try choosing seven to nine of the best Kate Spencer photos from a selection of 300 to 500 … it’s tough. The best thing about Kate is that she doesn’t know how good she is.

Jon Thomas is more than a web developer; he helps businesses deliver designs that please users and meet their business’ goals. He takes a modern, collaborative approach, which involves meaningful iterations and user feedback. He does all of this for one reason; to ensure the success of your business objectives.

See what we mean about working with great people.

Another area of our business that continues to grow is our events services. Tony Boston of Superior Sound Entertainment is a technical wiz when it comes to uplighting and sound. He takes an idea and turns it into reality, what we love most about working with Tony is he likes a challenge; he’s willing to innovate, but yet never compromise on quality.

So, if you find good people who push the boundaries, are professional and continue to challenge what has come before, hold onto them because they will help your business grow in the way you want it to. 

Social Media for Non-Profits

At Gem PR & Media we’re always eager to share our knowledge and experience with those who need it most, but cannot afford consultancy fees, such as non-profits and charitable organizations.

One of the ways we are able to do this is through teaching classes at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois. Our next class is Social Media for Non-Profits – and it’s only $15 for two hours. We’ll be teaching some of the tricks and tools we’ve learnt over the years whilst managing numerous social media accounts.

Social media can be a minefield for anyone, not least non-profits that are already under-staffed and have little resources or time, for that matter. But social media is a great tool to get your message out there to the masses. Whether promoting a fundraiser or requesting donations for raffle prizes, the way in which you approach posting, such as the inclusion of an interesting photo or the times at which you engage with your audience, all make a difference.

We support a number of clients in the US, Channel Islands and UK that have the capacity to engage in advertising, but we also work with a number of non-profits that do not have the finances available for social media advertising. So, we have developed a toolkit for those organizations that want to engage with their audience online, but need to be thrifty about it. Our next class is on November 10th between 11am and 1pm at Lincoln Land Community College.

We will also be teaching classes next spring, which will provide non-profits and businesses an opportunity to learn about PR and marketing planning, crowdfunding and how to develop media relations. If you are interested in any of the above please visit http://www.llcc.edu or ping us an email at hello@gemprmedia.com and we’ll point you in the right direction.

SO exciting!

One of our latest projects at Gem PR & Media is Gemma’s new role as editor of Springfield’s Own Magazine, which is the State Journal Register’s bi-monthly lifestyle publication with a circulation of about 40,000. Our first is the holiday edition for November / December and we are currently busy developing new editorial and advertorial features. On Friday we shot our holiday fashion shoot at Sangamon Reclaimed with photographer Kate Spencer.

New features will also include interviews with local entrepreneurs, Springfield celebrities and the SO positive section, which will champion individuals and organizations that give back to the community. Of course we’ll still have On The Town pages where people in the area are invited to send us photos from their events to feature in the magazine.  

Brooke Thomas posing with Kate Spencer

Brooke posing with Kate Spencer of Kate Spencer photography

Kate Spencer Photography

Kate working with the models 

Models at Sangamon Reclaimed

Behind the scenes with the models at Sangamon Reclaimed

Sangamon Reclaimed behind the scenes

Behind the scenes at the photo shoot

Sangamon Reclaimed

We have been working closely with the sales team to develop opportunities for businesses in the city to market their products and services in a targeted way. Themes for 2016 include Love, Family and Celebration. Our aim is to help produce a publication by and for people in Springfield, Illinois. We want you to be a part of it, which is why the magazine will also feature guest writers and artists.

If you are interested in finding out more about opportunities for editorial and advertorial in SO Magazine please email gemma.long@sj-r.com

PechaKucha!

On Thursday evening I took part in Springfield’s 20th volume of PechaKucha 20 x 20. PechaKucha involves a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. 

It was created by two architects in Tokyo in 2003 because architects (according to the organizers) talk too much. The idea is, that if you give someone just 20 slides and 20 seconds to talk about each slide they will be forced to present in a comprehensive, but succinct fashion.

So, I had a go. My topics was, of course, Guernsey. In the US the easiest way to explain Guernsey’s location is ‘a British island, near France’ so that was the title of my presentation. 

Castle Cornet and a cruise Ship

I want to say a massive thank you to Guernsey photographer Chris George who supplied us with high resolution images and to my pal Zoe Ash of Visit Guernsey. I talked about our beautiful island, its rich history and the part it plays in the finance world. 

I’m telling you all this because wouldn't it be something to have a PechaKucha night in Guernsey or Jersey? It’s a great opportunity to promote your business or interests in front of a group of people from all walks of life. At Gem PR & Media we’re always looking for PR opportunities for our clients and we aim to lead by example. So, Guernsey, Jersey let us know if you would like more information about PechaKucha. 

Gemma discussing Guernsey Cows