The Buyer Group PR + SEO News

Online PR Presentation on Blogs, Social Media & Google News Search Results

Deerfield Beach, FL – March 24, 2009 – How fast does news travel on Google News? “In a New York minute,” says Lisa Buyer, president and CEO of leading interactive PR agency The Buyer Group and guest speaker at Search Engine Strategies (SES) New York March 24-26, 2009.

As part of the News Search SEO Panel, Buyer will discuss how launching a targeted online public relations campaign can attract quality traffic through optimized press releases.

The News Search SEO panel shares how to create online PR that speaks to multiple audiences such as journalists, analysts, and end users as well as how this relates to the success of news searches and search engine results.

“This is my second year speaking on the News Search SEO panel,” said Buyer. “It’s remarkable how online news trends can shift even within a year; 2009 is definitely the year for Twitter.”

Industry trendsetters’ Greg Jarboe President of SEO-PR, Dana Todd CMO of Newsforce, John Shehata Senior SEO Manager of Advance Internet Inc., and moderator Mark Jackson President/CEO of Vizion Interactive will join Lisa Buyer on the News Search SEO panel.

The Buyer Group is a member of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, South Florida Interactive Marketing Association, Agency Management Roundtable, and is recognized as a Google Advertising Professional Company.

For more information about The Buyer Group and its interactive public relations and branding services call Lisa Buyer at 954.354.1411.

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Online PR Agency Debuts its Social Media Side of Life

Deerfield Beach, FL – March 17, 2009 – Fans of The Buyer Group can now stake their claim. Who is winning the popularity contest on Facebook? Barack Obama and Coca-Cola seem to be the most popular brands on Facebook, but The Buyer Group joins the ranks with the debut of its Facebook Fan Page.

The Buyer Group’s fan page acts as an interactive resource where the Internet PR firm can connect with clients, fans, marketers, and other media professionals, providing the latest updates on SEO, online PR, and branding news.

“The Buyer Group’s fan page was a natural progression to network with clients and fans,” said Lisa Buyer, The Buyer Group President and CEO. “With blogging, networking, newsfeeds, and a platform that still can’t be beat, Facebook continues to grow in popularity as a social media tool that also doubles as a PR tool, depending on the nature of a business and its market.”

While Facebook is continuing to gain popularity with social media users all over the world, the free, interactive platform can connect businesses and consumers directly – allowing PR professionals and online advertisers to communicate with potential clients and prospects in a user-friendly environment. The Buyer Group’s fan page features informative articles, blogs, and photos while allowing “fans” to communicate directly with The Buyer Group for their online PR needs.

Social media services like Facebook, also known as Web 2.0, are a staple in the online landscape, quickly proving a necessary component in relevant online PR campaigns. Helping businesses embrace the advantages of Facebook, along with other emerging online technology, is part of The Buyer Group’s mission to provide clients with the best of traditional and online PR services, branding, and search engine strategies.

About Facebook
Facebook is a social media network launched in February 2004 as a platform for online users to connect by sharing ideas and information. Over the past few years Facebook has emerged as one of the most successful social media services in the world, allowing millions of people to connect with friends and family members, share photos, blog about their experiences, and discover new web sites and friendships along the way. This initial concept has quickly evolved into a valuable resource for online marketing, providing companies with the opportunity to target and optimize their online impact while keeping in tune with their customers wants and needs. To learn more about Facebook, visit http://www.facebook.com.

About The Buyer Group
The Buyer Group is a member of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, South Florida Interactive Marketing Association, Agency Management Roundtable, and is recognized as a Google Advertising Professional Company.  Lisa Buyer is a regular speaker at Internet Marketing conferences including PubCon and Search Engine Strategies talking on the topics of online PR, News search SEO and the influences of social media.  For more information about The Buyer Group and its interactive public relations and branding services call Lisa Buyer at 954.354.1411.

Connect with The Buyer Group
Visit our Facebook Fan Page
Follow me on Twitter
Find me on Facebook
Connect with me on LinkedIn

Online PR Expert Talks About Twitter, Online Reputation, and Search Results

Deerfield Beach, FL – February 23, 2009 – What happens when employees mix personal Facebook and Twitter accounts with company news and client communications?  Well first comes the drama, then the Google search results you might wish you never had.

Florida online public relations agency CEO, Lisa Buyer, will be speaking on the advantages and pitfalls of social media at PubCon, the executive conference lead by search and Internet marketing gurus in Austin, TX on March 12, 2009 at 2:55 PM.

As part of a panel discussion on Moving Old Brands Into The New Social Media, Buyer will present a case study on “Social Media In the Hands of Irresponsible Employees,” a topic focusing on the PR effects when employees’ personal social media usage ends in negative company search results. The lecture will also cover proactive guidelines to prevent this from happening as well as brand reputation management.

“Today’s online PR and branding strategies need to take into consideration the effects of social media channels and how they can influence a brands online reputation,” said Lisa Buyer, The Buyer Group CEO.

Working from a real world experience where an employee’s personal Twitter posting, a professional blogger, and a client’s search engine results collided, Buyer will explore how to best utilize the power of social media without leaving companies vulnerable to circumstances that can have a negative effect on their online PR.

PubCon Austin takes place March 11 – 13, 2009.  For more information visit: http://www.pubcon.com/.

About The Buyer Group
The Buyer Group is a member of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, South Florida Interactive Marketing Association, Agency Management Roundtable, and is recognized as a Google Advertising Professional Company.  For more information about The Buyer Group and its interactive public relations and branding services call Lisa Buyer at 954.354.1411.

Connect with The Buyer Group
Follow Lisa Buyer on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lisabuyer
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabuyer

Father Uses Social Media to Find Missing Daughter After 20 Years
Patrick Sessions Launches Official Tiffany Sessions Blog and Outreach

Gainesville, FL – February 9, 2009 – When missing person Tiffany Sessions (http://tiffanysessions.com/) disappeared from Gainesville without a trace on February 9, 1989, there was no Amber Alert, no Web sites displaying pictures of missing kids – and no social media to spread the word across the country with a few keystrokes.

Tiffany Sessions is still missing, her case is still open, and real estate developer-turned missing children advocate, Patrick Sessions, is leveraging social media tools to help police find missing children and especially the daughter he last saw when she was 19-years-old.  Refusing to give up on his daughter, Sessions is launching the “Official Tiffany Sessions” Web site blog on February 9, 2009, the 20th anniversary of his daughter’s disappearance.

A $25,000 reward is being offered by the Sessions family for information leading to the remains of Tiffany Sessions and the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for her abduction.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting a press conference on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 10:00 AM in the Patrol Squad Room of the Sheriff’s Office, located at 2621 SE Hawthorne Road to mark the 20-year anniversary of the case.

“There was no Facebook when Tiffany was in college. No cell phones to trace her whereabouts. No MySpace pages to investigate,” Sessions says. “I am launching this Web site blog in hopes that someone out there knows where Tiffany is or can offer new leads that will help us find her.  We believe social media can play a vital role in finding missing children everywhere, including Tiffany.”

Tiffany was last seen leaving her apartment at Casablanca East Condominiums in Gainesville at 6 PM on February 9, 1989.  She told her roommate she was going to take a walk along Williston Road.  She was carrying a black Sony Walkman, but had left her keys, wallet, and identification at home.  Over the years there have been many conflicting stories, theories, and testimonials about what happened after Tiffany left her apartment – but no concrete evidence was ever discovered.  At the time of her disappearance, Tiffany had blonde hair, brown eyes and stood 5’3 tall, weighing 125 pounds. Tiffany was last seen wearing red sweatpants and a white, long-sleeved sweatshirt with the word “ASPEN” stitched across the front in green letters.

The Alachua County Sheriff Office’s Cold Case Unit has done an intense amount of work in the last two years on the Tiffany Sessions Case #: 01569-89.

“This is still a viable case with several new leads being developed and explored by members of the Unit. This 20-year anniversary of Tiffany’s disappearance is a time to remember and recommit ourselves to resolving as many unsolved missing persons and murder cases as possible,” said Alachua County Sheriff Sadie Darnell, who was originally part of the case in 1989 as the Gainesville Police Department’s public spokesperson. “It is my hope that our efforts in this case, in addition to solving a crime, will bring a measure of comfort to the Sessions family. We hope our dedication to this case will honor the tragedy they continue to endure and some day give them answers to the haunting questions about their loved one’s place or demise.  Tiffany remains forever young and forever a constant reminder to our community of the love and support of a family during her life and in her absence. We remain steadfast partners with her family in solving this case.”

To learn more about the missing persons case of Tiffany Sessions, including the details surrounding her unexplained disappearance and links to contact legal authorities with pertinent information, visit http://TiffanySessions.com.  In addition to serving as a vital resource for Tiffany’s case, the Web site will also act as a resource for other parents and friends coping with the disappearance of a loved one by providing phone numbers and links to missing persons organizations.

“I’m hoping that you all will think about this and if you were in the Gainesville area or have any information about what happened to Tiffany, or if any of your friend’s do, to please go to the links on the site and let the appropriate people know,” Sessions said.  “I really need your help and I really appreciate if you could pass this on.  We can use social media to help solve this case and bring hope to many parents with missing children.”

Media Contacts:
Please see the following sources for more information and/or interviews:

Patrick Sessions – Miami, Florida
Tiffany’s Father, 305-609-6443

Jason Sessions – Jacksonville, Florida
Tiffany’s brother, 904-386-8380

Alachua County Sheriff’s Department
Public Information Office:
Steve Maynard, 352-367-4041
Send Tiffany Sessions Leads to:
rdean@alachuasheriff.org, 352-367-4161
Case #: 01569-89

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
Larry Ruby     LarryRuby@FDLE.State.Fl.US, 386-418-5411

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
800-843-5678

Tiffany Sessions Media Contact
Lisa Buyer lbuyer@thebuyergroup.com
The Buyer Group, PR/SEO, 954-354-1411 x14

We are happy to announce that due to The Buyer Group’s online PR efforts our client, The Opp-Guide has won the $10,000 grant from the Best Buy @15 Challenge.  Thanks to everyone that voted!  We appreciate your time.

South Florida Youth Non Profit Awarded $10K in Best Buy @15 Challenge
Grant Money Yields FL Community Service Review Web Site’s Expansion

Fort Lauderdale, FL – January 26, 2009 – After 30 days of grassroots initiatives, text messages, and online voting, The Opp-Guide, an online resource for community service activities within the South Florida tri-county area, has been chosen as one of the fifteen Youth Venture Teams that will receive $10,000 from the @15 fund in the Best Buy @15 Challenge with Youth Venture. The Opp-Guide is a teen-run non profit initiative that encourages other local teens to get involved in their communities. As the only winner in Florida, The Opp-Guide hopes to use this award to expand its Spanish Web site and to allow for outreach to other communities.

“We are incredibly excited about the designation as one of the @15 Challenge winners,” said Wendi Oppenheim, The Opp-Guide President and Co-Founder. “The goal of the Opp-Guide is to encourage teens to get involved and stay involved in their communities even though most teens’ volunteer motivation is initially to fulfill their school’s service requirement.  The Opp-Guide, written for teens by teens, offers information about local volunteer opportunities with truthful and informative reviews which, in turn, help students choose a service experience for themselves.”

Comparable to Zagat or Yelp, The Opp-Guide is a Web site where teens submit reviews of their volunteer experiences with local nonprofits and charities. The @15 Challenge featured a number of socially responsible programs designed by 30 young social entrepreneurs from around the country.

“We look forward to allocating these funds to the development of our Web presence,” said Oppenheim. “The response we’ve had from our site has made a tremendous effect on getting South Florida teens involved with an experience they enjoy and we’re excited to hopefully start Opp-Guide chapters in other areas of the country.”

The Opp-Guide has proven an innovative way to get teens involved in community service by helping them pinpoint opportunities that tap into their passion and skills. Opp-Guide users have submitted reviews on organizations ranging from the Boys and Girls Club of America to local soup kitchens. The user-generated-content aspect of the site lets teens share their opinions about community service experiences.

About The Opp-Guide
The Opp-Guide, a community service ideas and reviewing site was designed to help teens find community service opportunities based on their interests. Providing reviews of various community service organizations in the South Florida tri-county area, The Opp-Guide is written specifically by teens for teens.  The reviews are honest, candid, and help fill the missing link between finding an enjoyable service activity and required service credit.

For more information about the Opp-Guide visit: http://www.opp-guide.com/

The Buyer Group Votes for Wendi Oppenheim

Fort Lauderdale, FL – December 11, 2008 – Who said today’s youth isn’t ambitious? Social entrepreneur Wendi Oppenheim, 16, is leading a community service revolution in South Florida with The Opp-Guide – and its Web site (http://www.opp-guide.com/) is the only Florida finalist in the Best Buy @15 Challenge, an initiative to encourage teens to get involved in their communities.

Rock the Vote for The Opp-Guide at http://www.genv.net/bestbuy or text BBYV24 to 32075.

Comparable to Zagat or Yelp, The Opp-Guide is a non-profit organization where teens submit reviews of their volunteer experiences with local nonprofits and charities. As a finalist, The Opp-Guide could win $10,000 in grant funds.

“In the current economy, it’s more important than ever to give back to your community,” said Opp-Guide President, Oppenheim. “Young people need to know the true satisfaction of giving their time to people in need. We want to expand beyond South Florida and also build a Spanish version of our site – but we need your vote to win this contest and fund our vision.”

The Best Buy @15 Challenge features socially responsible programs designed by 30 young social entrepreneurs from around the country, and Oppenheim is the only runner-up in Florida. There will be 15 winners in this competition. All winners are determined by the number of votes they receive via the contest Web site or text messages. Voters can register to win a free iPod shuffle and $500 to donate to their school or favorite nonprofit when they simply cast a vote.

The Opp-Guide has proven an innovative way to get teens involved in community service by helping them pinpoint opportunities that tap into their passion and skills. Opp-Guide users have submitted reviews on organizations ranging from Operation Smile to local dog parks. The user-generated content aspect of the site lets teens get real about community service experiences.

About The Opp-Guide
The Opp-Guide to Community Service in Broward County was designed to help teens find community service ideas based on their interests. Providing reviews of various community service organizations in greater Fort Lauderdale, FL, The Opp-Guide is written specifically by teens for teens.  The reviews are honest, candid and help fill the missing link between actually enjoying volunteering and only being there for the credit.

For more information visit: http://www.opp-guide.com/

Topics Include the Power of Search and Using Online PR to Grow Web Traffic

Deerfield Beach, FL – November 10, 2008 – Using online PR to increase Web traffic for businesses is as easy as three letters: S-E-O. Search engine optimization not only increases the likelihood of web site visits and page rank but also generates quality leads and conversions.

Florida online public relations agency CEO, Lisa Buyer, is speaking at PubCon, the annual conference for web writers and developers in Las Vegas, Nevada. As part of a panel on growing web traffic through online PR, Lisa’s presentation will focus on how effective PR campaigns offer a great way to achieve targeted Web site traffic through search engine optimization and other tools.

“In today’s economy, utilizing all tools possible to reach key audiences is extremely important,” said Buyer. “Online PR campaigns are an effective way for businesses to improve online visibility for lead generation. With that, PR professionals can’t lose sight of the journalist or news bloggers searching for relevant story sources, another great way to generate quality business leads.”

Buyer will be sharing the results of a media focus group asking top tier media including news bloggers about their perspective of online press releases and how they use online search.

“I will be in good company sharing the panel with online PR industry experts Joe Beaulaurier of PRWeb and CamcorderInfo.com Founder, Robin Liss,” said Buyer.

The Buyer Group is a member of Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization, South Florida Interactive Marketing Association, Agency Management Roundtable, and is recognized as a Google Advertising Professional Company.

For more information about The Buyer Group and its interactive public relations and branding services visit http://www.thebuyergroup.com or call Lisa Buyer at 954.354.1411.

Connect with The Buyer Group
Follow The Buyer Group on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thebuyergroup
Connect with Lisa on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabuyer

Deerfield Beach, FL – October 31, 2008 – Hanging out online is not just for kids anymore. Customers are writing about products on blogs, reviewing businesses on Yelp, joining fan clubs on Facebook, and cutting up corporate commercials on YouTube in record numbers! It’s a social phenomenon – the groundswell – that is creating a permanent shift in the way the world works, plays, lives, and thinks.

As search engine savvy, online PR gurus, The Buyer Group knows the tactics that work best in this industry.

Published in 2008 by the leading company in online research, “Groundswell” is the number one recommended book by SEO/SEM professionals. Authors Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, lead analysts at Forrester Research, define the social media groundswell as “a social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other rather than traditional institutions like corporations.”

With clients ranging from non-profit advisors to bioidentical hormone therapy physicians, The Buyer Group has mastered the channels of the groundswell. Whether you’re an online marketing newbie or a new era genius, “Groundswell” offers something for all.

“We recommend that each one of our prospects and clients take the time to read “Groundswell,” said Lisa Buyer, The Buyer Group President. “This is the most informative book available on the ins-and-outs of the social media revolution. A revolution that we are implementing now with our clients to augment their existing marketing strategies”

This “new era” of the groundswell is created by three trends: people’s desire to connect, new interactive technologies and online economics.

The numbers speak in volumes when it comes to social media growth:
• 25 percent of Americans report reading a blog regularly
• 44 percent participate in a social media network such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter
• 132 million unique users can be found on Facebook, more than double since 2007
• 30 percent watch user generated video on sites such as YouTube
• 25 percent of online users read ratings and reviews
• 11 percent write ratings and reviews

“Groundswell” gives marketers a way to look at their audiences’ social media participation through social technographic tools, allowing them to see the profile of a target market including demographics and psychographics with a stong focus on technology behaviors. The social technographic profile divides individuals into these categories:
• Creators – These people publish blogs and Web sites, upload video, write, and post articles
• Critics – Post ratings/reviews, comment on other blogs, and contribute to online forums and articles
• Collectors – Use RSS, vote for Web sites, and mark or tag pages and photos
• Joiners – Maintain profiles on social networking sites, visit social networking sites
• Spectators – Read blogs, online forums, customer ratings, and watch videos. or listen to podcasts
• Inactives – none of these activities

Where do you fit in? Where do your customers fit in? Groundswell helps you profile your own customer with a free tool at http://www.forrester.com/Groundswell/profile_tool.html

“Groundswell has become the bible in our office lately, we use it as a reference point for ways to tap into the groundswell using public relations and social media strategies – strategies that must be added to your current marketing mix,” said Buyer.

The groundswell interacts in peculiar ways. No matter which angle the system maneuvers, three common denominators drive its force: people, technology, and economics. The first common factor is people. Throughout history, people have always depended on each other, rebelling against institutional power. Technology is the second force driving the groundswell, allowing people to communicate on new levels through the spread of social technologies. Finally, the third factor is as simple as online economics: on the Internet, traffic equals money.

Take the example of the movie, “Snakes on a Plane.” Word got out that the movie was in production and before long, “Snakes on a Plane” was owned by the Internet. Fans created t-shirts and started an unofficial blog called, “Snakes on a Blog.” The online visibility and community created around this blog attracted thousands of fans, who insisted on adding a line – a very popular line – to the movie. The producers, knowing they had to please their die-hard fans in order to succeed, changed the movie, added the line, and lost the film’s PG-13 rating in the process.

“If you can’t beat ‘em … join ‘em,” said Sarah Van Elzen, Interactive Producer at The Buyer Group. “The online world has shifted to a place where corporate brands are redefined by the public, distribution channels are modified, and relationships are built upon and retained. The best way to get ahead in this sector is to just join, learn, and reap the social media benefits.”

For more information about The Buyer Group and it’s interactive public relations programs contact Lisa Buyer at lbuyer@thebuyergroup.com. See what social media can do for your company.

AAAMS Courses Teach Physicians Botox, Dermal Fillers and Internet Marketing

Deerfield Beach, FL – October 22, 2008 – What do Botox, Dermal Fillers, Red Carpet peels, Facial and neck rejuvenation, mesotherapy, and public relations have in common? Physicians learning these techniques and procedures are also getting a crash course in how to best promote these services to patients and prospects through online public relations and search engine strategies.

This week Dr. Sam Assassa, President of the American Association of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery (AAAMS) invited Lisa Buyer, president of The Buyer Group to add a new dimension to his physician training sessions through online PR strategy education. These new sessions will offer added value to AAAMS members, giving them tools to increase profits in a challenging economic climate.

“Aesthetic surgery public relations is a strategy today’s physicians must embrace in order to remain competitive,” said Buyer who is an invited speaker at Internet conferences such as Search Engine Strategies and PubCon. “Physicians and staff must participate in the online communities that patients turn to for information on physicians.”

Basic training on the benefits of social media strategies such as Facebook, Twitter, optimized press releases, search engine savvy Web sites, and innovative internet marketing strategies are included in Dr. Assassa’s AAAMS courses.

“The physicians, RNs and medical professionals who attend my courses are learning cutting edge medical aesthetics techniques in Botox Cosmetics, fillers, proper analysis of aging face an dneck, and the latest techniques in facial , neck and hands rejuvenation,” said Dr. Assassa. “I realized they needed some insight about how to take these new services back to the practice and see a return on investment. Infusing a public relations and internet marketing strategy is the best way to do that.”

About AAAMS
The American Association of Aesthetic Medicine and Surgery (AAAMS) is committed to teaching the artistic act of aesthetics in a practical, clear-cut approach with safety in mind and to ensure uniform excellence in the care of patients. Both the rapid demand and acceptance of the public for aesthetic medical services, such as dermatology and cosmetic surgery, substantiate the importance and the need to standardize these practices. The AAAMS serves to set standards for aesthetic surgery practices, establishing reconstructive and aesthetic surgery treatments as a separate specialty in the world of medicine.

About The Buyer Group
With more than 16 years of interactive public relations and branding expertise, The Buyer Group provides clients with online public relations and branding services using the most effective Internet strategies and search engine optimization.

Connect with The Buyer Group
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thebuyergroup
Connect with Lisa Buyer on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/lisabuyer

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When an optimized press release generates online news and captures traditional media coverage, it’s a good thing. The Buyer Group netted the most coveted goal in online PR this month: delivering positive media coverage for clients.

Luxury clients Me Day Spa, Colorado Mountain Estates, and Dr. Paul Wigoda got more than an ego boost this week while featured in major media outlets around the country. Leads, Web site visitors, and third party exposure are just a few of the bonuses when working with The Buyer Group.

To accomplish varied client online PR goals, The Buyer Group utilizes a mix of traditional PR outreach, online PR, social media, and blogging. This combination forms a synergistic mix that appeals to online and traditional media alike, while encouraging direct consumer brand interaction.

In the news this week:

• Me Day Spa and Dr. Paul Wigoda – Profiled online and in print by the Miami Herald and South Florida lifestyle TV program “Deco Drive”
• Colorado Mountain Estates – Profiled online and in print by The New York Times

Client roster update:
The Buyer Group welcomes Southern Specialties, leaders in premium produce and Shop to Earn/Shop to Earth, the fastest growing online shopping portal in the world.