The Buyer Group PR + SEO News

It’s apparent: social media has exploded to the masses. The WWW of social networks and applications have made a huge impact in the business and online PR world. Stretching from the Twitter accounts of Obama, Brittany Spears and Fox News to the Facebook Fan Pages of Victoria Secret, Target and The Buyer Group.

But… we want to know: Is all social media created equal?

Abrams Research Group decided to find out by asking 200 social media leaders from across the U.S. and Canada, including founders, bloggers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and members of the Twitterati, what social media services have made the largest impact in business and which are just a sinking ship.

You asked – they answered.

Twitter Rules the Web! Out of the 200 surveys collected during Social Media Week 2009, 40 percent of respondents picked Twitter as the number one Social Media service for businesses.  The very distant number 2 winner, LinkedIn only garnered 21.3 percent of the votes.

• Twitter also ruled supreme when surveyors were asked what Social Media service they would advise a business to pay for with a winning 39.6 percent. Although the race was a little closer in this category with LinkedIn, Youtube, and Facebook following close behind, respectively, Twitter definitely seems to be the social media du jour!
• See what all the fuss is about on The Buyer Group’s Twitter page!

Facebook Fans Rejoice! Despite coming in second or third in a few categories, Facebook is still the social media service no one can leave behind. When surveyors were asked which social media network they would actually pay for, Facebook was the clear winner with an impressive 32 percent of the votes.

• With blogging, networking, newsfeeds, and a platform that still can’t be beat, Facebook continues to grow in popularity from students to parents to businesses and beyond.
• Check out The Buyer Group’s Facebook Fan Page for your online PR inspiration!

Avoid the Uncool! With all the good news surrounding the popularity of social media there has to be a downside right? Well there is and according to the 200 social media leaders surveyed, the biggest challenge facing social networking services is: The inevitable slide into ‘uncoolness.’

While fads are known for coming and going at lightening speeds, the Internet moves even faster. Taking advantage of the boost that social networking can give your business means staying current with the service everyone is taking about (i.e.—Twitter, Facebook) and which social media services have somehow become so uncool they’re embarrassing (i.e.- MySpace received horrible scores and comments in every category).

• So how do you know which social media sites to trust and which to leave in the dust? Leave it to the PR professionals, of course, at The Buyer Group! Our traditional PR foundation mixed with online expertise means you get the best online PR for your business instead of wasting time and money on efforts that may or may not get you the results you need.

To find out more about The Buyer Group’ s social media services and how you can improve your online PR contact The Buyer Group today!

The Buyer Group has dedicated 2009 to the search for Tiffany Sessions. 20 years after her disappearance, The Buyer Group’s online PR and social media skills are at work, in search for a missing friend.  Read on for today’s coverage on CNN.

College Student Went for a Run, Never Came Back

By Rupa Mikkilineni
Nancy Grace Producer

NEW YORK (CNN) — Tiffany Sessions was a 20-year-old junior studying economics at the University of Florida in Gainesville when she decided to go out for a run. She never came back.

College student Tiffany Sessions has been missing since February 9, 1989.

Sessions left her off-campus apartment about 6 p.m. February 9, 1989. She told her roommate she’d be back shortly and took her Walkman with her.

It was the last time anyone would see her.

That was 20 years ago, a time when no one had cell phones, Blackberries or Web sites to aid in tracking a missing or abducted person.

The only clues came from people who recalled seeing a young woman fitting Sessions’ description walking down the main street just before dusk.

Sessions’ jogging route usually took her down Gainesville’s main street to a small dirt trail that cut through the woods. The loop was 1½ miles each way and took her about an hour.

Police and family believe that she was abducted near the woods. After extensive searches, no clues were found: not her remains, not her Walkman, not the clothes she was wearing.

“Much of the area in the last decade has been paved over, with new construction, making a search today very difficult,” said Detective Bob Dean of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. However, investigators are still searching and working this case actively.

Searchers were out as recently as late December, seeking clues with newer technologies.

“We have used ground sonar equipment, even,” Dean said.

Over the years, there have been some possible suspects — people who came forward and confessed — but police have ruled them out as credible suspects.

One potential suspect was a man who was in jail for killing a 5-year-old girl. He’d written a letter to police, claiming he was responsible for Tiffany Sessions’ disappearance.

But when questioned later by police, he denied writing the letter, even though handwriting analysis indicated that he had.

“Although police don’t think so, I still believe this guy could have something to do with my daughter’s disappearance,” said Patrick Sessions, Tiffany’s father.

Don’t Miss

• The Tiffany Sessions Project
• More cold cases
• Nancy Grace show page
• CNN.com/crime

According to Patrick Sessions, who has been closely involved with the police investigating his daughter’s case, the man who confessed was a sex offender who had been released just a month and a half before Tiffany Sessions disappeared.

The cold case unit of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office has taken over this case. Patrick Sessions observed the 20th anniversary of his daughter’s disappearance by making renewed appeals through the media.

Police and family urge anyone with more information about Tiffany Sessions or information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for her disappearance to call the tip line at 352-367-4161.

A $25,000 reward is offered.

Tiffany Sessions was last seen wearing red sweatpants, a white sweatshirt with the word “Aspen” on it, a gold Rolex watch and a black Sony Walkman. She was 5′3″ and weighed 125 pounds at the time of her disappearance. She has blonde hair and brown eyes.

Nancy Grace adds heat to cold cases.

8 & 10 PM, HLN see full schedule »

To see the full story click here.

On Valentine’s Day The Buyer Group kicks off online PR ways to share the love. What a better way to communicate with potential customers than with the power of social media? The Buyer Group is happy to share our expertise and social networking know-how with your company and help you show your love where it really matters!

• Share the love and become our fan on The Buyer Group’s Facebook Fan Page!
• Follow us on our journey to spread the love with The Buyer Group Twitter!
• Show some love to get some love with The Buyer Group’s Spring Discount blog for Beverly Hills Aesthetics.
• See the love Online PR can bring you by visiting our Beauty and Breast Implant blog for Dr. Wigoda.
• Feel the love and check out the great new site from Shop To Earn featuring online PR from The Buyer Group.

Interested in finding some online PR for yourself?  Contact us today!

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

Florida Foreclosure Attorney Launches Social Media Channels
Oppenheim Pilelsky Law Firm Uses Social Media for Florida Foreclosure Topics

Fort Lauderdale, FL – February 3, 2009 – Hanging out online is no longer for teenagers and college coeds, the professional adult is tuning in to social media.  Research shows adults are taking over social networking sites.  On that note: Oppenheim Pilelsky P.A., a boutique law firm focusing on Florida foreclosure law, introduces today its social media outreach program with coverage on Twitter, YouTube, and Yelp, in addition to its blog focusing on South Florida foreclosure trends.

Social media networks harness the power of the web in an interactive way, allowing for more “face-time” with consumers. Recent findings from the Pew Research Center say the percentage of adults who have profiles on at least one social-networking site has skyrocketed to 35 percent, up from only 8 percent in 2005.  With a majority of teens (75 percent) regularly visiting social networking sites like Twitter and YouTube, adult usage is likely to follow suit.

“The social media channels give our prospects and clients an additional way to learn about our  services and keep up-to-date on Florida foreclosure law trends,” said Roy Oppenheim.

Users attending to the Oppenheim social media sites have up-to-date information about South Florida foreclosure news, guidance and information.

“So far, I’ve enjoyed using the social media channels to report my legal opinions on trends in the news such as Florida foreclosure defense,” said Oppenheim.  “These outlets allow me to release information to the public through an interactive, less-formal medium.“

South Florida Law Social Media Channels
Follow Roy Oppenheim on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/oplaw
Subscribe to the Oppenheim South Florida Law blog: http://southfloridalawblog.com
Watch Roy Oppenheim on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/oppenheimroy
Rate Roy Oppenheim on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/oppenheim-pilelsky-p-a-fort-lauderdale

About Oppenheim Pilelsky, P.A.
Founded more than nineteen years ago by a husband and wife legal team, Oppenheim Pilelsky, P.A. is uniquely positioned as one of Florida’s leading boutique law firms, focusing on Florida real estate and foreclosure law. Serving the greater Fort Lauderdale, Florida-area and serving high-profile national, international and local clients, the firm is proud to have the highest (A-V) rating, conferred by Martindale Hubbell® Law Directory – the most respected directory of lawyers and law firms in the United States.

For more information about Roy Oppenheim and Oppenheim Pilelsky, P.A. visit: http://www.oppenheimlaw.com or call 954.384.6114.

Oppenheim Pilelsky, P.A. is located at 2500 Weston Rd, Ste 404 in Weston, FL 33331.

Last weekend at the Shop To Earn Leadership event, The Buyer Group online PR gurus presented the social media how-to’s of multi-level marketing.  Sarah Van Elzen and Joe Laratro, The Buyer Group’s online marketing specialists gave it their all on how social media can increase the effect and profitability of the Shop To Earn MLM business model.

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/

Take a moment and breathe in 2009’s online PR tips on how to be…

be present
be amazed
be alive
be resilient
be confident
be first
be amazing
be moved
be brave
be real
be daring
be strong
be sincere
be hopeful
be happy
be proactive
be committed
be there
be true
be interactive
be resourceful
be unstoppable
be inspired
be good
be open
be excited
be boundless
be passionate
be generous
be brilliant
be different
be positive
be humble
be ready

For 2009
Let’s not just move with the flow
let’s be the flow.

Happy New Year
Lisa Buyer and The Buyer Group

Search Marketing Conferences
PubCon – The search-marketing event of the year that fuels a surge of new energy and ideas for The Buyer Group each year. Looking forward to the PubCon in Austin, Texas.
Search Engine Strategies (SES) – A yearlong schedule of search marketing and commerce events for our online fix. Next stop SES New York March 23-26, 2009.

2008 was great in the world of conferences, where Lisa Buyer held a spot in the speaker’s lounge. Lisa shared the latest trends in online PR on session panels at both PubCon and SES along side the top the movers and shakers in search.

People in Search
Joe Laratro – one of the first 100 Google AdWords certified professional, SFIMA President and Pub-Con Advisor Board Member, this year Joe Laratro worked with The Buyer Group in merging online public relations with the SEO world.
Dana Todd – From SEMPO Chair to SES favorite speaker to Newsforce dynamo, Dana Todd is the personality and brains behind search marketing and was responsible for Lisa’s SES speaking debut.

When it comes to personalities in search marketing, Joe and Dana take the cake. Each were influential in helping shape The Buyer Group’s online public relations and branding position in the marketplace.

Blogs
Top Rank Blog– The intersection of digital PR, social and search engine marketing, Lee Odden’s blog is our 2008 all time fave to follow. We like Lee’s mix and his ability to be at every search conference on the planet.
SEOMOZ – Slightly more techie, but still on our Google home page is Rand Fishkin’s SEOMoz blog. We like his style and his social media conference presentations inspire us.
Scene in the Tropics by Lesley Abravanel – Looking for where to see and be scene on South Beach? Ask Lesley. She is the best celebrity and trend blogger for those who want to know.

Online PR Wire Services
MarketWire – Recently winning over The Buyer Group for its high ranking news search placement and SEO option
PRWeb – Always a favorite of The Buyer Group for its user-friendly interface and video option
Newsforce – The best and easiest PR optimizer on the planet along with the perfect way to get clients instant national headline news.

Research Web Sites
Google – Need we say more? We love Google Alerts to track brands, keywords and our online PR campaigns.
Wikipedia – The year of the wiki, 2008, when The Buyer Group posted its first wiki page

Inventions
Retail DNA Tests– 2008 invention of the year, as scene in Time Magazine

New Business
Shop to Earn/Shop to Earth – The Buyer Group’s newest online venture and client. This hybrid MLM and affiliate marketing business model is destined to be the largest shopping portal on the planet and will bring the average shopper a way to earn money back while also being eco-friendly.
Oppenheim Pilelsky Law – Family of entrepreneurs at it’s finest. Read on about The OppGuide and please take the time to vote.

Books
“Groundswell” by Charlene Li – New and improved Buyer Group Bible of 2008 underlines why social media is a natural with online public relations strategies.
“Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness” – Suzanne Somers’ latest book that listed Buyer Group client as a source

Brands
Apple – Apple computers, iPods, iPhones and more.
W Hotels – “What is your wish?” the W Concierge asks

The Buyer Group is an online PR firm that prefers designer computers and boutique hotels, with an edge. Apple branded products help us work smart and be creative – so we have time to play at the W Hotels.

Best Use of Social Media
Change.gov – Obama’s presidential campaign couldn’t have been more successful as he rode the social media wave to victory.

Social Media Sites
Twitter – 2008’s Micro-blogging, social media site of champions. Familiar with the book, “Twitter Revolution” by Warren Whitlock? If not, pick it up for everything you need to know about communicating on twitter.
Facebook – Sent a martini to your friends Facebook yet? This social site is our 2008-networking favorite; it doubles as a corporate communication site as well.  Many of our clients have networking groups and fan pages on Facebook.
LinkedIn – Where professionals convene, drop recommendations, and share business contacts with each other.

Tweeters of the Year
Shannon Anderson – founder and president of babiesonline.com @queenofgeek
Tony Hsieh – CEO of online shoe giant Zappos.com @zappos

Escapes
Me Day Spa – The best mani/pedi on South Beach. Our monthly favorite escape.
Yoga South – Lunchtime workout? A must-have for The Buyer Group. Ohm.

Investment Banking
Infusion Capital’s Kelly McCarthy – Celebration, FL at its finest.

Online Tool
Google Analytics – The question of the century made to PR firms: How do you measure the success of your PR campaigns?  Easy Answer: The advent of Google Analytics let’s us measure the success of optimized press releases stats, social media facts and more.

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/