The Buyer Group PR + SEO News

Sometimes in life you meet the right people to get you from Point A to Point B.

That’s how I would describe the karma-like way I met Sarah Van Elzen almost three years ago and our professional relationship to date. At the time, Sarah was fresh out of the University of Minnesota and a transplant to South Florida while I was transitioning The Buyer Group from a traditional to a digital PR agency.

Millennial New Beginnings
Fast forward to today, Sarah has decided to follow her dream of all things digital and has taken on a new position as a digital planner with an interactive agency closer to home in Milwaukee.

I want to take this time to acknowledge Sarah’s prolific dedication to The Buyer Group, above all, her honest work ethic and willingness to learn, grow and be resourceful. I could go on an on about the importance of honesty and ethics in the workplace, but let’s just say Sarah is a leading example online and offline.

So, let’s not say goodbye but good luck to Sarah, as we will continue to stay connected through our professional (and social) networks.

Hello Millennials
On the hello side, I want to welcome Susan Miller, executive admin for The Buyer Group, Stacy Kinney, social media editor and coordinator, and Arwen Taylor as SEO writer and blogger. Also, working virtually from the Gator Nation in Gainesville, Florida is Matt Innes, another Milllennial who will be taking on a permanent role working on the client services side of The Buyer Group.

What is a Millennial?
Millennials are the new generation of college graduates changing the way work gets done and were born between 1980 and 2000. They have 95 million cohorts and it’s their talent that helps drive a company into the new age of doing business.
I’m happy to have had the opportunity to work with a Millennial crème-of-the-crop like Sarah and share her with everyone. Please also join me in welcoming the new additions to The Buyer Group as we work together to socialize your business.

See you online,
Lisa Buyer

Become our fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thebuyergroup
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thebuyergroup

In between friends and follows, I hope your summer is tweeting you well with a good mix of business and pleasure. We wanted to share with you The Buyer Group’s latest interactive line-up.

Friends: More than just titles, yes, we’ve got talent. Proven, measured, referenced and real! I’ve put together a trusted team of industry experts adding to The Buyer Group’s PR mix including investor relations, search pros, senior editors, social media elites, digital die-hards, and WOM (word of mouth) brand junkies.

Growth: Looks like I’m in the right industry. This week’s NYT said the PR industry will continue to grow at a steady pace. “Little growth is forecast to come from shrinking traditional media, instead, it will be drawn from areas like public relations.” Social media spending is expected to balloon to over $3.1 billion between now and 2014, while the trusted PR industry is predicted to lead all media growth according to this week’s New York Times article.

Speaking of social media, Interactive Producer Sarah Van Elzen and I host monthly social media webinars for clients like ShopToEarth @shoptoearth, a 80,000+ eco-friendly business network, as well as boating industry leaders Monterey Boats @monterey_boats.

Milestones: I welcome the latest addition to the client roster, RSource, a business services company specializing in revenue cycle management. In other words, they help collect debt and keep the cash flowing so you can focus on running your business. Healthcare, credit card companies and business leasing are the sweet spots for RSource. Follow them @RSourceNews.

Follows: I’m hitting the road next week to share all things search and social at @SESSanJose in California during August 10-14. I’ll be speaking on two panels: Using Search for Missing Persons and Using Twitter as a PR Tool. Stay tuned for an email from me with my full line up of sessions I’ll be attending. And, if you are in the mood for search, follow me through the conference @lisabuyer on Twitter.

Sidebar: TBG client Roy Oppenehiem @oplaw is hosting a free seminar tomorrow: “Should you Walk? Real Estate Workshop” if you or anyone you know needs advice on buying, selling or saving a home. Roy can help.

Hope you’re having a fabulous summer.

Lisa
P.S. Last but not least special thanks to our University of Florida summer intern Matt Innes @mattinnes who is now, all things social. We will be continuing to work with him virtually in the Fall as he returns to Gainesville for his last semester as a Gator.

Also, if you’re on Facebook, become a fan of The Buyer Group for current event schedules and blog posts.

Interested in Social Media 101 lessons?

On Tuesday, Lisa Buyer and Sarah Van Elzen hosted the first Social Media Boot Camp for ShopToEarn associates. The Buyer Group covered some serious territory talking about the ins and outs of social media  with a half hour of introductory information for social media beginners.

The Social Media Boot Camp line up included:
LinkedIn – The Professional.
Network, discover professional connections and join the ShopToEarn group
Facebook – The Connector.
Share and connect with friends.
Twitter – For Updates.
What are you doing right now? This social messaging site is all the talk and mini updates.
YouTube – For Watching.
Let the Official ShopToEarn channel tell the story.
Flickr – For Photos.
It’s where all the online photo-sharing happens.

ShopToEarn associates that are new to social media were encouraged to pick their favorite channel and follow ShopToEarn and ShopToEarth.  As a result of the webinar, ShopToEarn had 300 new subscribers, tweeters, and social media brand advocates behind the ShopToEarn name!

The Buyer Group will be heading up monthly Social Media Boot Camp’s for Shop To Earn with the next date on Tuesday May 12th, 2009.