Buzzing About

We love what we do, but often find that people do not quite understand everything that goes into planning an event. Being an event planner demands specific background, expertise and know-how. We serve as the PR people, marketers, copywriters, social media experts, negotiators, project managers and occasionally mind-readers and psychics. Here’s our breakdown of four common myths associated with events...ready to delve into the other side of the “glamorous” life of event planning?

 

 

When organizing an event, the event planner is the last one to relax. We are there to assure the good time of the attendees – not to be one of them. Let’s not forget that the event coordinator job was ranked as the fifth most stressful occupation of 2016! Events are all about preparation and months of hard work leading up to the actual event.

 

 

It is imperative to have a budget for your event – this should be the first decision made. After that, set goals and objectives to ensure you work toward achieving success from the get-go. Researching costs and collecting numerous bids can help gain insight into how much an event will cost. If you’re on a tight budget, look for venues that have built-in infrastructure included in the cost. Reach out to in-kind donors to serve as sponsors. You can even gain media attention through well-done (and inexpensive) media kits – be creative!

 

 

It is safe to say that most event planners are control freaks (I am no exception), but when planning an event, it is essential to rely on others to help you. In fact, it is a must! Include another person on all status meetings/calls regarding the event, so that you are not the only person who knows what is going on. Look to your vendors for their expertise and guidance. If you need volunteers, reach out to people that you trust to do a great job. And, delegate! You cannot do it all.

 

 

Having a rain plan is not exclusive to weather. Keep a catalogue of vendors in case one of yours falls through. Confirm and communicate continuously with your team and chosen vendors. If your event is outside and there is even the smallest chance of rain, make sure you secure an extra tent. We have a large toolkit (roughly the size of a person) that we take to every event to make sure we have everything we might need. It includes everything from extension cords, tape, various types of string and rope, every tool you could think of – you get the point. It is always better to be over-prepared than underprepared.

 

All of this said, we love planning events and consider ourselves lucky to have the skill sets needed to pull them off – hopefully without a hitch! But, those hitches do happen and while we are usually the only ones who know what went wrong, we constantly strive to be better. Up your event planning savvy even more by downloading our Event Planning Workbook.

 

 

 

There’s nothing quite like summer in Alabama—the intense heat, the fun community events, the God-send that is a refreshing glass of ice-cold sweet tea. And while the weather is heating up, so is business. Of course, we’ve paused for family vacations and Fourth of July celebrations, but our clients have kept us busier than ever. See what we’ve been buzzing about lately.

EVENTS

Events have been the talk of the JJPR office this summer. We’ve been busy planning them, promoting them, and even writing down our best practices to share with you. See our new Event Planning Workbook to learn our tried-and-true techniques for executing seamless events.

 

On June 11, our client, Fuse Project, held one of the most anticipated events in Mobile—the third annual Dragon Boat Festival. More than 1,500 paddlers and as many as 10,000 spectators joined together at the USS ALABAMA Battleship for the race, raising more than $215,000 to benefit children in Mobile and Baldwin counties. We were thrilled to be part of this special event and are already excited for 2017. Paddles up!

 

 

And onto the next one! Another of our clients, Children’s of Alabama, will be hosting its second annual Reel Hope Classic fishing tournament on August 26-27, benefiting pediatric cancer patients. Right now, we’re getting the word out on Reel Hope and celebrating the success of Children’s last event, the June 11 Children’s Cup Regatta, which raised over $20,000 for patient care.

   

 

WORK

Amidst the excitement of event planning, we’ve also been hard at work on a host of other branding and PR projects. From launching new campaigns and designing new websites to spreading the word about our fabulous clients’ recent successes, agency life is never dull!

We’re especially excited about the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance’s (BCEDA) newest campaign, Business Where You Beach. BCEDA and local partners launched the new campaign aimed at bringing business to Baldwin County in a May 23 press conference at Jack Edwards National Airport.

We’ve been working on a lot of aspects of this campaign, but we’re most excited to show off the new Business Where You Beach website. Simplicity was key in the design concept—after all, Baldwin County’s beautiful beaches and business advantages speak for themselves. Check it out!

 

 

Speaking of new websites, our design wizard Sarah (as she’s come to be called around the office), also recently whipped up a website redesign for Safe Harbor, a housing community in Bayou La Batre. We’re loving the nautical theme and easy navigability.

 

 

OFFICE LIFE

With as much work as we’ve been accomplishing, we’ve been happy to have a helping hand in the JJPR office this summer. We recently welcomed intern Taylor Lewis to the team, and she’s been by our side for lunch outings, press conferences and client meetings as she learns all about public relations. Taylor is a recent graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi who is eager to learn and up for any challenge we throw her way—welcome Taylor!

 

Of course, we wouldn’t be able to talk about office life lately without mentioning the latest installment of Boston meets ‘Bama. I’ve now been in the office for just over four months, and while the culture shock of moving from northern Massachusetts to deep south Alabama has definitely mellowed, the differences in speech and frames of reference still cause us to pause and laugh every once in a while. In fact, we’ve been keeping a list, so I hope y’all are ready:

• Mullet Toss: To Gulf Coasters, it’s the signature event of the local Flora-Bama bar and restaurant where participants “throw a dead mullet over the state line of Florida and Alabama to see who gets the farthest.” Duh. Well, to a newbie from Boston with no fishing experience, my first visual was of mullet-hairstyle wigs being thrown in some sort of bizarre contest.          

• Decatur: While making a media list one day, I innocently asked if anyone knew of any good contacts in “Deck-ah-tour.” I thought I was being Southern by giving the city a French-sounding flair, but the native Alabamans in the office weren’t having it. The “Deck-ah-tour/Dee-kait-er” debacle is ongoing.

• Putt Putt: Um, what…? You mean mini-golf, right? 

       

• Elastic: Wrapping up client brochures one afternoon, I asked if someone could hand me an elastic. I was answered with blank stares. Apparently, “elastic” is not synonymous with “rubber band” in Alabama. Upon further research, we discovered it’s actually more of a Canadian thing, but either way my northern roots were showing.

And there you have it. We get a little silly laughing about rubber bands and fish hurling contests in the JJPR office every so often, but it keeps things interesting.

 

RECHARGING OUR ENGINES

Despite all the fun going on in the office, it’s always nice to take time to relax and recharge with family. The Jenkins family vacationed to Jamaica in June, and we were totally jealous of Jennifer’s Caribbean glow when she got back.

 

Meanwhile, Leigh and her husband, Fred, recently enjoyed a kid-free trip to New York City, where Fred was part of the inaugural class of Emerging Leaders for the International Downtown Association. They are currently in the mountains of North Carolina with their two boys celebrating Fourth of July week by hiking, climbing waterfalls and enjoying the cooler temperatures and lower humidity.

 

 

Kelsey and her husband, Andrew, also recharged with a family beach trip to Orange Beach, while Sarah enjoyed a birthday weekend trip to Birmingham to see “Wicked.”

 

 

As for me, I’m shipping up to Boston next week.

Stay tuned for next month’s Buzzing About! (Hint: weddings, babies, and more exciting client projects are all on the horizon).

 

When we tell people we plan events as part of our agency services, we often see starry eyes and giddy faces. But for those who are event professionals, the response is usually “Bless your heart,” because they know just how much hard work and planning go into making an event successful.

While JJPR has been honored to work on events that have involved famous chefs, movie stars and award-winning entertainers, the reality is that all events aren’t glamorous and everything doesn’t always go as planned.

The Murphy’s Law adage, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,” certainly applies to event planning. That’s why we have put together a list of five things to consider when planning your next event, along with our just-released Event Planning Workbook to help break down your next event and ensure it’s a success.

1. Have a plan. 

With events, failing to plan ensures a plan to fail.

So often, the biggest downfall when planning an event is the tendency to rush to thinking about the theme and décor, while overlooking the more important details like the purpose and goals.

Our team starts with a simple event management framework, found in our downloadable e-book, that helps lay out the answers to these and many other important aspects in order to ensure the event achieves objectives and maximizes our client’s return on investment.

This framework helps think through every detail of the event including:

• Purpose
• Activities
• Audience
• Approvals and Permits
• Logistics
• Number of participants
• Event team (volunteers or paid staff)
• Budget
• Tasks
• Vendors/Suppliers
• Registration
• Sponsorship
• Marketing
• Evaluation

2. Make promotion a priority.

Marketing and publicizing your event is a critical component that shouldn’t be an afterthought.

When marketing an event, you want to make sure that you are thinking about all the details. Following are three essentials proven for a successful public relations and marketing plan for your event:

• Set SMART goals for your event. Consider ROI from the beginning and measure after the event. When developing goals for the event, ensure they are:  
  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Audience-Specific
  • Realistic
  • Timed

One of our clients, Children’s of Alabama, hosts a variety of events that we help coordinate, such as the Reel Hope Classic fishing tournament and the Tee Off Fore a Cure golf tournament. We help set goals for these types of events, planning out how to incorporate social media, collateral materials, copywriting, media relations and event marketing tactics to achieve those goals. Check out examples of materials we developed for past Children’s events here.

 

• Be creative.

For an event to be special, you often have to think out of the box on creative ways to transform your event, especially when working on a limited budget.

One of the most exciting and fun parts of event planning is the creative development. However, creating a theme for your event may sound easy, but done right, it’s no small task.

Our team collaborates on Pinterest, pinning ideas to event boards for inspiration to help set the tone for the event.

Here are a few examples of the creative angles we’ve taken for past events like the “Yellow Day” movie premiere, Seafood, Science & Celebrity and Sunday Supper Gulf Coast.

"Yellow Day" movie premiere

 

Seafood, Science and Celebrity

 

Sunday Supper Gulf Coast

 

• Use multiple touchpoints.

A marketing approach that uses multiple channels for promotion is an effective way to spread the word about your event. To be successful, events need to be promoted across multiple channels to create a cohesive marketing approach.

First, determine the audience you will be targeting for your event and their communication preferences. Once you have determined which touchpoints resonate most with your audience, plan your promotional strategy to generate the highest amount of attendees. By communicating with your audience early and often leading up to your event, you will create top-of-mind awareness for your attendees, resulting in an optimal turnout for your event.

One of the best ways to grab attention and drive attendance, especially from the media, is with a creative media kit. Check out some of our past successful ideas, such as this nautical-themed Children’s Cup Regatta media kit.

 

 3. Stay on budget and on task.

One of the first things we ask clients  is what is the budget for their event.

No matter how big or small the budget, developing a comprehensive budget and corresponding tactics is critical for success to ensure you plan financially and mentally for every detail of your event.

A misconception about events is that you have to have a huge budget to have an amazing event. We have planned many great events on a shoestring budget, due to careful planning of finances where items yield the most return on investment.

 Our workbook includes a sample budget and task list template to help you:

• Work through every detail of the budget, by category
• Assign areas of responsibility
• List tasks within each area in the budget
• List due dates
• Note budget to actuals
• Track status of all details and any comments

4. Manage logistics and the team.

As an event planner, you are responsible for managing logistics including everything from vendors to volunteers to VIPs.

Planning for activities that will happen on event day is imperative, and the small details are the ones that will catch you by surprise. We utilize a number of tools to ensure all event activities our team or vendors are responsible for are planned down to the minute. A couple of these tools include a Load-In/Load-Out Schedule and a Run of Play.

The Load-In/Load-Out Schedule is essential for ensuring vendors, volunteers, and sponsors arrive and that load-in items for the event are on time and in order, as well as to make sure that break down when the event is over runs smoothly.

In addition, preparing a Run of Play is important to ensure the event stays on time and that those involved, whether speakers, entertainers or others, are cued to help the event run smoothly.

 Our event planning e-book provides templates for both the Load-in/Load-out schedule and a Run of Play.

5. Measure your event’s success.

Selling tickets and drawing a big crowd are certainly good measurements for evaluating the success of your event, though attendance is just one of many barometers. In fact, there are a lot of post-event questions you should be asking. What was the response from attendees—positive or negative? What type of media coverage did the event generate? Did the event cause sales growth?

You should have multiple evaluation methods in mind well before the event’s planning phase even begins. Look back at your objectives and see whether your stated goals were met.

Now that you know some of our trade secrets for successful event planning, up the ante on your event planning even more and download our free Event Planning Workbook here.

Happy planning!

 

 

 

 

Somehow, it’s already spring. Not that we’re complaining – we are loving the warmer weather and longer hours of sunshine each day. With a new season comes many other new things, and the JJPR office is no exception. Here’s what we have been buzzing about this month.

 

Team Development

You may have already met our two new team members, Sarah Grube and Alison Leonard. Sarah took on the role of our new creative director and has been blowing us away since before she started. Judging by the rapid pace that she works and by how dialed in she is to all of our clients’ projects, it seems like she’s been here for years. Speaking of years, Alison is only just beginning her PR career, but as our new account coordinator, she is quickly turning her tremendous amount of potential into a polished and poised skill set.

  

 

Office Space

To accommodate our growing team, we’ve had to rearrange the office a bit. So, spring cleaning turned into spring redesigning, and we’re now enjoying the modified open-air set up.

 

 

Work, Work, Work

We recently cranked out two new websites, and we’re pumped to show off one of the finished products. Baldwin County Education Coalition came to us for help with media relations, various design and marketing projects, and (obviously) an updated website. Our goal was to keep it simple, but also full of the information their audience needs at their fingertips. Easy navigation was a must too.

 

 

 

 We were thrilled to be awarded the opportunity to work with Fuse Project on several of their ongoing projects, one of which is the third annual Dragon Boat Festival. Since 2014, Fuse Project’s Dragon Boat Festival has raised over $250,000 and with a goal of raising $225,000 this year, it will not disappoint! At the festival, participants race in a 40-foot-long Hong Kong style dragon boat. With 20 rowers paddling to the beat of their drummer located at the front of the boat, participants race for 250 meters. The festival is a family-friendly, alcohol-free event with food trucks, a petting zoo, a trackless train, a gyro gym, jumpies for children, pony rides, and all of the wonderful exhibits of the Battleship USS ALABAMA. There is truly something for everyone! So, what are you waiting for? Get a team together and sign up today!

 

Real Time Changes

It’s no secret by now that Instagram is updating the way they display their photo feed. Instead of seeing posts in reverse chronological order, you’ll see photos in the order that Instagram’s new algorithm thinks you’ll most appreciate.

If you missed it, we shared some of our favorite Instagram tips and tricks a few weeks back. It explains how to set up and receive notifications for users you follow whenever they post a new photo or video.

 

 

Feel free to set up notifications to see what we’re buzzing about throughout the month! And check out our how-to guide for social media strategizing that will make your clients (and boss) sing your praises.

 

 

 

 

Starting a new job is always an adjustment, but when a Yankee starts working in the Deep South, each day is an adventure. Born and raised just outside of Boston, I recently relocated to the Gulf Coast, and JJPR was kind enough to take in this northerner as their new public relations account coordinator. 

I’ve found the field of public relations to be the same anywhere—making media lists, writing content for clients and strategizing the best avenues for exposure. But in these first couple of weeks on the job, I’ve definitely noticed differences between office life in Alabama and Massachusetts.

 

The Lingo

That presentation isn’t “wicked good,” but it’s “real nice, y’all.” 

Language is one of the biggest distinctions between my coworkers and me. I’m sure they’ve wondered what “wicked” is all about, or why I sometimes don’t pronounce my “R’s.” At the same time, I’m enthralled listening to them talk about buying “john johns” for their children while pulling out their “billfolds.” (Boston translation: “overalls” and “wallets”).

I’ve also had to learn how to pronounce local cities like “Bayou La Batre” correctly.

Side note: I can now better appreciate when people new to Massachusetts don’t know how to say towns like “Peabody” and “Gloucester.”

                            

 

Chick-Fil-A

Chick-Fil-A is to the South what Dunkins is to the Northeast: You can always count on one being nearby, and it helps get you through your workday.  Of course, trading my DD caramel swirl iced coffee for sweet tea and waffle fries hasn’t been easy on my waistline, but it’s sure been delicious.

 

Small Town vs. Big City  

In my Boston-area internships and jobs, our big-name clients were usually represented by disembodied voices in conference calls. In Daphne, Alabama, our clients are friends, neighbors, coworkers and community leaders. Everyone knows everyone else, and making connections is much easier.

 

Weather 

Earlier this week, my friends in Massachusetts scraped snow and ice off their cars and journeyed to work bundled up in heavy overcoats and hats. Meanwhile, I thought it was a little chilly for Alabama and wore capris instead of a dress to the office. I still haven’t rivaled my coworkers’ awesome senses of style, but I’m inspired to go shopping now that I can trade winter boots for heels. 

 

Commuting

I’ve finally escaped congested Boston streets and parking garages for wide-open spaces and farmland. My commute still takes me about an hour, but now it’s to go 58 miles instead of 13, and I don’t even have to bang any U-ies on my drive in. Now, “whatever all” you guys think, that’s pretty cool. 

 

Despite these differences, both Massachusetts and Alabama have been great to me. I’ve had wonderful jobs, coworkers, and bosses in each, and while I’ll always be a Boston girl at heart, I’m loving the Southern hospitality here at JJPR. 

 

Academic experience is invaluable. On the job training? Even better. However, being the intern can be intimidating, especially when you’re working alongside professionals who have been rocking the industry for years. So when I first began my internship at JJPR in May 2015, I knew I had to bring my A-game. I channeled my butterflies into excitement and worked hard to tackle every task sent my way with 110% effort. Samantha Jones depicted life in the PR world as all glitz, glam and mega parties, though I have come to find out it’s so much more challenging than she led on. So, without further ado, here are my top five takeaways and the best advice I can share with future interns or newbies in the communications field…

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, but be self-sufficient.

As the saying goes, “there is no such thing as a stupid question.” I have to disagree just a bit. Yes, asking questions shows that you are involved and eager to learn more. Being curious also shows you are critically thinking and engaging in your work. BUT, it’s important to do some of your own research in finding answers. The PR office is a bustling one, as we all work to meet deadlines and run off to meet with clients. I never want to slow down the process unless totally necessary. So before running to ask a coworker how to create a new Excel spreadsheet or how to start the printer, I always refer to our beloved friend Google, first.

 

Do the tedious stuff.

This one I cannot stress enough. As the intern, I am often assigned ho-hum, but absolutely necessary, tasks. Building media lists, distributing news releases and picking up pops from Sonic (*pop translates to ‘soft drink’ in Chicago lingo) can sometimes feel menial. In reality, these less than glam tasks are vital and are to be done graciously. Interns can do themselves and their colleagues a serious professional favor by bringing a “will-do” attitude to the office. Trust me, your coworkers and boss will notice your hard work and will be utterly thankful to have you in the office. So, take out the trash with a smile on your face! Don’t ever be too good for the grunt work.

You WILL make mistakes.

We are human, and humans make mistakes. That’s just the reality of life. This is no excuse to skip out on proofing an article or failing to double/triple check the date on a media alert before sending off, but it does mean that even when you try your hardest we still mess up from time to time. That’s how we learn. (*I am still recovering from the time I sent out a mass email that stated the news release was ‘alter’ instead of ‘attached’...)

 

To-do lists are your best friends.

As is your daily planner, Google calendar, color coordinated file folders, etc. What do these all have in common? Organization. To combat the overload of tasks and meetings, having a system of organization helps you avoid getting lost in the jumble. Keep an outline of tasks and to-dos to stay focused. Whether you go old school with a pen and paper, or use your Notes app on your MacBook, be aware of what you have to do in order to work efficiently and stay on track.

It’s tooootally okay to have a little (or a lot) of fun in the workplace.

Fun and work in the same sentence? Uhm, yes! Let me be the first to tell you, JJPR girls know fun. *Cue the mimosas at status meetings, puhlease!* Business is business, but that surely doesn’t mean we can’t mix a little spunk in the office. Especially in our industry, where we are constantly thinking of new and creative ways of doing things, fun is key. Forging real relationships at work can make you genuinely anticipate the start of each workday and also create some of the happiest, most productive employees! I can attest to this.

I can never truly express my gratitude for the lovely ladies of JJPR and all the wisdom and guidance they’ve given me. I truly have learned from the best. Badass CEO and #GIRLBOSS, Sophia Amoruso, summed it all up when she said, “You combine hard work, creativity, and self-determination, and things start to happen.” Go make things happen!

 

Mardi Gras quickly came and went, and the JJPR team has not slowed down. In fact, we are busier than ever! But, we still find time to chat over coffee, lunch or a happy hour Sonic drink. Here is what we have been buzzing about this month.

 1. LENT

While not all of us are Catholic or Episcopal, we each try to better ourselves during this time of reflection, repentance and growth. Instead of giving up things like chocolate and fast food, we dug a little deeper and tried to focus on what might be getting in our way of growing as individuals and as a team.

As an office, we are trying to focus on speaking positively as well as removing stress and anxiety – sounds easy enough. However, when dealing with type A personalities and perfectionists, it can be a bit difficult. We have had some trying times already this Lenten season, and it seems that God might really be testing us! However, we enjoy this time of growth and see it as a challenge to continually try to be the best we can be. Only 31 more days…

 

 2. BABIES

Collectively, there are five children between the girls at JJPR. Make that six. Kelsey is expecting her first baby – a sweet little boy – in August.

Jennifer and I know a thing or two about little boys (we each have two boys) and have been more than happy to share words of wisdom. In fact, we think this sums up those first few years of motherhood perfectly. We are beyond thrilled for Kelsey and Andrew and know that they will make wonderful parents. We keep telling them to get ready for the ride of their lives!

 

 3. MARCH 1

This is an election year? Kidding. Super Tuesday is right around the corner and there are some important items on the ballot. Of course, the presidential primaries. But, we have seen and heard enough about that to last us until the next presidential election. Let’s focus right here in our own backyard: On March 1st, Baldwin County residents will have the opportunity to RENEW property taxes that support Baldwin County Schools.

Voting FOR the 1-mill and 4-mill renewals will keep schools at the current funding level. Voting against will decrease the current funding level and result in severe cuts. These taxes are NOT new and date back to 1927 and 1950 respectively. Our schools and our community need this. Vote FOR 4 mills! and ‪#‎BelieveInBaldwin.

 

 4. AWARDS

We have the best clients because they give us the opportunity to do really good work for projects we believe in. When that hard work gets noticed, well that is just the icing on the chocolate dobash cake. The JJPR team was recently awarded three awards at last week’s Mobile Bay American Advertising Federation’s Awards: Gold awards for Specialized Therapy Services Brand Identity and The Camellia Company Brand Identity, and a Judges Choice award for The Camellia Company. Great clients equal great work. See more of our award-winning work here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. NEW WORK 

We love a good partnership and that is exactly how we feel about the recent work we had the pleasure of creating for Port City Rentals, our go-to event rental vendor. Port City Rentals is Mobile’s largest and oldest full-service tent and event rental company. Having worked with Port City on numerous events, we were honored when they contacted us for their own rebranding project. Offering a wide array of event necessities, Port City was looking for something to convey that they are more than just tents. We were tasked with including the tent in the new logo, but giving it less prominence than their existing brand identity. We focused on their well-known company name and utilized the negative space within the letters to create a nod to the tent. Be on the lookout for the new logo on the trucks of this Mobile icon.

 

 And to make sure you don't miss out on everything we are Buzzing About at JJPR, make sure to sign up and subscribe to our updates.

 Social media is an excellent way to drive traffic, gain attention and interact with users. In fact, visual content is more than 40 times more likely to get shared on social media than other types of content. You can make an immediate and lasting impression on users by following these four simple tips.

 1. Be brand consistent.

Always make sure that your social media graphics use the same font family, colors and overall style as your brand. This will help keep your messaging to users consistent and create a recognizable look for your brand.

 

2. Use custom, shareable graphics.

Studies show that 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text, according to kissmetrics.com. Images are the new call to action; they motivate users to share your content. LifeLearn.com released stats showing that if a relevant image is paired with text, people retain 65% of the information three days later, and that content with relevant images gets 94% more views than content without relevant images.

 

3. Be creative with your content.

There are numerous creative ways to share content in a visual way. Some of these include: lists, quotes, infographics, charts, screenshots and photos. Infographics are a great way to show a lot of information in an easily digestible way, and according to massplanner.com, infographics are liked and shared three times more than other content.

 

4. Choose the right size for each social media platform.

Using the correctly sized graphic will ensure that users see the content you post properly. If you post a graphic at the incorrect size, it could appear pixilated or cropped. Always make sure you check online to ensure that you have the most up-to-date sizes, as the social media platforms make frequent changes to acceptable sizes. Download JJPR’s social media graphic sizing cheat sheet for easy reference (and yes, we will follow our own rules and update it, if and when any sizes change).

 

For more ways to perfect your social media strategy, check out our downloadable Social Media Prospecting and Lead Generation E-book.

 

We all love shortcuts for our social media apps that make our lives easier. So, we’ve put together a few of our favorite tips and tricks for Instagram.

If you’re really ready to gear up your social media plan, take a look at our social media marketing guide that lays out how to boost the number of leads your efforts are producing. It’s good stuff, and you can download it for free.

1. Preview other users’ pictures from their profile overview.
You may find yourself scrolling through other users’ timelines searching for a particular post. If they post a lot, you may have to scroll for a while – but we have a solution. Go to the user’s profile where you see all of their posts.

Scroll down through their pictures and hold your finger on an image; the image will enlarge without opening a new screen.

Let go and the image goes right back and you automatically return to the full profile.

You can also slide your finger up slightly and release to see the options to “Like,” “Comment” or “Send as Message.”

 

2. Reorganize the image filters and hide the ones you don't use.

We all know the black and white filters (Willow, Inkwell, Moon) make every picture an instant classic, and X-Pro II can make Snow White appear tan. Maybe you have a few Instagram photo filters that you always go to and some you always skip over. Well, to make life easier, you can hide those filters you never use and move the ones used most often to the front of the pack. Here’s how:

Start by selecting a photo to edit as if you were going to post it. Once you get to the filters page, slide all the way to the right until you see the “Manage” tab.

To move a filter, select the three lines to the left of the filter and drag it up or down. Just release when you have it where you want it.

To hide a filter, simply tap the check mark to the right of the filter.

     

 

3. Hide ads you don't want to see.

Instagram (somewhat) recently started showing ads to users based on their preferences – people you follow, posts you like, and even some of your information on Facebook (Instagram’s parent company).

Occasionally, you may see an ad that you find irrelevant. You now have the option to let Instagram know you don’t want to see that ad.

At the top right of the ad, tap the “Sponsored” tab. Select “Hide This.” 

On the next screen, you can give Instagram some feedback on why you don’t want to see it.

 

4. Receive notifications when your favorite people post.

Sometimes you may scroll for days without seeing a post from any of your close friends or favorite brands. That’s why we love this feature – you can select to receive notifications any time your favorite people post a new photo. Here’s how to turn on post notifications:

Go to that specific user’s profile and select a recent post. Tap on the three dots at the bottom right of the post, and select “Turn On Post Notifications.”

If you later decide you don’t want to receive notifications from that user, just repeat the same steps listed above.

 

5. Review all the photos you've liked.

Can’t find that recipe post from one of the culinary blogs you follow? Well, if you liked the photo they posted of that dish, just scroll over to your profile, select the “Options” icon and view the “Posts You’ve Liked.”

 

6. Send photos privately to your friends.

When we find a good book or a relevant news story, the easiest way to share it with our team is through a direct message. There’s two ways to do that, depending on whether it’s an existing photo or a new one.

• If the photo already exists on Instagram – whether you posted it or someone else - go to the photo, and tap the curved arrow icon below the photo. Select the users you’d like to send the picture to and include a little message if you’d like. 

• If it’s a new photo, upload it as if you were going to post it. Go through the steps you normally would and when you get to the last step where you tag and write a comment, select “Direct” at the top of the screen. You can then choose the users you want to receive the message and hit “Send to Group.”

To access your direct messages in the future, just toggle to the mailbox icon in the top right corner of your main feed.

 

7. Remove photos that are tagged on your map.

So, when we first discovered this feature, we were a bit creeped out. Go to your profile and select the location pin above all of your posts.

A map will open with groups of photos tagged according to your location when you posted each one. You can zoom in and see each specific location of each individual picture. 

(See why we were creeped out now?)

To remove the location data from one or several photos, tap the “Edit” tab in the top right of the screen. The numbers by each group of pictures will turn green. 

You can then tap on any grouping and select “Edit” from the menu that appears. From there, you can choose to “Deselect all” or select individual images to remove the location data.

Select “Done” and then “Confirm” in the pop-up window that appears. And, boom. The location data will be removed from those photos permanently.

(Note – this also removes the geotag you may have included when you initially posted the picture.)

Also, as of this week, Instagram users can switch between multiple accounts without the hassle of logging out and logging back in to another account. For people managing small business accounts or client accounts in addition to their personal profiles, this will save a good bit of time. Visit Instagram’s website for instructions on how to set up additional accounts.

 

 

January came in like a lion and we’ve hardly come up for air (in a good way). But make no bones about it, no matter how busy our team gets we always make time to chat about the good stuff – the best books, TV shows, recipes, stores, and yes, new work. So here’s what we’re Buzzing About this month:

Making a Murderer

Not one but several of us binge-watched this Netflix documentary and we are about to pop waiting for the rest of the agency to hurry up and finish watching.

 

A 10-part series, "Making a Murderer" is a troubling tale about the case of Wisconsin resident Steven Avery and nephew Brendan Dassey that had us glued to our seats and casting great concern over the legal system. Avery, who first made national news in 2003 after being released from prison following being wrongfully accused of a brutal rape, is now accused along with his nephew of killing young photographer Teresa Halbach who came to take photos of a van at his family’s salvage yard. 

Now, we’re just PR and marketing folks and not crime scene investigators, but there’s more holes in the prosecution’s case than Krispy Kreme has in all its donuts.

On a different note, with all of the social media attention this phenomenon is drawing, they’d be wise to engage their audiences with a few of our social media marketing tips. Read more here. 

 

King Cakes

Speaking of sweets, the JJPR team loves Mardi Gras and maybe mostly for the King Cakes.

We’ve had our King Cake fix from Paul’s Pastry in Picayune, MS and Randazzo’s in New Orleans, LA, and most recently from Party Palace King Cakes out of Kenner, LA bought fresh from Allegri Farm Market right down the street.

 

Delicious (and Healthy) Recipes

Enough talk about sweets, we really do try to eat healthy in our office – some because gluten hates us and others just because it tastes good and makes us feel good. 

A few of us have been inspired by our friend Nonie Taul and her success with Naturally Strong with Nonie where she provides exercise and eating plans. We’ve been obsessed talking about the yummy recipes, our aching bodies (oh, those planks) and more than that, the results – we have not only trimmed down, we feel great. If you need some motivation, check out Nonie – she is awesome!

 

 

A Great Read

Our team loves a great read, so when we find one, we share. This month, we’ve been talking about my latest read, The Heart Led Leader, by Tommy Spaulding. The notion that the journey to heart-led leadership covers only 18 inches but lasts a lifetime is a concept our team truly believes in. The 18 inches, by the way, is roughly the distance from each person’s head to their heart. The writer uses heartfelt, tearjerker stories that focus on the fact that “who you are” matters more than what you do and that the power of leading from the heart is the reason behind the success of some of the most formative leaders he has encountered. 

This book is a must read for anyone who leads in any form.

 

 

 

Cool New Work

Last but definitely not least, we have been busting at the seams to reveal our latest branding work for a cool new project in Mobile, the Innovation PortAL. A team of young entrepreneurs backed by the Mobile Area Chamber is creating this new small business incubator and accelerator that will encourage the successful development of entrepreneurial businesses on the Gulf Coast. 

The Innovation PortAL will renovate a building on St. Louis Street to create state-of-the-art office space designed to promote a collaborative environment. In addition to substantial business support, networking and training programs, tenant clients will be offered leases at below-market rent. Tenant clients are expected to remain in the incubator/accelerator for approximately three years, or until their businesses are mature enough to “graduate” from the program.

We’re pumped about the Innovation PortAL and are honored to have the opportunity to work on the business plan, branding and a microsite for this visionary group.

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Laissez les bons temps rouler!