What Feels Like the End Is Often the Beginning: A Reflection Post

This week I will be packing up my belongings and moving away from the city I have called home for the last 22 years of my life. This thought alone terrifies and amazes me all at the same time.  

Ever since I was a little girl, I had a game plan: elementary school, junior high, high school, college and then a job. I stuck to the comfort of this game plan thinking that every thing was going to go as planned, and I was going to have this picture-perfect life. I attended Bowling Green State University in the Fall of 2010 ready to put in my four years, graduate and then have a steady job. Those four years flew by fast, and I strutted across the commencement stage and became a proud alumna. I was excited and eager to find a job, and live out that cookie-cutter life I sought after as a little girl.

Well, I hate to break it to you all, but life didn’t work out as I had planned for.

While I was proud to have earned my degree, I had no job, and no idea what came next. What happened to my picture-perfect plan?

After moving back in with my parents and three months of ruthlessly applying to jobs had passed, I started to panic. What does someone with five internship experiences and a degree do when the job offers aren’t rolling in?

On a whim, I decided to apply for an internship with Rebecca Adele PR & Events. A few weeks later, I had an interview set up and accepted an intern position.

I accepted the position ready to immerse myself into the world of public relations and event planning, which for me was familiar territory. What I didn’t expect was how much more I would learn about my skills and myself. 

Through this internship I learned how social media management software is a PR girl’s best friend, how to craft a near perfect press release, how to develop a love-hate relationship with Pinterest and how to efficiently plan for an event. What I didn’t expect was how much I loved supporting my community through the Avant-Garde shows, how much I loved event planning and how much I love crafting press releases, blog posts and social media plans.

You could say that life through me a little curve ball with this internship, for I don’t think I would be where I am today without it.

I have accepted a position with the American Cancer Society as an event coordinator in hopes to continue my passions for event planning and PR work. While my time is coming to an end with Rebecca Adele PR & Events, I will never forget this experience.  This internship has lain down the foundations to what I hope will be a successful career path, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience.

And as for that picture perfect plan that I developed in my head? I think it’s safe to say I’ve thrown that idea out the window.  From here on out, I’m going to take life one day at a time, and just hope for the best.

Written by Tori Simmons from Rebecca Adele PR & Events

Say What?! Facebook Newsfeed Algorithm Decreases to 2%

Is Facebook on it's way to become a thing of the past when it comes to promotion for small businesses and nonprofit organizations? 

Recently announced, Facebook has once again changed their algorithm to a mere 2%, which means that only 2% of the people liking a page will receive news and updates from that page. Just 2 years ago it was at 16%. I don’t know about you but when I “like” a page, I expect it to show up on my timeline! 

Facebook has been active for over a decade as a means of sharing and promoting and connecting and now this $212 Billion company is asking for business (both big and small), and non profit organizations to pay to boost their posts!

Facebook has completely taken this out of the hands of the consumer and made it virtually impossible for small businesses and nonprofits to reach all their clientele that they spend a lot of time building up, for what? So that 2% of the people can see it? That is unless of course you “boost” your post and pay to have a higher percentage of people see what you're sharing as a company.

So the question remains.. How does Facebook expect small businesses or start up companies or nonprofits to reach their fan base if they are preventing it? Facebook doesn’t even give the user an option to allow us to see all the pages that we like regardless of the algorithm! Sure there is the page interest list on the sidebar on the newsfeed page, but it sure doesn't look like any of those pages have been showing up, at least in my feed!

All-in-all this new 2% algorithm, defeats the whole purpose of having a Facebook page... that is, in my opinion. It just doesn't seem fair to alienate and aggravate active businesses on Facebook that have already worked so hard to get fans, and then tell them fans won't be seeing their content. Exceptions should be made to the algorithm because not every Facebook page is alike. If this 2% algorithm stays, “Find us on Facebook” will become obsolete.

The last time I checked, I clicked “like” on a company's page for a reason. This just doesn't seem like an ethical business tactic on Facebook's end. What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments section below!

Written by Victoria Ripepi from Rebecca Adele PR & Events