How I Learned that I Don't Know Everything

Spring is a time for growth and new beginnings, and an especially exciting time for Rebecca Adele PR & Events. My boss, Becki, recently celebrated her one-year anniversary of being in business, which has caused me to reflect on these past 5 months as an intern. To say that I learned a lot would be an understatement. Becki has been a true mentor to me in both personal and professional settings, and treated all of us interns as an integral part of the Rebecca Adele team.

Over the semester I had the opportunity to participate in many aspects of public relations and event planning. From learning how to write strong press releases, to using PR software to build media lists for clients, I have learned quite a bit about what it takes to have a career in public relations. My favorite subject that I got to focus on with Becki was the topic of social media.

As most young people do, I came into the internship thinking that there was little Becki could teach me about social media. I had a Twitter and Facebook account, so I must know everything right? WRONG. The art of social media marketing and management actually takes time and strategy. I started my internship tweeting about my friends and finished it with the skills to run a social media campaign for a multitude of clients.

At its core, social media is really just traditional concepts of word-of-mouth marketing powered by technology. Not every social network is right for every company. It is important to identify what your social media goals are. You can then tailor your content to accomplish these goals. Possible goals to consider are: offer customer support, increase sales, increase your audience, and gain repeat customers through brand recognition.

Content must be original and interesting, keeping in line with buyer persona. Buyer persona is just an understanding of who your audience is, and whom you want to reach. What kind of content would appeal to your buyers? Encourage customer interaction with your brand and always respond to customer feedback.

I have really enjoyed the responsibility of creating social media plans for Rebecca Adele PR & Events clients. Collaborating with them and Becki has ignited a passion I never knew I had for social media. As I start my senior year of college this fall, I will cherish this opportunity and greatly miss Becki, the other interns, and our clients. 

Kiss Me, I'm Irish! Okay, not really, but for one day I am!

Most people know St. Patrick’s Day as the weekend of green clothes and dark brews, but it is actually a religious celebration of the death of St. Valentine that has been celebrated for over 1,000 years. Even though this Christian holiday falls during Lent, restrictions on diet were lifted in celebration. People would dance, drink, and eat the day away.

St. Patrick’s Day weekend is home to countless parades and pub-crawls all over the world. For most the drinking starts early in the morning and the green beer and Guinness are free flowing throughout the day. We all know the dangers of drinking and driving, but what about those who don’t have a cool bar within walking distance? Do they have to miss out on all of the fun? The answer is NO! Invite over your friends and throw yourself an Irish celebration with a few of these easy ideas. 

Food

Other than traditional party favorites like wings, pizza, and burgers, the key ingredient to fun and festive food for a St. Patrick’s Day celebration is green food coloring. The next time you are at the grocery store, stop by the baking aisle and pick up some food coloring. Food coloring can be added to just about any recipe to at a little whimsy to your meals. 

To prepare for a long day of celebrating, it is important to have a good breakfast. Try adding food coloring to pancake batter for some green half dollar stacks! This is a big hit for both kids and adults.

You can continue the theme all day, adding in a little bit of your green food coloring to snacks like cookies, Rice Krispy treats, cupcakes, and chocolate covered pretzels.  

For a healthier option, consider slicing up some kiwi and celery for the food table.  You can also set out a bowl of green grapes for people to munch on.

Decorations

Decorations are a really simple way to set a theme for your party. In the case of St. Patrick’s Day, a great resource for decorations is your local dollar store. It is often overlooked for more expensive places like Party City, but for a one day per year event, your local dollar store is a great place to go!

Green party streamers, metallic shamrocks, St. Patrick’s Day bunting, and flags are all easy to hang around your living room. The dollar store is also a great place to find St. Patrick’s Day party favors to hand out to your guests!

Activities

One of the best parties I ever went to had a photo booth with silly costumes you could dress up in and get your picture taken. Professional photo booths cost hundreds of dollars to rent for a party, but you can create your own at your house for a fraction of the cost!

First, decorate one of your walls with green streamers, tinsel, or confetti. Next you can place fun glasses and hats you found at the dollar store on a table outside of the shot for people to dress up. You can set up your camera on a tripod, or designate someone as the photographer for a few hours. You can then upload the photos on a slideshow and email them to all of your party attendees a few days later!

One other fun idea for a party would be to set up a mixed drinks station with green themed mixers. Whether it’s mint liqueur, lime juice, or Sour Apple Schnapps, creating your own drinks can be really fun! It’s also a good alternative for your guests who aren’t fond of beer.