In-house training

As the success of our PR & Media Toolkit classes continues to grow we have decided to expand our services by offering in-house training to companies, and their staff, that want to brush up on their social media skills, improve their writing techniques, and seek out more rewarding sponsorship deals.

 
We are working with small, medium, and large businesses to develop classes for their PR, marketing, communications and admin staff. We are also working with a number of nonprofits that have limited funds and want to maximize opportunities to communicate their message to the public and fundraise.
 
The classes being offered in-house are based on the PR & Media Tool Kit series currently being taught on Tuesday evenings at Gem PR & Media HQ. However, changes are made for each business or nonprofit to meet their needs and interests.
 
We believe strongly that equipped with the latest information, the most up-to-date tools, and a different perspective on social media, writing for promotion, sponsorship and creating PR plans, you and your teams, businesses, or nonprofits will work more efficiently, be able to measure the success of your campaigns, and meet your goals. 

If you would like more information please email Gemma@GemPRMedia.com 

Social Media for Non-Profits

At Gem PR & Media we’re always eager to share our knowledge and experience with those who need it most, but cannot afford consultancy fees, such as non-profits and charitable organizations.

One of the ways we are able to do this is through teaching classes at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois. Our next class is Social Media for Non-Profits – and it’s only $15 for two hours. We’ll be teaching some of the tricks and tools we’ve learnt over the years whilst managing numerous social media accounts.

Social media can be a minefield for anyone, not least non-profits that are already under-staffed and have little resources or time, for that matter. But social media is a great tool to get your message out there to the masses. Whether promoting a fundraiser or requesting donations for raffle prizes, the way in which you approach posting, such as the inclusion of an interesting photo or the times at which you engage with your audience, all make a difference.

We support a number of clients in the US, Channel Islands and UK that have the capacity to engage in advertising, but we also work with a number of non-profits that do not have the finances available for social media advertising. So, we have developed a toolkit for those organizations that want to engage with their audience online, but need to be thrifty about it. Our next class is on November 10th between 11am and 1pm at Lincoln Land Community College.

We will also be teaching classes next spring, which will provide non-profits and businesses an opportunity to learn about PR and marketing planning, crowdfunding and how to develop media relations. If you are interested in any of the above please visit http://www.llcc.edu or ping us an email at hello@gemprmedia.com and we’ll point you in the right direction.

PechaKucha!

On Thursday evening I took part in Springfield’s 20th volume of PechaKucha 20 x 20. PechaKucha involves a simple presentation format where you show 20 images, each for 20 seconds. 

It was created by two architects in Tokyo in 2003 because architects (according to the organizers) talk too much. The idea is, that if you give someone just 20 slides and 20 seconds to talk about each slide they will be forced to present in a comprehensive, but succinct fashion.

So, I had a go. My topics was, of course, Guernsey. In the US the easiest way to explain Guernsey’s location is ‘a British island, near France’ so that was the title of my presentation. 

Castle Cornet and a cruise Ship

I want to say a massive thank you to Guernsey photographer Chris George who supplied us with high resolution images and to my pal Zoe Ash of Visit Guernsey. I talked about our beautiful island, its rich history and the part it plays in the finance world. 

I’m telling you all this because wouldn't it be something to have a PechaKucha night in Guernsey or Jersey? It’s a great opportunity to promote your business or interests in front of a group of people from all walks of life. At Gem PR & Media we’re always looking for PR opportunities for our clients and we aim to lead by example. So, Guernsey, Jersey let us know if you would like more information about PechaKucha. 

Gemma discussing Guernsey Cows

Me. University. Media.

Dannie Jones

Dannie Jones first interned with Gem PR & Media in Easter 2014 – since then she’s provided support with social media campaigns and copywriting for various titles through our press service. Dannie has just completed her second year at university and is about to start a summer programme in Guernsey with Specsavers’ creative team. She took a few minutes out of her busy schedule to tell us what the last year has been like – while she’s thrown herself into media life (as well as hockey).

My Skype meeting with the new Loughborough Student Union’s Media senate just finished and so the task of writing up the minutes will soon be underway.

The senate consists of 10 members (of which I am one) whom run under the vice president of media. Loughborough students elect the vice presidents and president after a competitive campaigning period. Those elected make up the union executive team. They run our union; unique due to the fact the students actually own the premises.

And where do I fit in? In the academic year of 2014/15 I became the union magazine – Label – head of marketing. My application was spurred on by spending a month at Gem PR & Media. I had enjoyed my first year of university, living up to Loughborough’s sporting reputation and involving myself in the hockey team, but in second year I got stuck in with LSU media also.

Loughborough Student’s Media consists of four sections. LSUTV, LCR, Label and Lens. There are also hall media representatives that proudly showcase their campus living hall. There’s a chance for volunteers, like myself, to receive training with cameras and editing software. We’ve also made visits to the BBC and ITN. More than anything, there are plenty of opportunities; you could run your own radio show, write articles for the magazine, create television scripts or learn to take great photos and videos.