Author: Wellons team

Social media has become an integral part of business…and life in general. Not only is it all but necessary for growing your brand, it can be a great way to reach your audience and gain valuable insights. A good social media strategy takes time and energy, and that can take focus away from running a business. That’s when you might turn to an agency.

If you’re looking to increase engagement and performance online, a social media agency could be right for you. Not sure how to find one? Here are a few things to consider when looking for the right fit.

Expertise across platforms

It’s easy to make a post on social media, but it’s hard to make content that connects with audiences and drives engagement. Expertise and experience with each platform allow a social media company to tailor messages directly to your target audience while using best practices to maximize reach. If you’re selling consumer goods, you’ll want to choose an agency with strong experience selling on Instagram and TikTok. B2B companies will likely focus their efforts on a platform like LinkedIn. You’ll want to understand what the agency specializes in and make sure it aligns with the platforms you care about.

Industry-specific experience

No two industries are the same, and there will be different obstacles, opportunities, and requirements for each one. A social media agency with knowledge of your specific industry can be a great asset because they will understand your business’s unique circumstances. Different content types will work better for different industries (User-generated, behind-the-scenes, etc.), and an agency with expertise will be familiar with your audience’s points of interest.

Content creation

Consistent posting on social media demands a high volume of quality content, which can be time-consuming. When selecting an agency, you need to ensure its capabilities align with your business needs. Do they have the resources to capture original content on-site? Can they create and edit videos? These are key questions to consider when outsourcing social media management. Additionally, an agency with access to professional photographers can elevate your brand with high-quality visuals. An Orlando social media agency like Wellons Communications could even come onsite and capture content for you if you’re in the area.

Staying on trend

The social media landscape is constantly evolving, so it’s essential to find a social media firm that stays on trend. Platforms introduce new features, algorithms shift and audience preferences are always changing. An agency that keeps up with these changes will help your business stay relevant and competitive. They’ll know how to incorporate trending content formats like reels, stories, and more into your strategy and will be ahead of the curve to participate in ongoing trends. Staying on trend also shows your audience your brand is listening, engaged and in tune with their interests, which helps maintain loyalty and solidifies your brand identity.

Knowing how to execute on ads

If you already advertise on social media, you’ll want to ensure your agency of choice can take over or improve upon the strategy you have now. If you haven’t tried advertising on social media, you might take this chance to give it a try. It’s a relatively low-cost way to reach an audience, raise awareness, drive engagement or even make sales. Social media advertising can range greatly from small budgets and complementary objectives to huge campaigns with creative components and sales integrations. You need to make sure your agency can meet whatever level of service you need.

Public relations expertise

Public relations expertise is crucial for a social media agency. Why? Because these days, social media basically is crisis communications. A social media agency that is involved in management for your business will need to monitor comments and reviews, flag concerning content and be able to craft the right response. Social media can also be bolstered by PR activities, like user-generated content or influencer partnerships. If these things are important to you, you’ll want to be sure your agency can marry PR and social media…or at least work well with your PR firm or employees.

Find a social media agency

Choosing the right social media agency can be a game-changer for your business. With expertise across platforms, industry-specific knowledge, strong content creation abilities and PR skills, the right agency will help your brand grow, connect with your audience and stay ahead of the competition. When you partner with the right agency, you can focus on running your business and leave the day-to-day details of social media management to the experts.

If you’re looking for a social media agency or to chat about social media management, Wellons Communications would love to help. For more information on how to contact us, click here.

Every business head likes a marketing tool that doesn’t cost anything and can reach virtually all one’s target audiences with an unfiltered message. That tool already exists — blogs.  And most businesses already maintain a blog on their website.

According to MasterBlogging.com, in 2025, 90% of businesses have a blog, with 91% of business-to-business (B2B) and 86% of business-to-consumer (B2C) companies augment their websites with a blog.

Stats like this underscore how blogs have become established elements of a marketing and public relations program. Blogs communicate stories about one’s business in a compelling way that strengthens your relationships with existing customers, engages new audiences, and positions you as a thought leader in your field.

What’s not to like about blogs?

Nothing, other than the time it takes to write the blog and post it on your website. If you want to add some spice to your blog, incorporate some graphics and even a short video or two. The exact format and way you present is solely up to you and there’s virtually no cost to creating the content.

Blogs share your story in your voice…and they are unfiltered and share your story precisely as you want to share it. It’s an easy way to position yourself as competent, a leader in your field and to provide valuable information to your audience.

Unlike static, unchanging components of your website, like “Contact,” or “About Us,” Blogs thrive on regular updates in the form of new blog posts. This fresh content keeps your readers engaged and signals to search engines that your site is active and relevant.

Blogs provide new reasons to return to your website

One characteristic of a blog does require a little bit of work. That’s because a successful blog is not a “set it and forget it” undertaking.

There is a need to keep your information fresh and provide useful, new and provide reasons for readers to return to your site. By keeping information dynamic, readers can connect with your business with a personal sense of belonging that other marketing elements cannot necessarily provide.

In other words, keeping your blog fresh can be likened to caring for an indoor plant that requires watering, occasional nutrients, and moving around to catch sufficient sun for growth.

Writing SEO blogs does not need to be a grind

Like the rollout of a company newsletter that is exciting the first three or four times it is prepared and published, the novelty of blogs begins to wear out after you have gotten into the swing of preparing them.

This “shape-shifting” component of blogs allows you to show the creative side of your business, from what you say in the content portions to the visuals that you employ to make your blog story come to life.

Let us help write your content

At Wellons Communications, we are all about creating content and programs that enable people to connect with your business.

And that includes the writing and preparation of blogs. We come up with ideas, along with adapting other marketing components to fit into your blog (e.g. “Have you seen our latest ads?” along with a story about what your advertising aims at, or “Here’s a sneak preview of what we’re doing in the months to come”).

Blogs, after all, are another form of marketing and communications. And, at Wellons Communications, like our name says, communications are what we do every single day of our business lives.

So, with the 2025 business year moving ahead at full clip, take a new look at your website and ask yourself “What does our blog say about us?” If you are not sure or simply want help in putting an ongoing blog program together for you, contact us at 407-339-0879 or email us at will@wellonscommunications.com.

Let us tell you more about how our “blog work” can help add an exciting, inexpensive, and effective new element to your marketing program.

Marketing and the maritime industry share an important planning characteristic that will never change.

It is the need for sound navigation — the art of determining where you want to go, then finding your way and getting to where you want to arrive.

Since sailors first took to the sea, they have relied on navigation at sea to ensure a vessel’s safe passage, avoid hazards, and reach the intended navigation.

The primary goal of your business is to earn a profit or reach objectives…which, like the mariners, requires avoiding hazards to reach a goal.

No matter whether one is at sea or land, reaching those goals requires solid planning before steering in what you believe to be the right direction.

Many businesses resist research to navigate

According to Thomas Redman, “The Data Doc” who runs Data Quality Solutions, resistance to using data – and the research that generates that data—is surprisingly common.

Often, the first reaction to calling upon research to help guide marketing efforts is “We know our business and don’t need someone else to tell us what to do,” or “We cannot afford it.”

Neither excuse is valid and neither excuse is going to give you a clearer idea of how your marketing program should be shaped.

What kinds of research is available?

You have a choice.

Formal research, which requires an expenditure for the systemic gathering of information and analysis of that the data that results from the research.

Informal research is the observation of people, information, and events as they occur and asking yourself “What does it mean and what does it suggest?” In other words, common sense, based on what you see and hear.

So how can you conduct research…without a big budget?

Remember what Thomas Redman said about the first reaction to research? “It costs a lot.”

Without a research budget, that leaves you with informal research.

The good news is that informal research can be conducted on a budget that uses only a modest amount of time and can still provide significant insights into what your audience is thinking (or not thinking) about the products and services in your particular industry.

Thanks to Google and the internet, secondary research — published information — on your industry is readily available.

If you discover good existing research, you may find it sufficient to use and properly cite for your content marketing objective instead of conducting new research.

A basic internet search or prompts into a generative AI tool can lead to industry association data, libraries, government reports, etc.

Another place to look is right at your fingertips…your business’s internal information, such as marketing stats, sales data, and related information that can be accumulated to provide insights on trends, opportunities and direction.

Other creative ways to conduct research

If secondary research reveals gaps that more formal research could fill, you may want to undertake an original marketing and pr research project. Qualitative research (e.g. personal interviews, focus groups) or a quantitative study (e.g. surveys) or a combination of the two may be useful.

If you have a college or university nearby, you may want to talk to someone in the business school to learn if a marketing class might want to undertake a study on your behalf for a modest grant, plus expenses.

Or, if you have an experienced statistician available, you can explore the notion of conducting a limited survey of existing or potential customers or build in a satisfaction survey that reflects how customers feel about a particular item like customer satisfaction or recommendations.

Research can serve as a powerful resource for all of your marketing initiatives

Earlier, we talked about the maritime industry and its dependence on navigation.

It’s no different with business. Marketing and PR research provides information that allows you to more effectively navigate your business environment.

Whatever information you can share with your marketing team – including your PR resource – will provide direction that will result in more effective marketing and sales.

At Wellons Communications, we value and respect the importance of research

No matter how informal or formal, our PR agency welcomes the availability of research to help make sound decisions on where to invest our time, and our client’s money, to help them get the maximum results from their marketing program.

We can even use your research as news and turn your observations into an authoritative observation that will establish and reinforce your status within your current and potential clients.

If you want to learn more about how you can conduct marketing and PR research on a modest budget, and how that research can serve as a rudder for helping to navigate your marketing program, give us a call and let us help you with the steering.

With publicity, you beat your own drum. You seek recognition from media outlets with coverage providing you with a powerful means of reaching audiences with a message about your product or service. That’s where influencer public relations comes in.

Media, like any sound informational resource, will call on others to validate your message or expand on it.

The folks that the media call upon for backup information or observations are “influencers.” A positive opinion or observation from an influencer can turn a routine publicity effort into a powerful third-party message that can be utilized throughout your entire marketing program.

Said another way, marketing experts believe that the 10 percent who are the most influential spread the message to the other 90 percent.

So, how do you go about getting to these influencers and persuading them to adopt your message?

Influencers need news. And we provide news to them.

Before influencers can work their influential magic, you have to find them.

At Wellons Communications, we use powerful professional database services to assist in distributing information to the media. These services enable us to put together highly targeted news distribution packages that reach key consumers and trade media appropriate for your particular news item.

We also maintain a proprietary list of influencers for each of our clients.

These lists are developed specifically for each client. The list includes influence leaders in their industry whose observations are frequently called upon by media to flesh out a story.

In tourism, for example, our influencer list includes sources that are called upon for observations about vacations, restaurants, entertainment, and travel transportation. This includes travel trade leaders in various associations, regulatory resources, and non-traditional media sources whose observations can reinforce and amplify publicity information.

Depending on the specific message our clients are presenting, we also include the key influencers and let them know what our clients are doing.

What kind of information are they seeking?

Generally, influencers are looking for information that will either reinforce or deny a particular point of view.

For example, if gas prices are declining, will people travel more?

Or they may reflect something new or different within an industry, e.g. a new service or tweak on a new service like increasing acceptance of EMV chips that you insert into a card reader (i.e. contactless payment).

So where do you find them?

Increasingly, influencers are found online. They have their own websites. They have podcasts. They conduct surveys and report what they find.

They do not show up on traditional media lists. Finding them and cataloging them into a database requires research and time. But when the list is assembled, it becomes a valuable add-on tool to your influencer public relations program.

Other sources of influencers are more obvious. They include trade association resources and leaders in services that provide key components to specific industries.

For example, orange growers provide orange juice to grocery stores and restaurants, which qualifies them as experts for observing the effects of weather on the supply of orange juice or the quantity and supply of juice during a particular growing season and how that will affect orange juice pricing.

No matter what, influencers need news to keep up with what’s happening

And they need it at the very same time you issue news so that they can have an opinion or observation about your news.

That’s because, just like you want publicity, the influencers are eager to be called upon by media that value their observations because of their overall market knowledge.

At Wellons Communications, we know how to find and root out the influencers

Want to increase your influence? Give us a call.

We’ll be happy to expand on how we can help influence your overall marketing reach and influence.

Sometimes you find yourself at a loss at how to find a way to put your product or service into the news.

That means you have to find a way to inject yourself into the news.

So, what do you do when it looks like there is nothing new on the horizon?

Reinforce your benefits and assets

A message that must be repeatedly presented about your product or service and your benefits and the assets that you provide your customers.

If your product is entertainment, then one of your primary benefits is a momentary escape from worries and anxieties: fun and laughter, a mood boost, an escape from the guilt of not having spent enough time with your kids. The solution? Remind folks of the value of spending time together…by sharing an experience (i.e. your entertainment product) that will create memories that will last a lifetime.

If your product is a restaurant, three of your primary benefits are an escape from the kitchen and a change in routine that provides the anticipation of exploring a unique dining environment (or the satisfaction of enjoying a familiar restaurant), new cuisine, and a break in your regular routine. The solution? Capitalize on what your customers like best in your restaurant and remind customers what brings people back to your restaurant over and over again.

So how do your benefits create news? 

That’s where public relations come into play.

Publicity can convey a non-news message in a newsworthy fashion.

How? By presenting what is an old and familiar message in a new and different package.

In the theme park example above, you can capitalize on your benefit (i.e. creating a shared experience) by creating a milestone moment like your millionth visitor or creating a human-interest story by zeroing in on a customer who repeatedly comes to our park to enjoy the surroundings.

In the restaurant example above, you can showcase the benefit of togetherness that your restaurant offers by presenting information that underlines which menu items bring your repeat customers back over and over again. If it’s a dessert item, for example, take advantage of special “days” like National Ice Cream Day every July 20 and advance the day with publicity that offers a special ice cream dish or discount.

At Wellons Communications, we look for the news in your story

Our team of PR specialists are skilled at looking at your product or service and identifying what is newsworthy and creating a way and a means of bring that story to life.

We start by identifying your benefits and assets and figuring out the most effective ways to presenting them to media who can tell – and amplify – your story. At the same time, we look for ways to remind your current clients how they continue to benefit from what you are marketing.

We look for ways to attach your news to other people’s news

If your trade industry is looking for news to promote the industry, we look for stories in your business that can help your trade make its point.

In the theme park business, for example, if FunWorld, the trade journal for IAAPA, the global industry for the attractions industry, is seeking information on what events draw the most visitors to attractions, we will offer information that augments the story and provide FunWorld with your contact information and background information, so they can directly speak with your representative.

In the restaurant industry, for example, if Restaurant Business Magazine is seeking information on which new dishes are becoming more popular in restaurants, we will talk to your chef and see what kinds of dishes we can report to the magazine, along with photos, to help them with their story about new dishes.

And that’s why we insist that before we start spewing news and information on Day One, we don’t start unless we have an agreed-upon public relations plan.

We start by ensuring that we understand what you want to accomplish. We immerse ourselves in your marketing plan to see where PR should fit in. And then we put pencil to paper and develop a plan that we believe will generate the results you want and deserve.

There is always news in your story…. even if you have to dig for it

At Wellons, we are journalistically minded.

We always can find news in what you do, even if you have grown weary of the grinding routine of running and operating your business every day.

But not every business has a PR agency like Wellons Communications at their side that will research what you are doing and use their journalistic skills to dig out not only the obvious news stories but those stories that are not immediately recognizable as news.

We look for the benefits you offer. And we use everything in our playbook to put those benefits and assets in front of your potential customers.

When you are ready to bring experienced storytellers to your side, keep us in mind. And let us help you make news where you least expect it and most want.

One of the most respected publicists in tourism marketing, Suzanne McGovern, who played a key role within the marketing team that opened Walt Disney World in 1971, had a mantra to which she never let go:  

“Tell ‘em what you are going to tell ‘em…and tell ‘em again and again.” 

That’s because Suzanne was an adherent to the power of repetition.  

She understood the power of developing a simple message and sticking to it. Her strong belief in consistent messaging was instrumental in clarifying what was a new Disney experience awaiting guests in Florida and differentiating Walt Disney World from California’s Disneyland.  

Build a simple message and keep on repeating it 

The power of repetition is in its simplicity. A message heard repeatedly is more likely to stay in your mind. 

According to a Columbia University study:  

“…repeating simple words and phrases can convince us that they are true, even if they aren’t. This is partly because we tend to take repetition as a social cue; when we hear something more than once, we are inclined to accept it as true because we think that the rest of the group might also believe it. In addition, we are more likely to believe ideas that come easily to us; therefore, the more familiar we become with words and ideas, the more we will take them to be true.” 2 

Client fatigue 

The first audience that gets tired of message, surprisingly, are the people who project the message.  

For folks like us, at Wellons Communication, that means our clients are often the first to become weary of saying the same thing on a regular basis.   

Some of the standard arguments against repetition3:  

• “It’s too repetitive.” 

• “Repetition kills the joy of reading or listening or watching.” 

• “Don’t repeat the same thing over and over.” 

• “I have said it once, what’s the use of repeating?” 

Because of your close involvement with your message, it is easy to believe that your audience is just as involved as you are. The reality is that it requires repetition to first, reach your audience and, second, maintain continuity of your message to build recognition and trust. 

The rule of 7 

The marketing Rule of 7, simply stated, is a potential customer must see a message at least seven times before they’ll be provoked to take an action. In other words, you have to say what you are going to say a minimum of seven times before your audiences “gets” your message.  

The Rule of 7 has been around since the 1930s when it was used by movie studios. They realized that for people to want to see a movie, they needed to see the advertisement at least seven times. The gist of the Marketing Rule of 7 hasn’t changed in nearly a hundred years, and that’s because it works.4 

Can public relations help you achieve the Rule of 7? 

You bet. But not by itself. 

 No one marketing discipline, whether it’s advertising, PR, promotion, or sales, can achieve the Rule of 7 on its own.  

 It requires a complete marketing campaign to reach the Rule of 7 and continuity to keep the recognition level intact.   

Public relations serves to reinforce – or even lead—marketing efforts. Effective PR builds trust. It adds depth to your marketing program. And, with editorial recognition by a respected media source, public relations it builds respect among your employees, current clients…and potential clients…by putting your message in places that no other marketing discipline will likely reach.  

 Put Wellons Communications to work on repeating your message 

 At the end of each of our blogs, we always repeat the same message: put us to work on your marketing program.  

Sure, we’re a public relations firm. But first and foremost, we are marketers. Our sole mission is to help our clients earn the trust…and business…of their customers.  

In short, we exist our clients sell things, whether they are products, services, or ideas. 

So, in the true spirit of repetition, we ask you to give us a call at 407-339-0879 and learn for yourself how we can help you repeat your message and augment your marketing program. 

You’ve probably seen the old black-and-white movies featuring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland sitting on the front porch, legs crossed, a puzzled look on their faces as they ponder some kind of challenge, and suddenly one of them excitedly blurts “I know…let’s have a show! Fast cuts, backed up by music, confetti flying, big crowds and happy faces. Sure enough, the “show” — the special event — worked like a charm.

In real life, special events don’t always come out the same as the movies.

They can be enormously time-consuming and, if not properly planned and budgeted, they can wind up being very expensive. Worst of all, they may not produce anything other than a big headache for the client.

Nevertheless, special events do have a place in marketing and public relations, but only if they have clear objectives and realistic expectations.

Why do you want to produce a special event?

In today’s communications-overloaded world, well-produced special events can cut through the clutter and provide publicity focus on a specific feature or moment related to your product or service.

Events have the ability to deliver breakthrough publicity moments. But they must be well-planned and well-produced and possess qualities that can persuade media to generate coverage.

The planning and media persuasion is where Wellons Communications comes into the picture.

What justifies a special event?

Generally, milestone moments offer an opportunity to you to stage an event

Whatever the milestone, it must possess news value that will be important to various audiences, ranging from your current client base to wannabe customers.

If you are launching a new product or service, or introducing a new feature or tweak, a special event might be useful.

If you achieve a milestone moment, a special event can serve to underscore that achievement, like a new service, a new outlet, an anniversary, a new sales record, or an award earned by your business.

How can a special event deliver value?

At their very core, special events deliver great visuals, photos and videos that can be put to use in a variety of marketing channels of communication.

A photo event can attract media coverage with both traditional and trade media, be featured on your website, shared with your client base, and serve to visualize whatever message you are seeking to project.

A more complex event, like a grand opening or new product introduction, requires considerably more planning, rehearsal, and production, but can deliver immediate impact and buzz if properly produced and communicated.

Again, the ability of an event to deliver value will depend entirely on the newsworthiness of what the event is aimed at communicating and the planning and budgeting you put into it.

Wellons Communication has done its fair share of special events

From the grand opening of attractions and restaurants to photo events that bring to life new or special features of a business, Wellons Communications has decades of experience in special event public relations.

From idea development of an event to working with skilled show producers to stage events, our marketing agency has served in virtually all capacities of special event management.

Our results have been, in some cases, astounding. They have attracted national news coverage. They have delivered significant coverage in news media from local media to key trade media.

But prior to generating results, Wellons has served as a key planner for special events, from providing the imagination to produce strong visuals to reaching media well in advance (and afterward) to deliver significant publicity results.

We come up with ideas. We budget and plan. We help find the necessary professional help to make your event come to life (e.g. musicians, banners and signing, invitations, food and beverage, research to ensure no conflict with other newsworthy events) and serve as the publicity resource that justifies all the time and expense you put into the event.

So, when your moment has come, call on Wellons Communications.

Like Mickey and Judy in the movies, “Let’s have a show!” Only a show that works in real life.