When Victoria Saunders moved to Plant City, she saw a need for a social media platform that could help inform newcomers, visitors and residents of all the great things going on in town, and Instagramers of Plant City (@igersplantcity) was born. What started out as a hobby has grown into a business for Saunders.
Since then, Saunders has taken on the role of helping businesses, both local and regional, big and small, with their social media presence. Her clients include Krazy Kup, In The Field magazine and Cocktail Caviar.
“I created a site that would allow a community of people to go on it and see what is going on in town. I wanted to show everyone what makes people proud to live here,” said Saunders.
In addition to the Instagram site, Saunders, along with a few friends, created MAKE Plant City, a group of creatives that meet one time per month at locations throughout Plant City. Saunders had been attending Lakeland Creative Makers. She saw that others from Plant City were attending the Lakeland meetings and decided to start one in Plant City.
MAKE Plant City is the creative matchmaker for artists and artisans of all sorts. Visual artists, performers, woodworkers, makers of craft beer and more make up MAKE Plant City. They meet on the second Tuesday of the month at rotating venues from 7 to 9 p.m.
The first hour is devoted to public announcements. Members can announce things like A Call to Artists or an exhibit or show. Then there is a keynote speaker. This is someone who can inspire creative communication. They are usually from the Plant City area and are successful.
Saunders said, “We like to highlight people to show that you do not have to be from a big city to do big things.”
There is then time for socializing with one another. “We hope this allows creatives to find ways to collaborate. This time also gives attendees the opportunity to connect. It is a time for inspiration and to get practical advice,” added Saunders.
You can find out where the next meeting of MAKE Plant City is by joining the Facebook group or on Instagram. For help with your social media site, contact Saunders at vicky@victoriajsaunders.com.
