Posts by: Barbara Rozgonyi
In researching how Pinterest benefits businesses, I came across so many helpful articles that I wanted to group them together as a collection. Using list.ly, I came up with 50 Pinterest for business resources. Feel free to share, embed, add more resources and comment on those listed. Thanks for helping curate and grow this list!
To pin or not to pin? That’s the question businesses are asking about Pinterest, a newer social network that’s stealing headlines from the usual suspects. Kind of a cross between digital scrapbooking, recipe swapping, link sharing and vision boarding, Pinterest started out as an image-rich sharing space for domestic divas, crafters and artists. Now businesses are taking notice and wondering if they, too, should start pinning.
My friend Duong Sheahan recommended Pinterest to me months ago. She loves this alternative, visual social network and encouraged everyone to jump in last summer. But, I waited. I needed to think through strategy and decide how spending time and creative energy on Pinterest would fit into my digital footprint, both personally and professionally. As I enter this new [to me] social network, I’m sharing seven ways I think Pinterest will contribute to a business and the people inside it. What would you add?
1. New Beats Now
Like many business owners, the number one reason I waited to sign up for Pinterest was: it would take up too much time. But the truth is, I’m looking for something new. Could this be why Pinterest is taking off so fast? People get bored. Although we’re creatures of habit who type and shout in protest over Facebook’s Timeline design change, that doesn’t mean we aren’t ready to exit now to test drive new.
Wondering if your customers are on Pinterest? Ask them. You always want to be where people can find you and interact with the people inside your brand. Add the Pinterest icon to your marketing and see who shows up.
2. Expands into the Consumer Come Back
As the economy starts to spring back, people are more willing to explore expanding their material acquisitions – and they need a place to look around and try things on. Pinterest is a perfect place for that.
Search to see how other companies, including your competition, is using Pinterest. How do they present their products and services? How do they interact with their community?
3. Takes You Home to the Comfort Zone
Even if you’re not homey, you may want to be. Personally, I love looking at arts and crafts projects I know I’ll never make. I can imagine how much fun a group of room moms would have searching Pinterest for class party projects over coffee on their iPads.
What kinds of comforts of home can you share?
4, Curates and Mutates Inspiration
How cool to carve your own swatch of life for everyone to see. If your business isn’t on the visual side, let’s say you’re a service company, find people to follow and then share what appeals to you. You can comment and repin/share images and videos you like.
How about starting a Pinterest collaborative network with other businesses where you share and comment on each other’s boards and pins?
5. Self-actualizes with Digital Visualization
One of the best, and maybe most overlooked, purposes for Pinterest is as a vision board that serves as your big idea list. As you sort through images that appeal and resonate, you may find yourself going down unpaved paths that connect you with intriguing people as your world expands.
What categories of collections can you share now?
6. Perks up Your Personality
Excuse me for yawning, but do you think your business is boring? Being part of the latest social network adds to your cool factor – as long as you do it well. Sharing visually from different perspectives adds dimension to your company’s personality.
Need inspiration? Forget about your business for a few minutes and think about how you like to relax.
7. Opens the Door to Opportunity
Last on the list, but not least, is the opportunity to connect with customers. To get started, you’ll need an invitation to join Pinterest. Following Pinterest etiquette and social networking protocol, being overly self promotional will only turn people away. But, I know you know that. When you get started, find your friends, including your customers. Being part of a community that you already engage with makes it that much easier to make connections.
Are you on Pinterest? Whose boards do you like to follow?
In researching how Pinterest benefits businesses, I came across so many helpful articles that I wanted to group them together as a collection. Using list.ly, I came up with 50 Pinterest for business resources. Feel free to share, embed, add more resources and comment on those listed.
The Patriots and Giants will be lining up on the 50 yard line, but the Super Bowl’s MVP – social media, got into the game weeks ago. Here’s a look at what’s going on in the streets and on screens. How has social media affected your Super Bowl experience so far?
With the Super Bowl buzz building to a loud crescendo, I had to see for myself what in the world was going on in Indianapolis. So, I did – on Groundhog’s Day.
In a trip that lasted 10.5 hours, include 7 hours of driving, I experienced first hand the excitement, energy and enthusiasm in the air. Strolling around on a blazingly sunny and unreasonably warm 60 degree day, I encountered a street party that went on for blocks and blocks.
What I most wanted to see, I didn’t get to: a 2,800-square-foot “Super Bowl Social Media Command Center” staffed by folks ready to answer questions coming in via social networks.
I did, however, score a live interview from Radio Row in Super Bowl Village with producer Ted Gregorek.
Ever been to a tech event where you can’t get a signal? Me too. Knowing that thousands of people would want to connect simultaneously, I planned on having a weak signal on the street – not so in Indy. Thanks Verizon!
“Superbowl XVLI in Indianapolis will be the first-ever with widespread 4G and WiFi access. Verizon Wireless spent $160 million on cellular technology in Indiana in 2011. Most of the money was spent building new cell towers but some was targeted specifically at upcoming Superbowl XLVI.”
“Running a Super Bowl ad will cost $3.5 million for a 30-second spot, not including production expenses. 80% of Super Bowl ads will feature social and/or mobile app integration.”
“The Washington Post said this year’s game will be the first ‘second screen’ Super Bowl, since advertisers, the football industry and others will all be trying to get your attention via other venues when you’re not focusing on your television.”
Thanks to Chris Theisen, for reaching out on behalf of Social 46. According to Jay Baer, also a Social 46 member, this is “a group of social media representatives selected to help make Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis the ‘most connected’ Super Bowl ever.” Jay’s post is required reading for any event organizers considering recruiting social media ambassadors.
Here’s Chris Theisen‘s video tour . . .
Check out Google’s Super Bowl Game Day dashboard.
Browse YouTube’s Super Bowl Ad Blitz channel.
Watch the NFL’s Super Bowl coverage via live stream on your mobile device.
How about you – how many screens will you be watching during the game?
Image: copyright 2012 by Barbara Rozgonyi from the Super Bowl XLVI collection, which includes a fun Super Bowl Village zip line video.
Thanks to Brad Shorr for contributing today’s guest post.
Last November, Barbara wrote a valuable post on how to be a great guest blogger. She offered some great advice about both how to approach a blogger and actually write an effective post.
Important stuff, to be sure!
In terms of SEO, guest blogging has really become a hot topic, as people are getting the message that Google is overlooking or penalizing those cheap and easy links, while rewarding quality links – like the ones involved in a quality guest blog post.
Since scads of people are looking for guest post opportunities, a strong pitch is vital. With that in mind, Barbara invited me to share some beneficial tips that work for me, as I find myself on both sides of pitches several times a day!
Here are three pitch tips I’ve picked up: I hope they help.
If you approach bloggers haphazardly, it will show and you’ll get a lot of rejections. It’s better to create a model of the type of blog you’re looking for, and go after those opportunities with laser focus.
Things to consider include –
a.) Subject matter – Can you write authoritatively about the blog’s themes?
b.) Style – Can you write it the way they want it?
c.) Authority
- PageRank
- Subscriber
- Number of comments
- Social media presence
- Reputation
- Other factors
d.) Receptivity to guest authors
If your pitch email leaves a lot to the imagination, don’t be surprised to get a rejection or a no-response. Bloggers are too busy to be proactive in filling in your blanks. In my pitch letters, I like to include:
a.) A brief explanation of why I could write an effective post on this particular blog
b.) Two or three links to other posts I’ve written that are as similar as possible to the style and/or subject matter of the blog in question
c.) How soon I could submit a post if asked to write one
d.) One or two topic ideas (including a title and thumbnail description)
e.) Express a willingness to write on other topics if these are not suitable, or if there is something “hot” the blogger wants covered
f.) End with a definite call to action, such as, “Would you like me to proceed with one of these topics?”
Pitching is selling, and all good sales people follow up. If you don’t hear from the blogger within a few days, it’s perfectly fine and totally professional to ask if he/she has had a chance to review your inquiry. When you follow up:
a.) Be polite and professional
b.) End with a call to action (see 2f above)
c.) In some situations, you might say that if you don’t get an answer within a few days, you will offer the topic(s) to other interested bloggers
Inherent in all of these tips are the need to do your homework, and to take a personal and customized approach to each pitch. This may seem obvious, but on pitches I receive, only a handful do those things. It’s too bad, because my suspicion is a lot of writers are much better than their pitches.
Over to You
What pitching techniques are working for you?
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Today’s guest post is by Brad Shorr, @bradshorr on twitter.
Brad Shorr is Director of Content & Social Media for Straight North, a Chicago web design company. The firm works with middle market B2B firms doing everything from online payment gateways to safety leather gloves. Join Straight North on Facebook and Brad Shorr on Google+ for conversation on SEO and other Internet marketing topics.
Today’s guest post is by Stacey Acevero, Social Media Community Manager at PR Web. 
Looking for a way to boost your social media and PR? We have the perfect tool to deepen your engagement with consumers and provide your online marketing with a creative spark.
Skype can give your business the face-to-face time with consumers that might otherwise be missing in your marketing. You can use it in a number of ways to increase your public presence through the social realm.
Check out these 9 tips:
1. Install A Skype Button On Your Website
Give consumers immediate and direct access to your company by installing a Skype button on your website. The person who manages your social media campaigns, responds to customer and writer inquiries can be the contact for all Skype calls.
2. Create Video Contests
Because Skype and Facebook are integrated, you have the perfect opportunity to create a live platform for audience contests, combining social media and PR to produce powerful marketing results.
Try offering special rewards for contestants who answer questions correctly or demonstrate how your product worked for them.
For example, invite followers to put together groups and show all the places they ate your pizza or drank your coffee.
Introducing a new product or service? Skype can help you converse directly with potential customers. Arrange a pre-set question and answer session and put out invitations via all your social channels for followers to join in
One of the best ways to stay engaged with consumers is to ask for their feedback. They get to share their opinions and you get the benefit of knowing how well you are giving them what they need.
Create regular feedback sessions and reward contributors with special coupons. You can tweet or post the results and give credit to the folks who participated.
Do you have a celebrity spokesperson or CEO who conducts interviews for your brand? Create a schedule of Skype interviews to connect journalists and bloggers directly, and then share the best moments on your website.
Suppose a consumer is trying to use your product, say an oven, to accomplish something (in this case, cook a holiday turkey) but has questions beyond what the user manual addresses. Encourage them to Skype your customer service department for immediate support
Don’t forget the initial appeal of Skype for business. You can use it for video conferencing between co-workers and vendors.
Get a number of your employees to put together a Skype group and create a video message to followers. You can share holiday greetings or news of your next big event – and add to your social media and PR library of successful tactics.
Perhaps there is a blogger who is especially important to your industry. You may have sent them dozens of press releases but never met them. Invite them to chat on Skype and add more power to your pitches.
The power of social is that it creates and sustains relationships. When adding the immediacy of video to that formula, you’re bound to increase the connection between you and those you want to touch.
Searching for more tips? Check out this social media survival kit.
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Wired PR Works by Barbara Rozgonyi is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at wiredprworks.com.