Pinterest 101: 10 Ways to Get Started (Part 2)

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9Jan

Last week I shared the first 5 ways to effectively get jump-started in marketing your business on Pinterest. Now I want to share with you the second batch of 5 ways to make your Pinterest account pop.

These 5 tips will help you overcome two of the most troublesome obstacles that new Pinterest users often face: how to effortlessly share links and information and, getting over the hurdle of not having enough content to share.

Here they are:

1.  Install the “Pin It” button. On Pinterest, under the “About” section, there is something called the “Pin It” button. This is a browser-related plugin that, once downloaded, will appear on your bookmarks bar and will allow you to instantly pin just about ANY photo that you see on the internet to one of your corresponding boards on Pinterest. This is a fast and simple way to build your initial group of boards, and as you begin to use the app, you will think of new boards to add to the mix. It also allows you the opportunity to instantly share your pins on Facebook and Twitter….which is up next.

2.  Connect Pinterest With Your Facebook Account. This is another great way to promote your content with your network and increase the back-links to your website. When logged into your Pinterest account, simply click on the Facebook button and allow access to your account. Then every time you share something new, you have the option of sharing it with on your Facebook Profile page.

3.  Connect Pinterest With Your Twitter Account. I prefer utilizing this function over the Facebook link, as currently you cannot connect Pinterest to the branded Facebook Page for your company, just to your personal Facebook Profile. With Twitter you are able to connect it to your business Twitter account. This is a great feature, as any time that you add a pin, you are able to Tweet it out to your network. This is valuable as the more content that is shared through your Twitter account, the more back-links and shares!

4.  Add the Pinterest Button to Your Website. If you want to grow your Pinterest network on a regular basis, add the Pinterest button to your website alongside your other social media links. This will promote more people following you and give you more opportunities to share your content.

5.  Use a Third Party to Help Generate Content. There is nothing worse than when the “content” well is dry. Many of us can struggle with finding pictures on a regular basis that will be useful on Pinterest, so it is a good idea to look into any third-party option for help. There are many lists available through a quick Google search that show tools that can help with content creation on Pinterest. One such tool, called Spinpicks, enables you to search the web for images using a plethora of categories that you can instantly share via your Pinterest account. This can be a lifesaver if you have lulls in your content creation.

And there you have it: 10 ways to get jump-started on Pinterest! Remember, with any social media marketing that you do, consistency is key! Make sure to constantly update your account (as surely there will be changes introduced along the way) and engage with other members through commenting, liking and sharing their content. Is all of this successful for you? Make sure to track it using a tool like Google Analytics or your own version of tracking your website hits. You will be pleasantly surprised!

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Pinterest 101: The Top 10 Ways to Get Started (Part 1)

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9Jan

If you are not familiar with Pinterest, let me give you a quick explanation.  Pinterest is a cork board-style photo sharing website allowing members to create theme-based image collections which other members can view, share and comment on.  If you think: “That doesn’t sound business related…”, read on!

An easier way to understand what Pinterest is and how it works, is to think about it in terms of your Facebook Profile.

Imagine that your photo albums were the first (and only) thing that was visible on your Facebook Profile.  Other Facebook members would be able to see your albums, look through your photos and view updates to your account.  If a member liked one of your albums or photos, they could comment and/or share it with their own network.

Pinterest is really as simple as that.

That’s all great, BUT the best thing about Pinterest, and the biggest difference with the site, is that when you post a picture, you are able to hyperlink it to your website, online point-of-sale, blog…whatever.  Thus, when people click on any of the pictures that you’ve posted, they will be transported to the link where it lives and to all of the additional information you have on the subject in order to bring people closer down your sales funnel.  Also, if people share your photo (or “pin”) you will receive valuable back-links to your site, which in turn builds SEO.

So Pinterest is essentially an interactive photo sharing site where people can choose to follow a single board you have, or all of them – and get updates whenever you add to, update, or change a board.  So the more you share, the better the opportunity you have to take advantage of its benefits.

While in its initial growth stages, the majority of the audience was women (at 83%) in the United States.  But things are shaking, and now men are joining in droves.  Outside the USA, in the UK for example, 56% of the users are men.  At the end of the day, the ratio of male to female is fairly balanced.

Now – how can you and your business get started?

Here are my 10 essential ways for you to get jump-started on Pinterest so that you can begin to build your following and enjoy its benefits.  These are the first 5 with the final 5 following next week.

1.  Stake Your Claim Now! I usually suggest researching a social media site before creating your own business account, but as so many people are latching onto Pinterest so quickly – you need to get in there now to set up your branded account and stake your branded real estate.  Go to Pinterest.com and you will see towards the top of the page “Request an invite”.  If you will be using Pinterest for your company, add your company email address.  Usually they will get back to you within 24-48 hours for you to complete the registration.  When you get your invitation, go and sign up and register in your company’s name.  Fill out your profile, add your company’s logo as your profile picture and add anything else to the profile that is necessary.

2.  Plan and Organize Your Boards Before Creating Them.  Setting up your Pinterest boards can be time consuming, so I suggest identifying what boards you want to create first.  Although your new Pinterest account will come with a few standard ‘board topics’, you will want to edit them for your specific needs.  I find the easiest way to think about this is in terms of your products and services.  For example, if you were a doctor whose owned their own ear, nose and throat practice, you should create a board for each specialty area (ear, nose, throat).  Then fill each of these boards with helpful information on each topic in visual form (“pins”).  For example, perhaps you have a diagram of nasal passages, a chart of nasal afflictions and another graphic explaining preventative measures for sinus infections.  Add each of these to the board pertaining to “Nasal Information”.  Planning will help set you up for growth on Pinterest and save you precious editing time.

3.  Add Hyperlinks, Hashtags and Keyword in Your Descriptions.  First off, every organization who is marketing online should have a keyword list for their company.  When you are sharing “pins” or pictures in your “boards” or albums, each one will need to contain a point of origination on the web (where the picture actually lives online) but also a description.  Use #hashtags just like you would on Twitter to make the title of your ‘pin’ more searchable within Pinterest.  For exmpale in the ENT example above, using #tinnitus would allow people searching for information on that affliction to find your ‘pin’, and thus a link to your website! Make sure that each description is packed with keywords and contains a hyperlink to the content you want people to see.  The best way to do this as a rule is….

4.  Add Images to Your Blog Posts, Web Pages and Landing Pages.  Every page on your website should have a few images on it.  If you do not use pictures on the pages of your website or on your blog….now is the time to start!  This is the key method of pulling content from your website to Pinterest and linking it back for added SEO punch.  No pictures on your website could equal no web hits generated from Pinterest.  Remember that this is a visual site – so make sure that your pictures are eye catching, easily seen, and visually descriptive.

5.  Connect With Your Existing Contact Base.  The best way to build an instant network on Pinterest is to see who you know that is already a member.  You can do this through the “Invite Friends” function where you can connect using your Gmail account, Facebook account or simply manually invite people by entering their email address.  You can also send an announcement to your email list, or make an announcement on your website, etc.  Connecting with those that already support you is crucial in social media!  These people are comfortable and familiar with you, and they can make for the best brand evangelists on social media sites like Pinterest.

Those are my top five ways to get started.  Look out next week for part two of the series when I will discuss how to easily share information on Pinterest as well as show you how to get over the hurdle of not having enough pictures and content to share.

If you enjoy this article, please feel free to share it with others who you think could benefit from it!

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Why Bother With LinkedIn? Because Others in Your Industry Are!

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7Jan

If you are on LinkedIn already, you may be familiar with the following information. But if you are still trying to figure out how LinkedIn is relevant to your company (or just want to know if your marketing is a little off the mark on LinkedIn)….read on.

You may know that LinkedIn is one of the premier social networking sites for professionals to connect, share, discuss and hobnob with one another. What you may not know is how many professions and professional categories that LinkedIn currently services.

While you may be in a niche within a niche inside of a niche professional category, chances are that there are many other professionals networking on LinkedIn just like you.

But as always, the proof is in the pudding. Here is a comprehensive list of all of the professional categories that have vibrant LinkedIn communities. Scan through and see if you find the one that best describes your organization, and THEN make sure that’s the one you categorize yourself under on LinkedIn. Without further ado, here is the list:

Legal

Law Practice
Legal Services
Legislative Office
Judiciary
Law Enforcement

Government

Defense And Space
Aviation And Aerospace
Research
Military
Legislative Office
Judiciary
International Affairs
Government Administration
Executive Office
Law Enforcement
Public Safety
Public Policy
Political Organization
Nanotechnology
Think Tanks
Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering
International Trade And Development
Government Relations

Consumer Goods

Cosmetics
Apparel And Fashion
Sporting Goods
Tobacco
Supermarkets
Food Production
Consumer Electronics
Consumer Goods
Furniture
Retail
Electrical And Electronic Manufacturing
Wholesale
Wine And Spirits
Luxury Goods And Jewelry
Packaging And Containers

Arts

Design
Arts And Crafts
Music
Photography
Graphic Design

Organizations And Non-Profit

Environmental Services
Individual And Family Services
Religious Institutions
Civic And Social Organization
Consumer Services
Non-Profit Organization Management
Fundraising
Program Development
Political Organization
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Security And Investigations
Think Tanks
Philanthropy
E-Learning
Renewables And Environment

Recreation, Travel And Entertainment

Sporting Goods
Entertainment
Gambling And Casinos
Leisure And Travel
Hospitality
Restaurants
Sports
Food And Beverages
Motion Pictures And Film
Broadcast Media
Museums And Institutions
Fine Art
Performing Arts
Recreational Facilities And Services
Newspapers
Publishing
Printing
Libraries
Writing And Editing
Computer Games
Music
Health, Wellness And Fitness
Media Production
Wine And Spirits

Corporate Services

Management Consulting
Accounting
Marketing And Advertising
Market Research
Public Relations
Program Development
Staffing And Recruiting
Professional Training
Translation And Localization
Events Services
Logistics And Supply Chain
Outsourcing/Offshoring
Commercial Real Estate
Import And Export
Human Resources
Business Supplies And Equipment

Agriculture

Railroad Manufacture
Farming
Ranching
Dairy
Fishery

Transportation

Leisure And Travel
Hospitality
Package/Freight Delivery
Transportation/Trucking/Railroad
Warehousing
Airlines/Aviation
Maritime
Translation And Localization
Import And Export
International Trade And Development

Manufacturing

Food Production
Consumer Electronics
Consumer Goods
Furniture
Retail
Aviation And Aerospace
Automotive
Chemicals
Machinery
Mining And Metals
Oil And Energy
Shipbuilding
Utilities
Textiles
Paper And Forest Products
Electrical And Electronic Manufacturing
Plastics
Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering
Business Supplies And Equipment
Renewables And Environment
Glass, Ceramics And Concrete
Packaging And Containers
Industrial Automation

Construction

Real Estate
Construction
Building Materials
Architecture And Planning
Civil Engineering
Commercial Real Estate
Glass, Ceramics And Concrete
Industrial Automation

Service Industry

Restaurants
Food And Beverages
Recreational Facilities And Services
Package/Freight Delivery
Individual And Family Services
Events Services
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Security And Investigations
Facilities Services

High Tech

Defense And Space
Computer Hardware
Computer Software
Computer Networking
Internet
Semiconductors
Telecommunications
Biotechnology
Pharmaceuticals
Airlines/Aviation
Information Technology And Services
Venture Capital
Nanotechnology
Computer And Network Security
Wireless

Education

Primary/Secondary
Higher Education
Education Management
Research
E-Learning

Media

Entertainment
Motion Pictures And Film
Broadcast Media
Museums And Institutions
Fine Art
Performing Arts
Marketing And Advertising
Newspapers
Publishing
Printing
Information Services
Libraries
Design
Writing And Editing
Computer Games
Arts And Crafts
Online Publishing
Media Production
Animation
Photography
Graphic Design

Medical And Health Care

Biotechnology
Medical Practice
Hospital And Health Care
Pharmaceuticals
Veterinary
Medical Device
Health, Wellness And Fitness
Alternative Medicine
Mental Health Care

Finance

Banking
Insurance
Financial Services
Real Estate
Investment Banking/Venture
Investment Management
Accounting
Venture Capital
Capital Markets

So, as you can see, there are absolutely TONS of categories represented on this professional networking site. I’m a firm believer in LinkedIn networking and LinkedIn marketing – so I hope this list will give you that extra push to dive into LinkedIn and either renew your efforts on the site, or if you haven’t already – see what sort of outcomes you can achieve for your own company!

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LinkedIn for Healthcare: 5 Must-Haves

6Jan

With everyone going on about the wonders of Facebook and Twitter, my poor friend LinkedIn sometimes gets left out in the cold.  While not the most visible of the major social media sites, it is definitely one of the most powerful.  With millions of people from all over the globe taking part in the conversation on LinkedIn, it is definitely a place online where your target healthcare audience thrives.

Whether your healthcare organization is B2B or B2C oriented, you can carve out your own audience on LinkedIn.

So if you have registered for a profile, why isn’t anything happening?

I have the answer.

Let’s get moving and create some stellar results!  Here are my 5 LinkedIn “Must Haves” for healthcare organizations who are looking to get the most out of their valuable time online.

1.  You MUST Fill Out Your Profile:  A name and title is not enough.  LinkedIn gives you ample opportunity to showcase yourself and your healthcare brand.  Instead of leaving half of the profile blank (the percentage of which LinkedIn will show you on the right hand side of your profile), why not take an hour or two and really fill it in properly.  Want people to call you?  Add a phone number.  Want people to look at your website?  Mention it with hyperlink at the drop of a hat.  Don’t skimp here…this is where people are going to find you credible or not credible.  Oh, and one final thing.  Have a professional profile picture, nothing wild and off brand.  No picture = no credibility in my book.

2.  You MUST Join Groups:  Not only must you join groups, you must also take part in them.  I know it seems like a tall order, but this is one of the areas where the magic happens on LinkedIn.  Now don’t get stuck on the fact that you have to find groups only within the healthcare sector only, you want to find those in addition to groups where your target consumers may be.  For example, if you are a cosmetic surgeon in NYC you may want to join 25 groups on cosmetic surgery and 25 groups based around the NYC area.  The idea is simple.  The professional ones will help you gain news and knowledge in your sector while the others will help you share your business and expertise with target consumers.  I say join as many as LinkedIn allows (50) and start working them!

3.  You MUST Ask Question and Answer Questions: There is a wonderful function of LinkedIn that allows you to answer and pose questions to your network as well as LinkedIn at large.  This is a great way to get in front of prospective supporters, consumers and referral partners – so don’t be afraid to jump in there and share your expertise by answering a few questions now and again.

4.  You MUST Reply:  Nothing drives a social media user up-the-wall more than sending messages that never are replied to.  I’m not saying the mass messages that start with those wonderful words “Dear Friends”, but rather those emails sent to your on LinkedIn.  Not interested in what they have to say?  Give them a polite “No thank you, but I appreciate your kind offer”, don’t say “Leave me alone” or ignore them completely.  This is networking.  Would you act like that in a cocktail party?  Not likely.

5.  You MUST Bring Your Profile Alive With Testimonials and Applications:  Even the most engaging profile can use a helping hand now and again.  First off, anyone that you have ever worked with or has known you professionally – ask for a recommendation, a mutual recommendation.  This is an eye-catching way of proving credibility and the quality of your work.  Never ask for testimonials from people you don’t know, never worked with, and just friended.  That’s tacky.  On the application side of things, go onto your profile and scroll until you see the Applications section and click “More Applications.”  This will take you to a section that allows you to not only integrate your Twitter account and your WordPress blogs, but also share pdf files and PowerPoint presentations.  These are wonderful ways of bringing your profile to life….not to mention adds to your credibility as a expert in your niche!

I’m sure I could go on with the wonders of LinkedIn, but these are definitely the ones I am most passionate about.  These steps will help your healthcare organization get the most out of LinkedIn in addition to helping you learn more about shaping your LinkedIn marketing strategy.  Its not easy at first and can be time consuming, but keep with it.  Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your social media following.  It is an ongoing effort that will bring you what your after, if you are patient.

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Can’t Catch Up? Maybe a Daily Marketing Schedule is in Order

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2Jan

There is nothing worse than getting into the office and immediately feeling two days behind.  Go on, admit it…you have felt like this more often than not.

Is it because you are ineffective at your job?  Nope.

Is it because you have no time to get anything done?  Nope.

Is it because you don’t have a daily marketing plan?  Bingo!

Whenever I speak about marketing plans (either online, to potential clients, or while speaking at events) eyes begin to glaze over.  So please stick with me on this.  I’m not going to talk to you about building the perfect marketing plan – I’m going to talk about how to build your perfect daily attack plan.

I’m going to assume here that you are currently using various marketing tools, and that your goals are crystal clear as to what your company’s goals are.

So, let’s move on to the plan.

First, grab a piece of paper and write down the days of the week that you work (if you are closed/don’t work Sat/Sun, leave these out).  We want to focus on the “active” days of your week.

On another sheet of paper, write down everything that you are currently doing to market your business.  For example, your list could look like this:

  • Facebook Marketing
  • Twitter Marketing
  • LinkedIn Marketing
  • Email Blasts
  • Trade Advertising
  • Google AdWords
  • Link Building
  • Blog Writing
  • Press Release Writing

Now, we step it up.  Decide which needs to happen for each of these activities on a daily or weekly basis.  If you are doing link building, this is something that happens everyday.  So it needs to be listed every day of the week – but also with the EXACT actions that you need to take.  Maybe your link building strategy is 100% built around blog comments.  If so, then your daily activity would be “Link Building: comment on 5 relevant industry blogs”.  Simple as that!

Then add the rest.  If you are on Facebook, maybe you have to post an update, reply to comments, and engage with 3 new pages.  Add this to the list.  And so on.

My top tip is to pin point exactly what you want to do for each item that you have listed –  per day or per week.  This will help you get through these tasks quickly without having to constantly remember what you have to get done on a given day.  This way, if your day goes south as soon as you turn on your computer, you can motor through this list later in the day when you finish putting out fires.

And it works!  I have instituted this for my staff (as well as myself) and it does save lots of time AND it can grow organically.  For example, Pinterest is a new site that just popped up and now it has been added to our daily marketing schedule with tasks associated with it each day.

I say give it a try!  There is no risk when it comes to getting organized and saving precious time.

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Are You Tired of Trying to Figure Out What a Blog Tour Is? If So…You’ll Love This

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1Jan

In the online marketing arena, my peers and I tend to get sucked into using lingo that can sometimes be a bit too “exclusive”. Much like other industries where the terminology can not only be off-putting, but can cut you right out of the conversation, the online community can be a bit tricky sometimes to navigate.

For me, I really hate it. I think there is nothing worse than reading an article with the goal of getting actionable tips….and then finding yourself Googling ten of the terms in the article in order to make sense of it? Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve been guilty of this in the past as well. That’s why I try to be as clear and to the point as possible. Our time is precious, so let’s just get to it, right?

This brings me to “Blog Tours”. I’ve seen this broadcasted far and wide, but never really saw an explanation that I thought hit the nail on the head.

Basically, toss the “cool” terminology out the window and think of this as a “blog comment” strategy. I’m sure you have gone onto a blog (or even a website) and read an article that at the end allows you to put in your comments. A simple idea, but it packs a punch!

Commenting on blogs is a wonderful way to build more links to your online point of sale, or your company website. In terms of SEO (search engine optimization) – it is definitely a golden child.

But how do you do this? Here’s my rules of blog commenting:

If you are using blog commenting for SEO purposes, before you even take time to read the article, scroll to the bottom of the page to make sure that there is a place for you to key in your website when you comment. If this is not here….there is no way to link you (unless you register to the blog or community which can be time consuming).

If you have to comment via Facebook, it will not pack the SEO punch that you are looking for.  Again, having a spot to key in your website is the best option.

Once you’ve decided to comment on a post, first read the full article to see that it’s message is in line with your brand. You can disagree, but make sure that your comment is not vulgar in any way.

Think of the next three ideas as a “compliment sandwich”. Begin your comment by agreeing with a few points made in the author’s article.

The second part of your comment (the ‘meat’ of your activity here) should be you sharing your expertise. If you agree with the whole article, maybe share a quick story of something that has happened to you in this arena.

Round off your comment with a note of thanks for the article or something similar.  ou don’t want to sound too canned, so make sure to make it personal.

Then after you post your comment (or sometimes before) there is a button you can push to have all future comments sent to you via email. Click this, as you want to see how people react to your comment as well as have the opportunity to jump back in if needed.

It’s that simple. I suggest to help you FIND these blogs (which is the most time-consuming effort), use a site like StumbleUpon, Zite, Scoop.it, Trap.it, AOL Editions, or even Google Currents to find random blogs within your company’s niche category. This site is easy to use and very straightforward. You can also use sites such as Alltop or even a simple Google search for keywords.

My final piece of advice is to make sure you do this on a consistent basis. If you comment on one blog a month, the SEO impact will be non-existent. I say shoot for two comments a day and keep up with it. After a week you will get in the groove and it will become second nature. Also there is a wonderful side-effect that I’ve found in searching around the web – you might learn something new!

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