Pinterest for Your Business
New social networking platforms seem to pop up with regular frequency, but one that’s grabbing a lot of attention – and users — is Pinterest. Essentially an e-bulletin board, the site launched in 2009 and is currently still invite only (in Beta testing).
Pinning = Winning
Pinterest revolves around the idea of “pinning” images of your favorite items and sharing them with friends. The site saw explosive growth in the past year, and recently became one of the top 10 websites within the Hitwise Social Networking & Forums category, receiving nearly 11 million total visits during the week ending December 17, 2011 (via Experian Hitwise). Some reports claim that they already have 10 million registered users.
Pinspiration
But what’s all the fuss about? Pinterest is a visual social discovery network that allows users to create online pinboards (like a bulletin board or vision board) for various categories (things like “craft projects,” “dream kitchen” or “recipes”), and pin photos or videos to it, with a caption. It’s a great way to organize your inspiration, share the things that you love and that inspire you, and to be inspired by those in your networks.
Three Ways to “Pin”
Here are the three ways that you “pin”:
- Upload an image or video directly to Pinterest from your phone (there’s a Pinterest app) or computer.
- Install the Pin It bookmarklet to your toolbar, which allows you to pin any image from any site on the web.
- Repin other pins from your friends’ or by browsing Pinterest’s categories.
Of the over 10 million users on Pinterest, approximately 70 percent are female, and they’re a highly engaged audience– logging more than 421 million page views. So, as a small business owner, how do you use Pinterest as a marketing tool?
First things first – set up your profile with Search Engine Optimization in mind. Search Engine Land published a great article that will walk you through the appropriate steps.
Second, know the rules. In “Pin Etiquette,” it says that Pinterest is not a place for self-promotion – yeah, right! According to this Mashable interview with Evan Sharp, Pinterest Designer and Co-Founder, a lot of brands use Pinterest to share the idea behind their company. Create boards that will resonate with your customers and potential customers. Share more than your product line; share things like the inspiration behind your brand, or similar products and places that support your brand that your customers would be interested in, complementary products and brands. Share the lifestyle, not the just your product and your personality.
Check out this article from American Express Open that gives a great round up of what some well-known brands are doing on Pinterest.
As a small business owner, Pinterest is a great tool to share ideas and inspiration. How will you use it? Let us know in the comments!
3 Ways to Use Facebook Insights to Grow Your Fans
As a smart small business owner, you likely have a Facebook page. But are people commenting on your posts by “liking” or sharing them? If not, remember that social media is meant to be just that: social. It’s not about creating a page and immediately trying to get 100,000 random users to “like” it. It’s about a conversation; it’s about engagement.
Luckily, Facebook offers a great tool with their “Insights,” giving Facebook Page owners invaluable metrics and graphs around their content. These Insights allow you to understand and analyze trends among and about your users, track user growth, and consumption of – and engagement with — content. All of these numbers can help you improve your business and better understand your fans.
To view Insights, go to your Facebook Page and then go to the sidebar on the left, under your profile picture. Click on the Insights link. Once you get there, check out the following ways you can use Insights to grow your fans:
Find Out What Works. And Keep Doing it.
Click on Main Insights and you’ll see a large graph that details your – and your fans—activity for the last month. You’ll see how much your total likes have gone up or down, how and when you posted, and how many people are “talking about” (liking or sharing) your posts. If there are terms that you don’t know, hover your mouse over the “?” near the word for a definition.
Notice that you can sort the columns below the graph (reach, engaged users, talking about this, virality) in order from highest to lowest. This allows you to see what works—what posts engaged the most users or caused people to talk about it the most? Did you post a video on those days? Or a photo? Perhaps a link to purchase a product?
Note the trends that work, and keep doing them. (And conversely, stop doing what doesn’t work.)
Keep Them Coming, by Finding Out Where They Came From.
Check out the Reach section of Insights to see the How You Reach People graphs. There is a wealth of information to be gained from this section but note the External Referrers graph to see where your fans are coming from. Did they land on your page by clicking a link from your website? Or a Google search? An ad campaign? Or from other websites, as well?
This graph will give you a greater understanding of where your fans are coming from, so you can understand where you need to improve– perhaps now’s the time to get the word out in different ways.
Get ‘em Talking
In terms of actual engagement, the People Talking About This number – which is public information found on the left sidebar underneath your Likes—is a great benchmark to help you see if you’re actually interacting with your fans. This number, not the total number of likes, is the real number to keep your eye on.
This stat measures anything that created a story about your page. Things like:
- How many people liked your page
- How often someone posted to your wall
- How many people liked, commented on or shared a post, photo, video, etc
- If a fan checked in
- How many people RSVP’d to an event
- If your page was mentioned in a post
- If your page was tagged in a photo
Now, take a look at your People Talking About This graph and see what caused a spike in activity. What got them talking? Was it an annual event that caused a flurry of activity? Perhaps you should consider making the event twice yearly. Or was it a coupon offer that was shared far and wide? Consider what works — and what doesn’t. Take a look at your competition’s pages to see how your page stacks up.
As a small business owner, Facebook Insights provide you with another useful tool to help you monitor your progress, seek areas of improvement or keep doing what’s working. Drop AdMix Social a line to find out how we can help you use your Facebook page to grow your fans.
5 Ways To Use LinkedIn For Small Business Networking
LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 135 million members in over 200 countries and territories. Executives from all 2011 Fortune 500 companies are members, and there are more than two million businesses with LinkedIn Company Pages — including millions of small businesses.
As a small business owner, you might have a LinkedIn page for yourself and for your business. It’s a very valuable social networking platform, but are you using it to its full potential? Here are five ways to use LinkedIn for increased small business networking:
1. Share Knowledge (and attract new business)
LinkedIn offers the “Answers” forum that enables you to share knowledge in your area of expertise. Join in on the conversation and show prospective clients that you’re a leader in the field by sharing what you’ve learned about your industry. This is a great way for savvy small business owners to get in front of potential clients from across the country – and around the globe.
2. Keep An Eye on the Competition
Dive into your competition’s public profile pages to uncover a wealth of “insider” information: key stats, employee comings and goings and other useful insights that you can use to your advantage. Keeping an eye on your competitor’s pages will also help you stay abreast of trends and emerging thought leaders in your field.
3. Find Vendors
As a small business owner, you might often outsource services that you don’t have time to take on yourself. LinkedIn makes it easier to find vendors through your network of peers—and you can check out their recommendations in advance.
4. Network with Industry Peers
You likely use LinkedIn for new business prospecting, but it’s also a great tool to help you network and keep in touch with your industry peers. Use LinkedIn to align yourself with peers that will enable you to grow your business.
5. Build Your Industry Contacts On and Offline
There are a multitude of groups you can join within your specific industry on LinkedIn. Easily build your industry network by searching the Groups directory to find industry associations and networks that fit your industry – and that often host offline events. This is a great way to bridge the online-offline gap. Think about the industry related events you’ll be able to find that are filled with prospective clients, influencers and possible partners.
As a small business owner, remember to get the most out of LinkedIn for small business networking. Drop AdMix Social a line to find out how we can help.
Digital Marketing and The Social Experience:
Hands-On Workshop(s) for Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners
Facilitators: Kristi Robertson and Laura Jablonski
AdMix Social
June 7 & 14, 2011
Phoenix, AZ
These days, it seems a business can’t get by without an online presence, whether on a social media platform or some other digital exposure. For any business owner or entrepreneur, executing digital marketing without proper training can be both stressful and time-consuming. You want to hire a professional agency, but just don’t have the budget. What if there was a way to use the expertise of a digital agency…without the expense? The good news is you can, by attending this two-part workshop series conducted by digital marketing professionals.
By attending this two-part workshop, you can take advantage of AdMix Social agency talent without the expense. You’ll leave educated, knowledgeable and with critical tips and tricks to market your business across the Web. During this two-part workshop, you will learn:
- How to quickly and efficiently strategize and execute digital media marketing techniques
- How to apply your current business knowledge to online media tactics
- How to creatively and effectively craft your online messages
- How to find and connect with prospective customers on the Web
Part One: Online Marketing Strategy Workshop
Date: June 7, 2011
Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Registration is at 5:30 p.m.
Pre-work: Prior to the workshop, participants will receive a form to complete about their business. Please bring this workshop to class on June 7.
Through this workshop, you will learn how to conduct research on your target market, identify the best strategies and tactics to reach your market, communicate effectively with key prospects and strengthen relationships with existing customers.
Post-Workshop Benefits: You’ll leave the workshop with a fine-tuned online marketing strategy and a plan to effectively engage customers with your business.
Part 2: Social Media Marketing Workshop
Date: June 14, 2011
Time: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Registration is at 5:30 p.m.
Prerequisite: Participants must have attended Part 1 of this workshop series, or have their own marketing strategy to participate in Part 2.
Now well-versed in marketing strategy (from Part 1 of this workshop series), what’s next on the path to digital greatness? Execution.
In Part 2 of this workshop series, participants will learn to master popular social media platforms, starting with Facebook. You will learn how to find current and potential customers on Facebook and connect with quality “likers”. You’ll also learn how to build a Facebook page that encourages consumer participation and conversation, plus other Facebook fun facts and updates that will help you use all its available features.
Our Facebook lesson is just the beginning. We’ll also show you how to incorporate Twitter and LinkedIn into your online marketing strategy. You’ll learn how to find key influencers, groups, contacts, customers and prospects on both platforms. You’ll also learn about page management tools, linking to your other social networks, blogging and more!
Post-Workshop Benefits: You’ll leave this workshop with the knowledge of an effective social media presence and be ready to take the social media world by storm.
Workshop Instructors
Kristi Robertson and Laura Jablonski are the owners of Phoenix-based AdMix Social, an agency specialized in digital marketing excellence. Together, they bring over 30 years of marketing and digital experience that consistently achieves business goals for companies of all sizes. Kristi and Laura’s talents mix with their deep passion to consistently produce creative and innovative digital marketing solutions that earn results. Every day, their professional mission is to grow their customer’s bottom line.
*Space is limited to 30 participants in each class.
*Cost is $197 per class or $295 for both.
Classes will be held at Training to You Facility, in Phoenix with plenty of parking.
2200 N. Central Ave.
(Thomas & Central)
Phoenix, AZ 85004