Talk, trends and all things web!

Putting Your Blog Posts on Pinterest

05 · 07 · 13

Written by Kristen Daukas

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You know that you need to have a business presence on Pinterest. But what if you don’t sell an actual product? What if, like us, you mainly sell a service? Have you thought that the only way you can post to Pinterest is if you sell or offer an actual product?

Good news! That’s not true.

Ok, granted you may not have as many things to pin from your business as one who sells an actual widget, but if you write articles or have a blog (and you know you should have one!), you can start pinning those onto your Pinterest boards!

But how do you pin words, you ask?  You can’t really so you need to have a “pinnable” image within your post. I’m going to show you how to quickly make one that will work AND get your posts clicked on and repinned!

Here’s the screen shot of the Atlantic Webworks where we pin our posts as well as others:

Pinning your posts to Pinterest

I recommend that ALL blog posts have an image in them. The reason is simple: they are read more, shared more, better received and they are better for SEO. However, not ALL images that go into a blog post are great for pinning.  They are usually a bit more “generic” and won’t have the end result that you want – to have the person click through to your site and to have them repin the post.  What you want to create is an image that will quickly catch a pinners eye. 

As you can see from this screen shot for each post we write, we create a simple, bright image to go with the post. (This is in addition to the MAIN image that we use for the posts) I promise you do not have to be a graphics wizard to accomplish this. I do ours either by using a free site such as PicMonkey.com or with PhotoShop (of which I personally have VERY limited knowledge). For this instruction, I’m going to have you use PicMonkey, because it really is the simplest way.

  1. Go to PicMonkey.com
  2. Select “create a collage” at the top
  3. At the next screen,  you’ll see a diagram of a collage. At the bottom of that collage, you’ll notice a bar with dimensions in there. Change those dimensions to 500 and 500
  4. Next you’ll need to remove two of the boxes to make it ONE box. You can do this by hovering your mouse in the top right corner of each box until the “x” appears and then click it. Remove two boxes and you should be left with ONE box.
  5. Look to the far left and find and click on the “palette” icon.
  6. Choose a color for your box. I recommend a bright color that will POP
  7. Now save your box on your hard drive. (At this point, I would take a few minutes, go back to the box you just created, change the color and create several boxes to use as “masters” later.)
  8. Go back to the main page of PicMonkey and now choose “edit photo”. Select one of the colorful boxes that you just created and upload it.
  9. Select the “P” on the far left which is the Text editing section.
  10. Select the font that you want to use (keep it simple so people can read it) and then type in your blog post title.
  11. If you want the color to be different, select that and adjust the size and alignment of the text.
  12. You’re done! You did it! At this point, you can choose to play around with the other editing pieces or you can call it a day and save it. (One important thing is that you should save it as a copy or name it as the blog post. This way you can continue to use the original box that you created for future posts.)

Now that you have your pinnable image, add it to your post and save it. Once it’s published, go to the post and use the “Pinterest” share button and you should see the beautiful, pinnable color title box that you just created. That’s the image you want to pin on your board! Once you have pinned your post to your board, you can decide if you want to leave the pinnable image in the post. We usually take ours out, leaving just the original photo image but that is entirely up to you.

Let me know how this works for you and would love to see you on our Pinterest page!

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Have You Run Out of Blog Post Ideas?

05 · 02 · 13

Written by Kristen Daukas

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I preach blogging a lot to our clients. We help our clients a lot with blogging. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I realize that WE need to put up a post and I sit and stare into space and wonder what you’d like to read. I realized that if it’s hard for me sometimes to think about what to write, then it must be challenging for you so I thought I’d give you some ideas and samples of easy ways to nudge the thought process along!

Words

Do you like reading “Top 10″ lists or “How to Do Something” lists? Always a good source for material. What are the questions you hear the most often from your clients or customers? Make it a list and then make each point a post!

cures for writers block

 

Images

How about pictures of things going on around your office? People love to see the personal and FUN side of your business. If you’re not using Instagram, you should be! We use it AS the company and then I’m forever taking shots on my own account.

instagram screen shot

Video

I am really loving Vine right now and although I use it a lot personally, am just now starting to subject the office to it. (Do you get the impression that working around me could be trying on one’s patience??) Vine may take a little bit of practice to get the timing right (the vine below took me 5 tries to get the last frame), but you can find plenty of things to record if you just look around.

Looking for something a bit longer? Try Tout or YouTube!

So there you have three ideas for posts that don’t take a long time to get out. I also recommend that you have a place where you can jot down ideas as they come to you. I have little scraps of paper all over the place and then once a week or so, will load them all onto a master list!

 

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Blogging, Social Media

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Respect the Power of the Consumer

04 · 18 · 13

Written by Brigid Gorham

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There’s a wave of change rolling over the marketing world today. The marketer once created and executed a campaign for a company based on research, insight, and some intuition.  Now marketing campaigns start with and are driven by the consumer. Campaigns that use this outside-in approach are more successful and effective than the old-fashioned versions that started with the product. This new process offers an opportunity for new ideas and growth of businesses. consumer driven sales marketing

Consumers are talking a lot, and they aren’t afraid to share their ideas, complaints and praise.  Social media is at the crux of this movement, and companies need to not only be listening and participating in these conversations, but also willing to make changes based on their customers’ input. The lines of communication today are always open and dialogue is continuous. Consumers want companies realize their value and treat them accordingly.  Not only do they want this, but they expect it… and if you’re not giving them what they want then they’ll be off to someone else who does with a quick flick of the mouse. The key to having effective interactions and relationships is aligning your business values with the conversations and values of your consumers or customers.

Building these relationships is important because people aren’t just looking for the cheapest product or service anymore; they want the option with the most value. Creating and maintaining relationships adds that much needed value to your brand

By opening all lines of communication with consumers, a company also automatically becomes more human.  People feel comfortable and connected with more humanized organizations and that emotional connection can be what makes them choose you over someone else. Get comfortable with the idea of the customer as a co-creator of your business. The challenge is to find ways to incorporate and interact with your customers in a way that reflects your business values and goals.  When done right, you prove consumers can trust your brand, which leads to loyalty.

 

Insight from: “Integrated Marketing Communication Anticipating the ‘Age of Engage’” S. Alyssa Groom. Communication Research Trends Volume 27 No. 4 2008

 

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Social TV and its Rise to Power

04 · 11 · 13

Written by Tyler Rose

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What Is Social TV?

What happens in a world where people love watching their TV just as much as they enjoy socializing with others? A beautiful thing is born: Social TV. 

What is Social TV you may ask, and what is its purpose? Officially, it is a new form of social media that allows viewers to socialize and communicate through their TVs or computers. Unofficially, it is an increasingly popular fad that is making it easier for people to talk about what they are watching in real time.

Watching TV on your Iphone

Social TV aids in “rebuilding audiences”- and you may be familiar with the whole process even though you may have not even realized it! It is simply a layman’s term for watching TV and talking to your friends about it online while you’re watching a show. The purpose is to interlink two independent experiences of watching TV and using social media, and intertwining them to create meaningful conversation with others.

For example, when you’re participating in polls about something you’ve seen on TV? Social TV-ing. Discussing a plot in a forum? Social TV-ing. Even tweeting or updating your Facebook on an opinion on something you watched? Social TV-ing. Anything that generates discussion and involves you interacting with others is not only helping to build a show’s audience, it’s using social media for what it’s meant for: discussion.

Social TV has one huge advantage: it is a two way street for added value. Content providers get critiques and praises for their shows; viewers get to talk to others that share their same interests. The best part of Social TV is that it directly benefits YOU, the viewer, so that you can talk about what you want, play games, enter into contests, and give your opinions.

What is Social TV?

With the content providers directly tuning in to see what you have to say, Social TV lets your voice be heard. As a viewer, that’s all I care about!

Where Should I Go To Participate in the Social TV Experience?

Here are a few of our absolute favorite Social TV websites. Some websites even give you rewards (like stickers!) when you use their site a certain number of times! Get ready to share, engage, and watch!

  • GetGlue: http://getglue.com/
  • Viggle: http://www.viggle.com/

My next post will go into more depth with Social TV’s top sites, so you can get a better idea of how to make your experience the best it can be!

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Social Media, Social TV

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Blogging Basics: Which Commenting Platform is the Best

03 · 28 · 13

Written by Kristen Daukas

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Which Commenting Platform is the Best?

Ask five bloggers which commenting system they use on their site and you will probably get five different answers.  There are many, including but not limited to:

  • WordPress
  • Livefyre
  • CommentLuv
  • Disqus

But which one is the best?

Commenting Platforms

Well, that depends who you ask. I’ve tried them all and for my personal site, I finally decided on CommentLuv because it best fit my needs there. However, on this site we use Livefyre because it fits THIS site better.  So it all comes down to, what do you want to get out of it?

Kelly and I decided to attack this one together and she spent some time researching what the pros and cons of for the three big platforms were. As you will see, they really are similar except for a few things.

DISQUS

Pros

  • Can log in through Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Disqus
  • Mobile supported
  • Comments can be liked
  • Can upload images to comment box
  • “Reactions” feature (tracks who mentions blog posts on Twitter)
  • Displays profile of user (including activity)
  • Participate in conversation directly from email
  • Real time comments
  • Huge user base
  • Visitors can comment without login

Cons

  • Allows spammers (auto hyperlink)
  • Lacking help section
  • Comments are saved on Disqus server so if you ever switch, you will lose everything
  • Look cannot be customized

Livefyre

Pros

  • Can log in through Google, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn,or  Livefyre
  • Mobile supported
  • Real time pop-up with new comments
  • Best customer support team
  • Tagging feature (Facebook and Twitter)
  • Can share comments on Facebook
  • Shows number of people online/listening
  • Encourages ongoing conversation
  • SocialSync (pulling Facebook & Twitter comments into your content in real-time)
  • SEO credit
  • Follow people/they can follow you
  • if people leave a lot of comments it aggregates all of them into one email
  • Multiple moderators
  • See user activity
  • Uses social media as an extension of your blog
  • Best system for preventing spammers

Cons

  • No backlink

Comment Luv

Pros

  • The big draw is this ability to leave a link to one of your latest posts under the comment that you leave.  This encourages people to leave a comment as they can promote their latest content.
  • Usually leads to increased number of blog visitors/commenters
  • Targeted traffic
  • Rewards your readers with a chance to promote their blog

Cons

  • Attracts spammers
  • Mostly about marketing vs. function
  • Have to use the paid version to get the most out of it
  • Exclusive to WordPress
  • Does not work well for mobile

My personal preference out of all of them is Livefyre. The one con that is listed here for them is big enough for me to NOT use it on my personal blog. I love CommentLuv but quite honestly, if Livefyre ever adds backlinks to their service, I would go back to using it in a heartbeat.

What about you – which platform do you use and why?

 

 

 

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Are You Only Focusing On the Negative Feedback?

03 · 21 · 13

Written by Kristen Daukas

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We work with a variety of sized businesses, but I find that a lot of the smaller ones have a lot of questions and sometimes even apprehensions about putting social media to work for them.  I would say that 1 out of every 10 conversations that I have with these owners regarding Facebook, Twitter, etc., has this sentence in it:

“I am afraid to use social media because people will use it to complain about my business and everyone will see that”.

happy customers

Your customer WANTS to give you a fist bump. Help them!

Here’s what I think about this:

If you really think that many of your customers are going to complain about your company and services, you’ve got a lot more to worry about than social media.

What about all the ones that want to talk about how great your service is? Don’t they matter?

They do, Mr or Ms Business Owner. They matter big time.
I cannot tell you how many times I have personally sent out a love message to brands regarding service that I have received (naming staff, too I might add) or how amazing their new widget is only to be met with the sounds of crickets.

Nothing. No “Hey @KristenDaukas we’re so glad you enjoyed your new widget!” no “What do you like most about it?” (good opportunity to see what’s

working). No acknowledgement whatsoever.  I just gave you a huge box of love and you’re not listening?

Are you kidding me?

Companies are so hyper sensitive to monitoring the BAD that filters thru the social media channels and addressing those concerns, that they miss a huge opportunity in addressing the POSITIVE pieces of news and virtual “fist bumps”.

I realize there are a lot of community managers doing damage control because they have to.  Addressing customer issues and putting out fires is a vital piece of social media.  Without it, many brands would never know about the issues their customers are experiencing.  People by nature, are much quicker to complain than to compliment.  They have been subconsciously programmed into thinking that if they yell loud enough, they’ll get what they want.

How did this happen, you ask?  Not only have we developed this habit of rewarding bad behavior, we EXPECT it.

You don’t like your meal?  Don’t pay for it.  You don’t like the room?  Here’s a free nights stay.  We don’t have your size? Here’s a 50% discount.

So you give them what they want and what.. they love you forever? They go away? Do you think they’ll make as much noise about how you resolved the issue? Do you think they’ll become brand ambassadors for you?

Maybe. Maybe not. Even if they do, I doubt the “love” will last very long.

But…

What if we took a page from the Dr. Spock parenting books and did a better job of rewarding the GOOD behavior?

Consider this..  When is there a better time to make a brand lover even happier than when they’re already happy? If I’m tweeting how amazing your company, service or product is, imagine what I’m going to do when you acknowledge that love. I am going to turn around and blow even more sunshine around the world about you. There won’t be a person within earshot that won’t know how amazing you are. Sliced bread will have nothing on you.

And that’s just from the FIRST exchange.

What about when we start to have a conversation and share witty banter?? Wow.. we’re FRIENDS now!!  And I don’t EXPECT a thing. Nothing. If you choose to give me a little freebie love, that’s only going to make me happier and make me talk more.   And then what happens if someone says something bad about my friend??  What do friends do?  They protect you, of course!  That very passionate person all of a sudden becomes your biggest ally..

See where I’m going with this?  It’s all in your approach – glass half full -v- half empty.

Are there people that do nothing but complain? Yes. Are there more people that want to see you succeed? Yes.

Do them a favor and let them help you.

A version of this post originally appeared over at my friend and mentor Mark Schaefer’s site. I realized that it was time to bring it out, update it and share it here!

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Facebook Modifies Cover Image Rules

03 · 20 · 13

Written by Kristen Daukas

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It’s become apparent that Facebook has modified their rules and regulations for what businesses can put on their Facebook cover images on their business page. Before, companies weren’t allowed to have ANY form of call to action, contact or pricing information. You weren’t allowed to put things like “Buy One, Get One Free” or got to ABCCompany.com for a free download. You couldn’t even use words like “tell/refer your friends” OR any contact information such as physical address, website, email or anything that Facebook thought you should have on your about page. Oh. And you can’t have text be more than 20% of the image.

bad-cover-example

Essentially, they did not want companies creating a billboard where the cover image should be.

However, everywhere you looked you saw the exact thing that you “weren’t” supposed to do.

And now, that has changed. Like a thief in the night, Facebook “rolled out” a change to their policies and now the ONLY rule that I can find pertaining to the cover image is the 20% rule:

All covers are public. This means that anyone who visits your Page will be able to see your cover. Covers can’t be deceptive, misleading, or infringe on anyone else’s copyright. You may not encourage people to upload your cover to their personal timelines. Covers may not include images with more than 20% text.
My thought is that they couldn’t possibly monitor ALL the pages out there so they decided to pick their battles and this one just wasn’t worth the manpower or effort. I’m curious to see if they’ll start easing up on the other rules they have in place such as the ones regulating contests and giveaways.
Another thought is that they are starting to realize that if they don’t give brands a reason to stick around, they WILL leave eventually. Especially since the 25 and under crowd continues to prove that they really don’t care about Facebook and the brands that are there.
So have fun designing your new cover image and if you need inspiration or help, you know where to find me!

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How to Find the WOW in Your Marketing Message

03 · 14 · 13

Written by Tyler Rose

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How are you getting your marketing message across?

One of my favorite commercials of all time is the “Coke Zero” commercial (which had the very appealing James Bond theme that you can see here). The humor of the commercial (as the contestants try to avoid many putting the WOW in your marketing messageroad blocks to get to their free tickets) paired with the long-awaited 007 movie and creative advertisement idea, has become a popular ad on YouTube with almost ten million views.

The idea behind the commercial is that a person has 70 seconds to “unlock the 007” within and race across an airport to win free tickets. This gives customers a small taste of what it’s like to be 007 and then thank their lucky stars that we do not have to endure the physical stress that Mr. Bond goes through himself.

Seeing really good marketing puts a little more color back in my day. When I see a commercial that is creative and weirdly realistic, I can’t help but take notice. And although this Coke Zero commercial was released in October 2012, it is still in the forefront of my mind as one of the most interesting marketing tactics that I’ve ever seen.

So, how can we use this within our own businesses to give our customers the same “WOW factor” as this commercial? Well, it may not be an easy goal to achieve, but it is possible for small businesses.

The most important aspect of this “real marketing” tool is that you find a completely new way to reach your customers- by involving them in the experience. The point is to find a way to connect their real life, tangible experiences with your product. By doing so, you are integrating your brand (and experience) into your customer’s lives, most of the time without them even realizing it!

Here are a few ways that you can use this form of marketing to engage with your customer’s real lives:

1) Social Media: Ask your customers real questions and have them compete for prizes. If you were, to say, ask your followers on Twitter to upload pictures of them using your product, you are involving them in the experience. You could also find humor in this, by asking your consumers to find the funniest ways to use your product, etc. If you as a company are worried about changing the dynamics of your social media or webpage, start off small and see if you get better reactions from your customers. Or, if you’re feeling ballsy, look into some market research to see what your target market prefers!

2) YouTube Videos: Your company can post videos talking to real customers- and make them fun & creative!

3) Humor: This is KEY to building a connection with (most) customers. An important part of real marketing is understanding that your customers have real  world stresses- and that your brand needs to alleviate those stresses in some form or another.

By means of a humorous YouTube commercial involving real people, a contest among customers, or something else left up to your small company’s discretion, you use this tool to connect with your customers in a deeper way. It may be easier for some of the Big-wigs like the Coca-Cola company to pull of this marketing tactic; however, the goal is to affect at least one person’s perception of your brand. And one person can make all the difference to a small business!

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Humor, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media

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7 Ways to Use Social Media to Increase Sales

03 · 13 · 13

Written by Kelly Mooney

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Social media in one form or another is a necessity in today’s business world.  It provides a perfect way to create strong relationships with your current and potential customers.  Here are seven ways to turn your followers and fans into sales.

1.    Create a Likeable Persona: People can see right through fake or pushy people – even online – so be the voice of a  professional person you would want to buy from. how to use social media in salesAuthenticity is essential; this is your chance to humanize you brand and create relationships.

2.    Focus on Existing Customers:  Offer extended customer service through social media.  Keeping loyal clients happy is key.  They will refer others to your business and it is A LOT less expensive to keep current clients than to find new ones. Also remember that referral rewards are an option.  Facebook has plugins to track who recommends your page to friends.

3.    Connect with People whose Profiles Match Those of Your Clients: If you are looking to reach out more to potential clients, focus on people who have a need for what you are selling.   Socialmention.com can help you find others who are talking about subjects relating to your business.  Add value to their network by contributing to their conversations through comments or re-tweets; the relationship will come naturally.  Always listen! You need to understand their needs before you attempt a sale.

4.    Conversation is Key: Whether this is a long-time client or not, engaging through conversation is most important for establishing relationships.  Instead of just responding with “thanks for the comment,” ask a question about their experience and how they want future experiences with your business to be.  Remember to be timely; people have a short attention span on social media so respond ASAP.

5.    Offer Exclusives:  Whether it’s a coupon code, or an exclusive offer for being a fan, give your customers a reason to spend more.  Don’t forget to showcase other products they may like from your business.

6.    Provide Valuable Content: The 80/20 rule does exist! Only talk about your company 20% of the time; other posts should be useful or entertaining information clients would appreciate.  It is important to showcase deals or sales specials, but do not overdo it.  Promotions on social media provide little engagement; building relationships should be the priority.

7.    Cross Channel Integration:  Social media cannot replace email or other marketing tools, so linking them together for follow up is a good plan.  People like options, so make it easy to find the many ways to connect with your business.

Do you have any social media tips that have that have helped increase sales for your business?

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Customer Service, Social Media

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Is Facebook Finally Responding

03 · 08 · 13

Written by Kristen Daukas

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Is Facebook finally responding to the HUGE amount of backlash their users have been giving them over the past several months or are they changing the news feed to please their investors? new facebook news feed

Probably both.

If the end users aren’t happy, they’ll leave or slow their use down. If this happens, ad dollars dry up and that eventually takes a bite out of the investors pocket. The pockets who still haven’t seen a return on their initial investment from when the company went public.

Facebook officially admitted this week that it’s losing traction with the under 21 crowd (I said that months ago… I live with one of them and the only time she gets on Facebook is when I send her something) and people are clearly tiring of not being able to see what they want, when they want.

As a personal user, we want to see what our friends are doing. The site and ALL of social media is built on the premise of engagement. So if I engage with you, that should be all the information Facebook needs to make sure that you are in my news feed.  We don’t want to be manipulated or coerced into seeing updates, photos and information of things I’m not interested in.

As a business user, we have worked hard to provide good content that our clients and customers find interesting and entertaining. This has helped up increase our likes and lay the groundwork for building an engaged community. By liking my page, you have said to me “I like your business. I like doing business with you and am interested in what you have to say.” Facebook has said “not so fast!” WE will determine what you’ll see easily and what you’ll have to go after to see. Businesses already have a hard enough time getting their “fans” back to their page – usually only 5-10% of people who like a page EVER go back a second time. So to have Facebook play around with the ones that DO want to see our information is very frustrating for everyone.

So, I’m hopeful with these changes that will slowly begin rolling out we’ll see a shift back to what used to be a good experience for most people (you can sign up for the new feed beta here). But if I’ve learned one thing about Facebook over the past 6 years is that you should never get comfortable – it’s a constantly changing force.

Did you catch any of the news today on the press release? Do you like the new look?

 

 

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