Watch our presentation if you’re not convinced that your brand needs a presence on social networking sites!

You might be asking yourself, what is Pinterest?

It’s a new social network site where you can upload pictures of things you like to share with your followers. You can see what your followers are posting and “re-pin” the images onto your page. In short, it’s a collage of your interests. You can make different groups or categories. People even use Pinterest to plan their weddings!

Traffic increased overprescribing than 400% between September and December. Brands like Nordstrom and HGTV have more than 6,000 followers on their pinboards. It is also the fifth largest social network site to drive referral traffic.

There are endless possibilities for brands using Pinterest. For instance, you can promote a lifestyle for your brand. Give your company some personality and share it with the world. Illustrate your company’s culture with pictures that represent what you stand for. Employees can post pictures of their favorite hobbies, a beautiful vacation spot, a modern home design. The possibilities are endless! By doing this, you can connect with your consumers. They get to know you and feel the water, before stepping in. Consumers will be more likely to trust you and remember you if they follow your pin-board.

Because there is such a huge audience to reach on Pinterest, you could use it as a platform for a new product launch or company news. It’s the newest place to generate word of mouth for your product or service. You can reach thousands just by posting one picture.

Use it to get to know your consumers. You can treat it like a focus group, to get to know their interests and to create a niche market for your PR campaign. You could also host contests. It will actively engage your consumers as well as spread the word about your company.

Feel free to post information about your company through videos or links. You should also engage your employees and motivate them so they share your company’s culture to their followers.

With more than 11 million visits to the site in December alone, imagine what just a percentage of that could do for your company. But what is the best thing about this newest medium? It’s fun! You’ll find yourself lost in pictures.

1. Avoid constant specials. The more specials you run, the less appealing your brand becomes to a consumer. Think of what would happen if a prestigious brand like Cartier decided to run specials through social media. Their high quality brand would be diluted because the product would no longer be as desirable.
2. Don’t wait for people to come to you. Engage them in conversation and look for your target audience. If you simply set up your social network and wait for an audience to appear, your brand will fail in gaining awareness.
3. Don’t run contests and games all the time. This can also dilute your brand, because these types of posts will lose their appeal if overdone.
4. Allow your site to have negative feedback. Think of our past blog post with the example of Papa John’s and their crisis management via social media. Because they have accepted their mistake and made it known to their network, they received positive recognition for their apology and the way they handled the issue.
5. Keep things short and interesting. Don’t post a press release through your social media site. If you want to share a story or video clip simply leave a link. Remember, you need to catch consumers in the first few words.
6. Respond as soon as possible. If you wait a day or more to respond to your consumer it will perceived negatively. The point of social media is to engage in conversation. Make it fluid and timely.
7. Don’t stop networking once you reach your goal. Social media is a growing part of the public relations world. Therefore, you have to grow along with it. Remember a consumer can always “unlike” or “unfollow” if they are not satisfied.
8. “Likes” are not the epitome of success. A brand is better off talking WITH a small segment of consumers, rather than talking AT at a large group of consumers. Although numbers may be important, the interaction is what makes people interested in what you’re selling.
9. Start your social presence NOW! Waiting will only hurt your brand. Social media is here to stay and is not just a “fad.” Grow with your audience before another brand gains their appreciation.
10. Have a plan. Jumping into social media and posting random “stuff” to fill your page will not generate an audience. Make your posts relevant and targeted to your specific market segment.

    Don’t believe that social media is something you need? This video will convince you otherwise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eUeL3n7fDs&feature=related

Sources: http://mashable.com/2012/01/26/common-social-media-mistakes-by-brands/ http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2140729/biggest-mistakes-businesses-social-media-marketing-avoid

The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project conducted a survey to explore people’s overall social networks and how the use of these technologies is related to their social behaviors.

Here are their findings:

The number of those using social networking sites has nearly doubled since 2008 and the population of SNS users has gotten older.

Well, this makes sense. My parents have recently signed up for Facebook after hearing about its social benefits, and I’m sure my nana is next on the list. Facebook is quickly shifting into a way for adults to find each other and keep in touch. They can share photos with family members, connect to businesses and keep an eye on their children and/or grandchildren.

Facebook users have more close relationships and get more social support than other people.

A user that goes on Facebook several times a day usually scored higher in total support, emotional support and companionship. Perhaps Facebook users find it easier to reach out to their friends? Or maybe personal status updates make it easier for friends to help each other out? Either way, the survey saw a noticeable increase in total support for these users.

Facebook users are much more politically engaged than most people.

A Facebook user who uses the site multiple times a day was two and half times more likely to attend a political rally or meeting, 57% more likely to persuade someone on their vote, and an additional 43% more likely to have said they would vote.

I have two theories for this one. The first is that Facebook started off as a college social networking site. Because of this, most users are more educated, and educated people are more politically involved. The other theory is that Facebook has become a huge asset for politicians. They can create fan pages, spread information about their platforms, and educate the people that support them.

Facebook revives dormant relationships.

Only 7% of people’s Facebook friends were people they had never met before. Which means that people are using Facebook to stay connected to people they know.

I don’t know about you, but I add a crazy amount of people I know on Facebook. I am friends with someone I met in fifth grade. I am also friends with my high school anatomy teacher. If I ever need a recommendation or have a question about school, I can reconnect with my teacher. And let’s say my acquaintance from the fifth grade turns out to be the owner of a successful home landscaping company. If I ever need my house landscaped, I’ll know who to call.

These findings are certainly interesting, but they’re useful, too. For example, if you were creating a Facebook plan for your company and knew that your target audience was older and primarily female, how would that affect your approach?

Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project website has a more in-depth look at social media sites and everything you might want to know about the people using them from demographics to uses. Check it out here.

1. Build a strategy that is social by design. Integrate social media into your overall marketing plan and make social media part of how you reach your business objectives.
2. Create an authentic brand voice. Show the personality of your brand through your Facebook posts. Be conversational and straight-forward.
3. Make it interactive. Create content that people want to share and respond to. Engage your audience in a two-way conversation.
4. Nurture your relationships. Reward your audience with deals, promotions and entertaining content. It takes time to build a relationship — just like in the real world.
5. Keep learning. Stay in touch with your fans and learn what they like, what products they find interesting. Get feedback and pay attention to it.

For $19.99 you’ve been one heck of a travel bargain. You have been my trusty companion for thousands of miles, four trips around the world and hundreds of jaunts from Gainesville to New York, Hanoi, Bangkok, Beijing, Paris, London, Miami, St. Petersburg and more places than I can remember. I’ve lugged you on board every make of airplane, jockeyed for overhead space, dragged you full of purchased treasures, dirty clothes, stupid zip lock bags filled with TSA-prescribed 3 oz. bottles of shampoo, creams and emollients. You’ve endured stickers, kicks, tears and more weight than you were ever designed to carry. May you rest in piece, or should I say peace. I’m off to my local big box store to see if I can find one of your cousins for another $19.99. Thank you, dear suitcase for a lifetime’s worth of memories. TVN