My Top 3 Additions For Pinterest 2.0

I'm using Pinterest more and more these days, but I wish it had a few more bells and whistles.

If I were in charge: 

Here are my top 3 additions I would make to the next version of Pinterest.

1. A Stream Filter for Categories or Boards.

One thing that needs to be modified is the Pinterest Stream. Many users of this new form of visual journalism, like me, end up Following a multitude of Boards for their variety of interests.  The downside to this is a main Pinterest stream of an eclectic nature.  This varying stream of Pins seems to have many bundles of disjointed interests, all grouped together by author or Pinner (probably due to the time they were Pinned), making it very difficult to view the totality of your interest without a large amount of scroll-roll as I like to describe it.

Pinterest might take a page from the Google Plus playbook; when you're in a Google+ community, your stream is composed of only posts from that community.  Pinterest translation: when I'm looking for Social Media, I want to filter out my Travel, Food & Wine, Fashion, that sort of thing. Additionally, I don't want to see everyone's Social Media, only the one's I'm Following.  Please!


2. Bookmarking other Boards or Board owners I view a lot.

I have several clients that have made the move to Pinterest, and many times I want to check their specific Boards. Presently, I'm doing a search for their company or individual name.  Then I must find the Boards I'm interested in, and then click on those Boards to view them.  (Many people have their business and personal Boards jumbled together.)

I would like a method of Bookmarking Boards and/or Board Owners or something similar so I can come right back to it with one click of the mouse or tap on my Android.

3. Direct Messaging or private email connection to contact Board Owners.  Google Plus has this, Twitter has this, Pinterest needs this.

OK, there are three very good additions to the next version of Pinterest.  What do you think?  Any other additions you would like to make?  

Pinterest - A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Is Pinterest The Next Social Media Juggernaut? 

I'm a Big fan of Pinterest, let's just get that said right out of the gate.  I currently use: Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, YouTube, Yahoo, Tumblr, Flipboard and Pinterest as my social media networking platforms; and I use many other tools like HootSuite, Twubs and Ghostery to enhance my daily experience on these sites.  Having said that, you get a pretty good picture of my continued exposure to the cornucopia of different methods, looks and interfaces these sites present to their users.

The current Big Three (as I call them); Google+, Twitter and Facebook seem to have things well-in-hand to remain at the top of the Social Media elite.  Each one jostling to be the Top Dog of one category or another and requiring users to Circle (or +1), Follow or Like me to build a following.  Next, you have the second-tier social media platforms like Tumblr and Instagram each have their dedicated following; users of these platforms typically going for something a little more quick post and less structured.  It's this category I would place Pinterest in.

Pinterest is very easy to get started on, and even easier to use. All you have to do is find something visual you like, click the Pinterest Button (I use the Chrome Extension so it's always there), tell Pinterest which board (think of the Boards as categories) you want to post to and you can even Tweet it or Like it on Facebook.  Vola', you're done.  Easy as 1-2-3!

This can get very addicting.  You'll want to Pin everything you find on the Internet that you like (that's why everyone has multiple Boards - just to keep their stuff organized).  And as easy as it is to Pin something on your Board, it's just as easy to find content on other Boards that you like.  Click Follow and it's all added to your Pinterest Stream.

I've been in this business for awhile, and every now and then you come across something you know is going to be a Big success. Pinterest is going to be a big success.  This is a marketers dream platform, and eCommerce can be adapted to this so if you see something you like; click and purchase it without going anywhere else.  Pinterest, give it a try.  I think it will be something you stay with and incorporated into your social media strategy.  I would love to see a marriage of Pinterest and Flipboard.

Using Social Media For Increased Real Estate Sales

Article By: Bill Gassett on Virante.org  October 23, 2013

Social Media For Real Estate

As a Realtor, you will do whatever it takes to sell a home as fast as possible. After all, who doesn’t love satisfied clients and a quicker commission? But if you haven’t integrated social media into your home selling strategy, you are doing yourself (and your clients) a great disservice. When you combine social media with your traditional methods of selling a home, you can reach a larger audience at a faster pace. Whether you are selling a home in Medway Massachusetts, Durham North Carolina or Tacoma Washington, social media can be used to get your message out there.

Social media is one of the fastest growing methods of communication. Everyday literally thousands upon thousands of people join one of the major social media communities such as Google Plus, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest among others. Using social media is the perfect opportunity for a Realtor to market to those that are interested in Real Estate.

Here’s what you need to know to get started and become a winner with social media marketing.

Social Media in General

The secret to successfully using any social media platform is to keep in mind that it is not like your website, meaning it’s sole purpose is not to sell homes or gain clients. Of course, that is the end goal, but social media is all about building trust and creating engagement. In order to have any of your postings about a listing be successful, you must first prove that you are on the site to get to know your followers and give them valuable information. Even after you have gained their trust, you need to keep it by remembering that social media is about being social, not making sales (as far as they are concerned).

Keep the self promotion to a minimum and instead focus on providing content that will WOW your readers whether it is yours or someone else’ s. Below you will find the basics on how to use social media for Real Estate promotion. When joining these sites keep in mind that each of them have their own nuances and etiquette. It is important you get your feet wet in these platforms before making social mistakes that could make you look foolish in front a very large audience.

Use Google Plus for Search Results

Okay, there are some people who might be interested in the homes you have for sale on Google Plus, but that is not the main reason to be on it. The main reason you need an active profile on Google Plus is because it can directly relate to how your website and blog posts are showing up in Google’s search ranks. Like it or not, it is possible that Google ranks pages that contain links associated with Google Plus profiles higher. Plus, if you set it up right, you can get your picture next to your blog posts in the rankings, which means your click through rate will likely be higher.

It is estimated that the amount of people who will click a search result with a persons picture can be increased by 30 percent or more! Just make sure you follow the guidelines for the Authorship program, and make all of your posts (on Google Plus and your blog) keyword rich. Just don’t over due it by “keyword stuffing” which a lot of people do in hopes of increasing their search position.

Google Plus is a highly educated community that is well worth the time to grow an audience to connect with. There are numerous Realtors who are successfully using the platform either with a personal profile, business page or both. There are also some very successful Real Estate communities within Google+ that are perfect for Realtors to share their content. While most are not for sharing listings they are great for relationship building.

Use Facebook for the Biggest Audience

Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past five years, you probably already use Facebook for your personal life. All of your friends and family are there, and so is everybody else’s. What this means for you is a large audience that can view your home listing, and with Facebook’s “share” feature, it is easier than ever for them to pass on something they think a loved one will find interesting.

Before you can reap the benefits, all you need to do is set up a Business Page. It’s pretty straight forward, and you can start posting right away. Facebook will be the most effective for selling homes if you can remember these few key details:

• You only want to post about something you are selling about once a week. The rest of the time should be about interesting quotes, funny anecdotes, or links to articles you think your audience will find interesting and useful.
• When you do post about your listing, use photos. They rank higher in Facebook’s algorithm and are more likely to get shared.
• If anyone comments on your post, make sure you interact with him or her. Facebook is a two-way street, and not doing so may harm you instead of help you.
• Use hashtags to make your post searchable by interested parties.

Use Pinterest to Reach Home Enthusiasts

Pinterest is the ideal social media platform to sell a home because it is entirely visual. All Pinterest is about is people pinning interesting, inspiring, or creative images to their virtual bulletin boards that get shared with all of their friends, family, and acquaintances.

If you want to reach people who are passionate about homes, home decor, and do-it-yourself projects, Pinterest is the place to be. Here are some things to keep in mind after your Pinterest account is set up:

• Choose photos that are likely to get re-pinned. The Pinterest audience is looking for amazing home decor, stunning architecture, or unique features, so focus on those. You want your pin to end up on someone’s “Dream Home” board.
• Make sure all of the photos from the home you are selling have links that lead directly to your website’s listing of the home.
• Only make one board about the homes you are selling (or you can make one for each home, and then simply delete it when it is sold). The rest of the boards on your profile should be about home decor ideas, weekend home improvement ideas, and other things a homeowner would be interested in.In order to gain a larger audience of followers you are going to need to pin articles that would have interest to a large number of people. It is what you pin that will attract someone to choose to follow you are not. So for example if you have an article on top home selling tips this would be the kind of thing you could share on Pinterest. Keep in mind however you are going to need to have a great visual to go along with the article.
• Get more followers for increased exposure: One of the better things you can do on Pinterest to extend your reach is to join a good group board within your niche. A top Realtor group board is the perfect way for your content to get seen by more people.

Use Twitter as a Teaser

Twitter is not just about finding out what your favorite celebrity ate for breakfast: It can actually be a very powerful business tool and can be a great way to lead people directly to your home listings, as well as other creative and helpful content you or someone else has written. After you set up your Twitter account, you can start tweeting to the world about how great your listing is as well as other helpful Real Estate tips.

Some key tips to follow for Twitter are:

• Each tweet only gets 140 characters, which has to include the link to your listing. You can use a URL converter to make your link short so you have more room for the part that will actually entice readers to click it.
• Get creative. Send out a tweet about interesting tidbits of information from the listing, followed by the link to the listing. A simple, “Check out this beautiful home for sale!” will get you nowhere really fast. You constantly need to engage with your readers in order to be successful with social media.
• The Twitter feed does move along much faster than other social media platforms, so you can post several times per week about your listing, but make sure you are tweeting about unrelated, interesting topics as well. If all you do is share your listing your followers will quickly lose interest and it will be a complete waste of your time. Frankly nobody is going to really care unless you have established yourself with other helpful and interesting content. Always keep in mind that social media is about building relationships and not selling. The #1 Realtor social media blunderis posting about listings and not much else.
• Hashtags are very relevant in Twitter, so make sure to leave some room to add them into your tweet to make it searchable.

In Real Estate when a Realtor is being interviewed by a perspective home seller one of the things they are going to want to know is how there home is going to be exposed online. Using Google Plus, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter should be a component of every Realtors social media marketing plan.

Remember a seller is going to be looking for what distinguishes one Realtor from the next so if you are not using social media as a means of marketing and the next guy is, you could be out of luck! Having a social media strategy is the kind of thing that can be the difference maker in landing a listing and ultimately your next sale!

Website or Blog?

Should I have a website or should I blog?  

I get asked this question a lot.  The answer may be a lot different for you than it is for me.  First, let's look at the two forms of social media communication at their basics.  A Website is for the most part - a passive entity.  By this I mean it generally is planned, designed, constructed and publish online for the long haul with very little change on a weekly or monthly basis (sometimes never - unfortunately).  The Blog on the other hand is an active entity.  It may evolve daily more than be planned, and information, media and ads could be added hourly.  Blogs tend to solicit interaction with the page-viewer via a comment, re-post, Tweet or some other reaction; whereas a website is used to set your Image Branding, tell your story, sell your products/services and drive page-viewers to other content on your linked sites.


What's the BIG difference?

A Website is usually used as a mothership for your business or professional online presence setting your Image Branding, containing your company and team information, available products and services offered.  In many cases, the website will have multiple forms of contact information (phone, address, email etc.) as well as links to all of your social media and online sites.  Additionally, the website is usually feature and content rich with slideshow, video and/or giff media presented in an attractive and enticing manor hoping to ensuring many happy page-viewers will share your site.  And lastly, a website generally has better forms of Search Engine Optimization and analytic data collection.

A Blog is usually thought of as a mouth-piece for communicating to the online world your particular thoughts, daily or weekly activities, post from like-minded colleagues, articles of relative interest and whatever strikes your fancy. Blogs can be basic almost raw in form and function or they can be as elaborate as a well-designed website with feature and content rich posts.  Blogs can also give analytic data similar to websites and have multiple links to other blogs, guess author's posts, social media sites and advertising.


So, which one is right for me?

If you are a business in the classical sense, you should have a website.  If you sell multiple products and/or services you should have a website, and you may want to seriously look at an eCommerce site for additional online sales.  Blogs seam to be the go-to medium for journalist, authors, travel pro's and professionals who's writing skills and content are their form of advertising. The best advise I can give you is: If you have something to say rather than sell; choose a blog.  


Many business's choose both.  They have a website for their business information, sales and services, and they use a blog to interact more with their customers and potential customers as well as the general public.  Either way to ensure your online presence and reputation stays positive, you must put the time and effort into to your website and/or blog.  Remember, quality over quantity, never be negative, share other's posts & content and reply to all positive posts and comments.  Do that and you will be successful with either form of communication you choose.

Is Twitter Becoming the Next Big ECommerce Platform?

With Twitter's 2014 IPO looming, many in the industry are speculating as to what will happen to this Social Media network staple.  Regardless if it becomes a subscription service or maintains its free-to-use status, this social media platform has its best years ahead of it.  Its streamline efficiency and quick learning curve give most users the ability to be up to speed in days - if not hours. 

When I look at Twitter, I see a network platform with a great infrastructure.  Much like the railroads of the mid 1800's delivering raw materials during the Industrial Revolution, Twitter delivers information quickly and easily in this new Information Era.  With its packets full of #Hashtags, images and URL shortened links; Twitter can deliver your information across the country or across the planet in seconds.

As more and more Social Media Followers are marketed to by savvy corporations ever increasing use of Image Branding, Content Management and Click-n-Buy campaigns; Twitter is strategically positioned for an evolution into the next big ECommerce platform.  Sites like Twubs and Triberr are already acting as Value-Adds to the Twitter infrastructure, using #Hashtags to filter out unwanted clutter and deliver search engine like results through specialty front-end viewers.

Whenever a great highway is built, the billboards soon follow; and Twitter will be no exception.  It's already a great advertising tool even if it is currently under-utilized by most of today's businesses.  Where else can you advertise everything about your business, products and services world-wide for free?  Yes, it takes a little work to build a following, and a commitment to ensure your content is interesting and inviting; but when your world-wide social media presence and reputation is in full view, work and commitment are small costs of doing business that most business owners would gladly invest.

So, what's next in the evolution of Twitter?  Twitter Cards add the ability to bring content-rich media into full view with just one click and paid Promoted Tweets are extremely effective in marketing; a combination of the two would make a very powerful marketing campaign tool.  Remember, social media is the most powerful tool for targeted marketing the world has ever known and we are in the beginning of this revolutionary new way of communication and advertising.

Be Your Industry's Social Media Leader or Influencer

Many industries need Social Media Leaders and Influencers to show their respective communities how to effectively use Social Media as a tool to increase their bottom line.  This presentation I put together will help you understand what it takes.

Content is the Present and Future of Marketing.

The Paradigm Shift in Marketing

Smart marketers understand that traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective by the minute, and that there has to be a better way.

Enter content marketing.

But what exactly is content marketing?

Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

This slideshow was developed by some of the leaders in social media marketing.  Anil Valvi puts it all together in a great slide presentation.

What is content marketing ? - Experts Point of Views from Anil Valvi

The Social Media Specialist

What is a Social Media Specialist?

By Lawrence Layton - Blue Marlin Computer Services

What is the role of a Social Media Specialist in today’s business environment?  Obviously, this varies greatly depending on the type of company or organization with the requirement and how they will operate in the social media universe, but generally the daily tasks are very similar.  Most social media specialists will be working in one or more situations that are described as: 1. On the behalf of their company or organization or 2. On the behalf of an individual or business client.

Getting a job as a social media expert doesn't necessarily come as a full time position. Companies often outsource the task to social media managers, employ staff on a contract basis (usually meant for specific short term campaigns or contracts) or as part-time as-needed employees.  This may change in the near future as more companies realize the necessity for in-house social media management and more and more companies move in that direction.

The most frequently asked question regarding Social Media Specialists is: What is the daily role or job of a social media expert?  Below is a list of some of the tasks a social media specialist may be asked to perform daily:

1. Updating the Status: One of the most basic of duties every specialists of social media will need to perform will be the Status Update.  They need to be consistent across all social media platforms when maintaining the clients photo, profile and bio information; add to this noteworthy daily events, services or product updates.  All client followers should have a compelling reason for tuning in for your daily announcements and updates.

2. Social Media Reactive: Most social media specialist monitor their clients sites for questions and comments from site viewers, and immediately respond to and are involved in the client responses.  Reacting to what other people are saying is a big part of social media. That is why it’s called social media; you have to be social to be accepted and advance in this environment.  You can also respond to what others are commenting on or sharing by Re-Tweeting, Re-Posting or reviewing articles involving your clients industrial information  or messages some site viewers have redirected.

3. Management of Daily Content and Posts: An online media professional’s job requires they generate engaging content on a regular basis.  Their job is to keep the page viewers engaged and interested in the clients specific brands, products or services.  Most of your effort and time will be required for producing good quality content.  This content needs to be market leading and surely capable of generating buzz within the industry.

4. Research: You will be required to continuously conduct significant research work into the various topics that are commencing and trending on your client sites, as well as what people are discussing regarding these topics.  Whether it is about a brand, a technique, a particular service or new product line; you will need to keep pace with the industry buzz as it relates to the techie world.

5. Protection of the Brand: Brand Protection is one of the primary things almost every business worries about.  Essentially, most websites and social media sites provide people a forum to exercise their freedom of speech.  Consequently, all client channels need to be monitored so as to make sure people are not speaking ill or saying anything negative about your clients brand.  Although monitoring will not stop them, you can be aware and mitigate as much as possible against such issues by providing the clients side of the story.

These are only some of the duties one might expect from a Social Media Specialist, but not all of them.  Every client will have his or her specific requirements to add to this list, but the main takeaway is; you are the “Tip of the Spear” in the clients social media experience.  Your job is to educate the client, agree on a plan, execute the plan and mitigate all negatives.  Do this and do it well, and you have done your job - right.

Social Media Presence 101

Building Your Social Media Presence

             By: Lawrence Layton

10 Steps to start building your social media presence.

Today, Social Media is being used as a marketing and information collection tool by many businesses large and small and with great success.  You've noticed this, and now your business is ready to get in the game.  It’s not easy to be successful in this arena; it take time and practice, but all successful businesses use social media.  Here are 10 steps that will save your business time and wasted energy as you start building your social media presence.  But before you begin, you will need to set well defined goals for your social media presence, devise a plan to reach that goal and take the necessary action to drive your plan to success.  Here are my initial 10 steps to get you on your way:

1.    Define your overall Goals for your Social Media Presence.

2.    What sites are your customers on?  Be there.

3.    Implement “Image Branding” on all your social media sites.

4.    Be consistent with Profile, About and Tag Line information.

5.    Use email and business contacts to your full advantage.

6.    Get a professionally designed website and blog or redesign the ones you have.

7.    Accumulate, write or purchase quality content to share on your social sites.

8.    Sequence your content and schedule it for distribution.

9.    Engage on your social media site (that’s why they’re called social media).

10.  Monitor your site visitors and your social media reputation.

Social Media can be the effective catalyst your business needs to grow more customers, or it can be the tool that ends up making you look silly.  It’s up to you.  If you understand what it is and how it works, you’re on your way to bettering your business.  Think of it as any other professional tool (legal, accounting or advertising); if you don’t have the time to understand how to use it correctly, pay a professional to do it for you.  You’ll be glad you did.

              Read More.... http://goo.gl/rs7nZo

NFL will show Instant Reply via Twitter!

Stop the presses! 

When I saw this article by Kurt Wagner on the Mashable site this morning I was excited. That little blue tweety-bird has come a long way.  I currently monitor Twitter for Cardinals baseball scores and this winter will for the Rams, Blues and SEC Football, but now according to Kurt, I can see Instant Replay on NFL games.

NFL Will Show Instant Replays via Twitter

Twitter continues to add major partnerships ahead of its looming IPO, and it now has the world's most popular sports league on its team.

The NFL will now show instant replays via Twitter, reports Reuters. The partnership, which was reported Wednesday, is part of Twitter's Amplify program to bring more video content to Twitter streams. Reuters called it Twitter's "biggest sports-related commitment to date."

Sources familiar with the matter have confirmed the partnership to Mashable.

Twitter launched its Amplify program in May, and works with broadcasters to bring additional video content to Twitter in hopes of capturing viewer attention on a "second screen" (either smartphone or tablet). The NFL partnership means that marketers can now sponsor a tweet that includes NFL video replays and other NFL-related content. The videos will run with a short video ad intro, and both the NFL and Twitter will receive portions of the proceeds, according to Reuters.

The NFL agreement comes just two days after Twitter announced its largest Amplify partnership to date — CBS. That announcement came Monday at Advertising Week in New York City, and includes 20 brands and 42 different shows, meaning more packages than any other single Amplify deal. The Amplify program is sure to increase Twitter's ad revenues, a point of focus for both the company and potential investors as Twitter moves toward an IPO later this year.

Twitter has partnered with sports leagues in the past to bring instant replay to Twitter. The NBA tweeted out highlights during the 2013 playoffs, and the NCAA shared instant replays on Twitter during March Madness.

Twitter is not alone in trying to capture eyeballs fixed on NFL games. Facebook announced a content deal with Fox Sports on Sunday that the social network hopes will encourage more users to talk about the games in real-time within their Facebook network. In 2011, the NFL reported that 200 million unique viewers tuned into NFL games throughout the season, meaning there are a lot of viewers up for grabs when it comes to the second screen.

Does Small Business "Get" Social Media?

Small business is constantly striving for new methods to increase their business.  As more and more small businesses turn to Social Media, the question inevitably gets asked:

Does Small Business “Get” Social Media?

                                                              By: Daniel Newman – Millennial CEO

We Need More Social Media!

Said every small business owner ever.

And no, this is not a Meme; this is truly what I think small business owners everywhere are saying. Considering not a television commercial, billboard, radio spot or magazine advertisement goes without a “Find us on Facebook” or Follow us on Twitter,” it is safe to say that the influence is there.  The popularity has created a coinciding illusion that Social Media is the end all be all and it is going to be the way that a small business will more quickly win its customers.

 

Social Media is not a Savior

In itself, Social Media is merely one piece of a vast integrated marketing solution for small business.  So while the small business owner is asking to have an account set up with every social network on the planet (and there are many), the very presence of having an account means exactly as much as the effort it took to get signed up with it in the first place. Nothing!  Social is a vehicle, one vehicle and what makes it so popular is the exposure that it can give you to so many people in one place.  However, if you have no friends, no followers, no community and no idea what you are doing with your Social Media then your return will be exactly zero.

 

Where Small Business Goes Wrong With Social Media

I am obstinate that there are many ways to skin this topic. Social doesn't have to be done one way and in fact it can be done many ways. But Social Media is built on the idea of “Being Social.” And being social is an activity.

Let’s look at an analogy that everyone can (should) get.  Your New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight. January 1st you head over to the gym and you join.

Question: Have you now done enough to lose weight?

Answer: No

Review: Because joining a gym doesn’t account for weight loss. Now visiting the gym and working out hard and eating well can help, and the gym itself is a catalyst for those things, however your joining the gym in itself won’t actually make an impact unless you execute your plan.

The same goes for Social, but when it comes to Social, the routine requires more than just posting content. That has never been the answer.  To obtain results you have to provide valuable content that is targeted to your audience. But before you can do that you have to work to make the content move which means building loyal readers and visitors.

By loyal, I mean more than just those that “Like” your page, but people who are advocates for your brand. This advocacy is built by consistency, value and engagement with a known target audience.  Perhaps most importantly, this takes time. There are no short cuts when it comes to building loyalty and community amongst your brand. It takes quality work and commitment. 

What doesn’t work is just having social accounts.

Parting Words for Small Businesses that Aspire to be Social

 At the very root, a brand is comprised of…  Yes!  People.

And people want to engage with other people. So content slung at them doesn’t move like content that engages.  Social starts and ends with engagement. It builds the community we all seek.

So if your small business wants to be social the work goes far beyond having a Twitter Handle or a Company Page on Facebook or LinkedIn.

It means so much more. Begging the question…

How does your small business play in the Social Media world?