Pinterest Skeptic Turned Convert

Pinterest Business use Still Minimal (photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Yesterday I decided I would participate in a webinar on Pinterest.  I have to admit, before yesterday I didn’t get it, didn’t want to and had enough on my plate, actually several spinning plates, that I didn’t need to add one more social media platform to my already crowded set of dinnerware. 

Really… who wants to see a mish mash of photos of someone else’s favourite products?  I went for a walk just before it started and didn’t rush because I was still averse to the idea of being part of the herd.  What a bunch of lemmings, I thought.  But, I couldn’t ignore that it had quickly entered the top three most used social media platforms and as a professional communicator, I could no longer resist.  So, I signed up for Melanie Duncan’s ‘How to use Pinterest for your Business to get Traffic and Customers,” hosted by Carl White of Social Marketing Animals.

I was late, but fortunately there were still spaces (it was being capped off at 1,000 participants).  Melanie’s infectious enthusiasm drew me in immediately.  I plugged in my headphones (which is what I do when I really want to pay attention and capture absolutely everything being said), pulled out my webinar notebook and with pen poised, prepared to be wowed.

Pinterest's Practical Business Uses  

Melanie didn’t disappoint.  Even before the end of the session I had linked to the sales page and jumped on the bandwagon.  I’m not usually an impulse buyer but she convinced me that there was a very practical business use to Pinterest for both my clients and me.

There are so many I couldn’t write fast enough, which is why I had to become a member of the Social Marketing Animals group (I'll let you know how it goes). 

My 5 Big Take Aways

·      Businesses can use Pinterest for consumer research. Duh!  A simple search will show you what other people have re-pinned from your boards, what products of yours have been pinned by others and which ones are most popular.

·      Pinterest is highly search engine friendly.  So, in the 200 words in the about section, which appears at the very top of your page (just like Twitter), you should use keywords as you would in any of your online marketing SEO. And, you can use either your name or your company name.

·      Make sure you write captions for all photos using key words again.  

·      Create an infographic.  Apparently they’re the most viral and collected forms of shared content on Pinterest.

·      The hottest type of content are How To’s and Tutorials but create a visual to pin and then link to the content on your blog or website (you can even pin a video from YouTube)

As Melanie put so succinctly, “Clarity always wins in marketing.  If they can’t figure out what you’re all about in 10 seconds, they’ll leave.”  A picture paints a thousand words, right?  So, why didn’t I see this before?  Oh well, better late than never.  However, according to Melanie, “Businesses are just starting to do it and there are very few doing it right.”  So, I guess I’m still slightly ahead of the curve.  One more thing… you have to be invited to participate. 

Are you using Pinterest?  How’s it going for you?  Here's a little taste of the Power of Pinning.

Do Not Touch

As I’ve been combing the streets of Paris I’ve been keeping all my senses at attention, as every good writer should.  Except, there's one missing… touch.  It’s interesting as I evaluate my experiences I realize I’m very good at seeing, smelling, tasting and hearing but I always forget to include the tactile experience (unless I come across an animal that needs patting).  I guess that’s a good thing in the city I am currently exploring since everywhere we go (I’m referring to the dozens of museums we’ve visited) there are signs that say “Ne Touchez Pas!”  It’s okay, really, since the sites, sounds and smells of Paris are spectacular enough.  

Fresco on the ceiling in Opera Garnier...not sure who the artist is

Absorbing Aromas and Art

Yesterday, I commented to my mother-in-law, with whom I’m traveling, that we’ve savored crepes in the gardens at Versailles, sipped wine on the Left Bank and swilled beer in a pub on the Grand Boulevard.  So, we had taste totally covered.  Any time I'm writing about eating in the future, I'll have loads of memories from which to pull.  We’ve inhaled the smells of the patisseries and boulangeries as we’ve meandered down cobblestoned streets and have paused appreciatively to absorb the works of the masters.  I haven’t really felt the need to touch the Rembrandt at the Jacquemart Andre or the many Monet murals at the Orangerie.  I've been happy to get drawn into them visually, which I did especially with one particular Monet.   As I gazed at the panels stretched across the width of the room, I was sure a floor to ceiling image of a face leaped out at me from the canvass! 

Describing Touch

But, where does touch come in?  As a writer I always pride myself in being able to experience things with all the senses in order to draw on vibrant, multi dimensional memories when sitting down to write descriptive prose.  Now I know that I must concentrate on including touch as I wander through life and, as I go through yet another edit of my novel, I must remember to add some tactile descriptions.  Not to mention, noticing good examples of descriptions of how something ‘feels’ on the finger tips when I'm reading for pleasure!

Keeping up with the Penguins and Pixels

 One day a farmer, a panda and a penguin walk into a bar... Well, you know where this is going don't you?  It's no joke.  Things have changed - again.  The pixel size on your new Facebook timeline is having an identity crisis and the Google algorithm has gone north to catch webmasters practicing the dark art of Black Hat SEO and also target over optimization or web spamming.  The challenge has become to guess how they identify spam because there seems to be some differences of opinion between Google and the SEO experts. 


Changes in Social Media?  Of course!

I've finally resigned myself to getting used to it.  The only sure thing in life these days are death and changes in your favorite social media platform.  I really don't get why so many people keep resisting.  If you stand still and let moss grow in and around your feet you inevitably get left behind.  It's all about fresh and new and the smart folks are capitalizing on it by becoming experts like my Facebook hero Mari Smith (I just bought her new book that launched today, Facebook Marketing an Hour a Day), or social media guru Michael Stelzner.  They thrive on the change because it gives them fodder for yet another blog or book... otherwise known as, fresh content!

Free... and Easy?  Maybe not.  Cost effective?  Yes!

If you choose to make use of the amazing power of social media for your personal or professional life, hang on to your hats (black or white).  If you don't stay on top of it, you'll miss out on all the fun.  I remind myself that it's free (and being a solopreneur that's great for the balance sheet) so what do I really have to complain about? 

The key is to focus.  Along with the changes in my favorites there are always new 'cool' interfaces that crop up every day.  It's like being in Disney World.  You've got to do it methodically or you'll wind up wandering aimlessly or standing in lines one after the other and never actually enjoy the ride.  Just remember, as your stomach races up to your throat with the latest 'death drop', not far behind is that exhilarating adrenalin rush that comes from surviving the plunge.

So, I'm off now to make sure I haven't over optimized my website and maybe add some fresh content while I'm at it.  Happy Socializing!

The Very Small Expat World

Part of who I am includes a deep-seeded passion for giving back. It started when I was nine years old and did a craft sale with my best friend from which we gave the proceeds to Rainbow Haven a summer camp for poor kids. That passion has followed me through life and I really don’t feel complete unless I’ve got a volunteer gig underway. When I was in Dubai I started the local volunteer chapter of Room to Read with a fellow Canadian I had met at the American Women’s Association (no, there wasn’t a Canadian Women’s Association).

Naturally, after the dust settled following our move to Thailand, I set about finding the charity I would embrace as my own. After a quick Internet search I found the Phuket has Been Good to Us Foundation that does English language programs for children at a government school not far from where I live. The program started initially to serve orphans of the Tsunami but has expanded to include all students at two schools. I looked to see if any of the principals were on LinkedIn and if we had any common connections and, lo and behold, Erin Ganju, co-founder and COO of Room to Read was connected to one of the teachers at the school the foundation supported. I didn’t need any more reassurance than that and contacted the organization right away to offer my assistance. Fast forward a couple of months… I was helping out at their annual fundraiser, the Bliss Beach Ball, and selling raffle tickets when I ran into the head of Gulf 4 Good, a Dubai charity, who I had met at a Room to Read fundraiser in Dubai!

It's a very small world and once you get into the expat community it gets even smaller.  It warms my heart to see people consistently giving back and it was great to see Brian here in Phuket.

When I get back after my summer in Canada, I'll be helping out with the reading program at the school (in between copy writing clients, of course) and I'm really exited about that.

If you'd like to share any of your expat community outreach stories bring 'em on!  I'd love to hear about them.

Book review: Laptop Entrepreneur by Nick Snelling and Graham Hunt

This book is such an amazing resource for anyone who works from home and uses the internet for marketing their business, or anyone who is contemplating doing so.  I've been working freelance for almost 5 years now (after almost 20 years in PR) and I started underlining and making notes in the margin on the first page!

Each page is chock full of advice and links to online resources and there are case studies at the end of each chapter of people who are not only making it happen but to a huge level of success.  I suggest you read this while sitting at your laptop so you can test things out as you go.

When researching how to make money on the internet the authors say themselves that "it's easy to drown in the shear quantity of this information." But, they chunk it up into digestable bits so you can just take it one chapter at a time and decide your next best step.  They outline loads of options and every one is not right for every "Laptop Entrepreneur".  However, it will give you some food for thought on which one's right for you! 

The Press Release - Meat and Potatoes

Lately I've been writing more about my new book (@Home in Dubai) and what's happening in the world around me in my new life in Thailand. I thought I would throw a business-type blog in as I myself am back to the 'main course' of what I do...writing copy for clients.

The Press Release
It doesn't matter how many new media crop up, the good 'old fashioned' press release (the meat and potatoes of PR) always seems to have a place.  It's the central tool that's used to share 'news' with any audience through the conveyers of information whether it's a blog, newspaper, magazine, television, radio or ezine.  Of course, there's always the pitch letter too but that's another blog!

Optimizing Releases
Of course, technology has hugely improved the possibilities for reach way beyond what the old 'pop in the mail paper press release' of a previous era did.  Then you had to rely on it reaching the right person and having a gripping enough headline to get their attention.  Now-a-days, sending out your press release with the proper key word optimization and relevant links will get your press release recognized by search engines even if your primary target doesn't pick it up.  Heck, you even post it on your own website for fresh content and search engine pick up, however, having a third party, unbiased medium run your release has more impact.

Do’s and Don’ts of Good Press Release Writing
Regardless of the comparisons between then and now, the basics still hold true...maybe even more so today.  There's so much out there on how to reach new online media but don't forget, there are still those who rely on major dailies for their local news and most people I know still listen to the radio in the car on their commute to and from work.  So, here's the rub: in this day and age with instant news, copious amounts of media (print, broadcast and online) and everyone writing content, it's more and more difficult to get your news heard and placed in the mainstream media. I have always believed (and still do) that a strongly written, concise and (most importantly) newsworthy release can still get the attention of editors and reporters. If your goal is to appear in the top media outlets it's always important to nurture relationships but if you have a good story and a clear pitch that can be expressed clearly in 15 seconds or less, you've got a great start.

There are many do's and don'ts when writing a press release and pitching to the media. Here are a few of my tried and true bits of advice:

Do: Write a clear headline that fully explains the main point of the story.

Do: Put the most important facts up front. The first paragraph should have who, what, when, where why and how.

Do: Put contact information at the very top.

Do:  Include a short boilerplate paragraph of your company (or your bio) at the end.

Do: Identify the right media for your story.

Do: Be considerate of deadlines.

Don't: Make them hunt for for your contact information.

Don't: Go over two pages (one is preferable) or beyond the first screen of an email (they shouldn't have to scroll).

Don't: Send attachments...copy and paste the text of your release in the body of the email.

Don't: Send large photos. Include a comment at the bottom that photos (or other graphics) are available on request.

Don't: Follow up to ask if the reporter/editor received your release (the kiss of death). Call or email with additional, valuable information.

Don't: Call on deadline.

Don't: Send garbage.

If you have any more to add, pop them into the comment section below.  Also, I am just about to release a short e-book called 10 Steps to a Successful PR Campaign: A Do-it-Yourself Guide for Authors.  As soon as it's out, I'll announce it here!

10 Things Expats Get Used to

Living in a foreign country brings a litany of adventure and excitement, challenges, frustrations, elation and sometimes just downright weirdness!  After a while, for the veteran expat, the unusual becomes commonplace.

This thought occurred to me the other day while I waited at the Thai Department of Land Transport to take my driving test for the second time (driving on the left hand side of the road sitting in a right-hand drive car…So, what’s the big deal, my British friends would ask, right?). It did take a few tries but you’ve got to cut me some slack. It’s been 30 years since I’ve had to do a driving test so it sort of caught me by surprise.  After spending two full days at the licensing place in Phuket Town (getting there was a feat in itself) I finally walked away with both car and motorbike driving licenses in hand (or should I say ‘drove away’ on my Honda Click…finally legal to drive it)!  It was high-fives and smiles all around for the ‘farang’ (me…the expat or foreigner) as I walked out of the administration building.

But I digress.  So, as I was sitting and waiting my turn I came up with a list of things I have ‘gotten used to’ here in Thailand (other than driving on the left side of the road):

1. Rarely understanding what is being said around you. Actually, I find this one quite liberating, as it’s sometimes nice to wander around with total anonymity.

2. The amazing smells that confront you as you round a corner (some quite pleasurable and some not so much).

My favorite vendor at our local market...always great smells emnating from his booth!

3. The explosion of color of the most exotic flowers you would ever see in a flower shop sprouting wildly from crevices and around walls.

These are just outside my kitchen window.

These delicate pink beauties line the stone wall along our lane way.

4. Bathroom sinks that just drain onto the floor.

5. Shower heads just mounted on the bathroom wall in the open (I just imagine I’m living on a sailboat and it doesn’t feel so strange anymore).

6. A urinal in my powder room (yes, I said urinal… I think it’s bizarre but my husband loves it)!  It’s right off the kitchen so it has now become a utility room where I keep the cleaning supplies and the cat’s litter box).

7. Bug tents in all bedrooms.

8. Roosters as alarm clocks (the one next door comes alive at around 5:15 every morning, which is just before the Imam at the local mosque starts up his ‘call to prayer’ – we got used to that in Dubai but here we’ve added the rooster).

9. Boys who try to look like girls (okay, I admit, that one’s a little hard to get used to but it’s definitely an interesting sociological and societal study).

10.  Warm weather every day of the year (I had to add that one as a Canadian but, of course, not all expats choose to live in sunny climes, it’s just our preference).

I’m sure I could think of another 10 but I’ll leave it to you to add what you’ve gotten used to in the years you’ve lived as an expat to the list!