Instagram Cheat Sheet

Source: bilgicagi.com via Amy on Pinterest

Pin-spired Baby Shower

I mentioned in Monday's post that I initially thought Pinterest was all artsy and creative and I had little interest in it.  Well, it really seems to inspire people to try new things.

Here are some photos of a nautical baby shower for a Navy Wife I recently co-hosted. After it was over and we were patting ourselves on the back for how well it turned out, we said, "We couldn't have done all of this without Pinterest."

Guest seating

Food

Cake with cupcakes

Soap Party favors from Soaps by Design

Diaper Boat

Cake by Melissa Thomas of Frosting

Invitation

Candy Bar

Cupcakes by Frosting

Hostesses with the mostestes and Mommy-to-be

Pinterest also worked as a great collaboration tool since we all live in different cities. Once you create a Pinboard, you can give other pinners access to pin to it too. Just click Edit Board and you'll get a window like this:

We discussed the theme and then each began pinning ideas that we liked.  Check out our inspiration pins here.

Using Pinterest for Business Promotion

Are you pinning yet?

Most people I talk to fall into one of three categories when it comes to Pinterest:

1. What is Pinterest?
2. Yes, but its artsy and creative and I'm not
3. Yes and I'm totally addicted - How do I use it for promoting my business?

1. What is Pinterest?

Pinterest defines itself as “virtual pinboard that lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite."

2. Yes, but its artsy and creative and I'm not  

I started looking at Pinterest because I wanted to share recipes, but initially I felt like it was just for creative and crafty people.  I really just ignored it for a while but people just kept talking about it all over the place, so I dug a little deeper. 


I started "pinning" (think of it like bookmarking) my blog posts and found that I was getting more blog traffic from Pinterest than Facebook or Twitter! (Simply put: more people were clicking on my links posted to Pinterest than those posted on Facebook or Twitter.)


3. Yes and I'm totally addicted - How do I use it for promoting my business?



First, build your personal boards - Use the getting started guides and start pinning things that interest you.  I have boards for Weight Loss, Social Media, Organization, Home Decor, etc.

Second, follow your friends (the getting started guides will help you find them) and others whose pins interest you. Also be sure to comment on others pins.  This shows them that you have similar interests.

Next, start thinking like your target market (Simply put: the people you want to attract to your business). What are your ideal clients interested in?  Home school? Scrapbooking? Weight loss? Workouts? Fashion? Party planning? What kinds of things would they appreciate?  Time saving tips? Money saving tips? You get the idea.  Take 5-10 minutes each day to pin things that would be helpful or interesting to these particular people you are interested in reaching.

So, how do I promote my business?


This comes last because I don't want you going into Pinterest giving your self a bad rap right off the start.  Well, I don't want you doing that at all.  By bad rap, I mean I don't want you to look like a slimy marketer.


Once you've established some followers and built some interesting boards, start pinning for your business.  Perhaps just adding some pins to the Products I Love board to start.  Don't add every product or service you offer all at once, spamming your followers with sales pitches and don't forget to keep building on your other boards too.

Ready, Set, Pin!

Facebook for low-cost and no-cost promotions

I was recently invited to speak to a group of Direct Sales professionals in a Business Bootcamp series and make some recommendations on low-cost and no-cost promotions, specifically, using Facebook and other social media for promotions.


I've decided to touch on using Facebook for networking not selling, as well as how to effectively use Pages and Groups. I'm also going to introduce them to Pinterest as a promotional tool. 

I'll be writing individual posts for each topic over the next couple of days, so stay tuned!

If you're looking for something to chew on in the meantime, here are some links I suggested for this audience consisting of social media users at varying skill levels.

FREE Facebook 101 tutorial

Forbes Magazine, Facebook 101 for Busy Business Owners

Enhancing your Personal Profile for Business Purposes

Top 10 MIstakes Direct Sellers Make in Social Media 

If you have specific questions about how to use Facebook or other Social Media tools to promote your business or organization, please post them in the comments below or on my Simply Social FB Fan Page.