Pinterest Basics

Pinterest is a social online bookmarking site where users can share popular images or videos they find from across the web. Those images are populated in real time with the most popular content appearing on the top of the page. Here is our bare-bones guide to setting up and using Pinterest.

Pinterest Basics: Using Pinterest for Content Generation

Chances are if any given piece of content is receiving positive feedback on Pinterest, it will be equally engaging if posted elsewhere. For example, if you are having a hard time finding content for your followers on Facebook or Twitter, a engaging picture taken from Pinterest may be just what you’re looking for.

An easy way to find the most engaging content on Pinterest is to use the do a specific search for an industry related topic, then look for the number of likes, comments, or repins.

Providing visually stimulating content increases the likelihood of users commenting, liking, and ultimately sharing your content which may increase the traffic to your Facebook fanpage and hopefully gain you some new fans.

Pinterest Basics: Setting up and Pinning to Boards

To request a Pinterest account you must do so through their website. After receiving your invite to join Pinterest, the account set up is pretty self explanatory with the most important step being to secure your Brand’s username. The same way you would reserve a Twitter Handle or Facebook page URL.

Our Pinterest username is pinterest.com/netbiz

Boards

Boards are a convenient way to organize your content you share on Pinterest. When you create an account on Pinterest you’ll be provided default boards and we suggest you change these to more relevant topics to your business.

Remember people are more likely to follow rich full boards than ones that are sparsely populated.

Pinning

The act of “Pinning” refers to cataloging content on Pinterest. You are given the ability to upload images or videos from your computer, or simply Pin the URL of what you would like to share.

When writing the description for your Pin remember that Pinterest supports hashtags ( # ) much like Twitter. Due to the themed nature of Pinterest, hashtags can help you organize your content and make it easier for it to be searched for.

Looking for more information? Follow Pinterest on Mashable

Have any other “Pinteresting” suggestions? Let us know in the comment section below.

{ 0 comments }

Big news today in the world of social media: Facebook Timeline for Brand Pages are now available to preview!  This means you’ll have a chance to familiarize yourself with the new features before the full rollout happening March 30th; after this date the old layout will be unavailable.

Since Facebook’s announcement the Web has been buzzing with tips and info about the changes to the current business platform and Facebook has provided its own resource for early adopters looking to get ahead of the game.

Netbiz Social put together this helpful graphic outlining the specific dimensions of the Timeline features to maximize your visual branding. Make sure to read the cover photo policies listed below as well.

Some examples of Brands who’ve already adopted Timeline can be found on Mashable.

Facebook Timeline Dimensions

A) Cover Photo

  1. The dimensions for the cover photo are 851 x 315 pixels.
  2. This will be the first thing people will see when they visit your page.
  3. You can change your cover photo as often as you like.
  4. Be creative and experiment with images your audience responds well to.

B) Branded Profile Picture

  1. Use a high-quality image that scales from 180 x 180 pixels to 32 x 32 pixels for your thumbnail image.
  2. This will appear as a thumbnail image in news feed stories, ads, and featured stories you produce.
  3. We recommend choosing a picture that represents your business, such as your logo.

C) Arrange your views and apps

  1. Choose the other three views and apps you want to appear by default on your Page. You can include up to 12 views and apps.
  2. You can customize the images for your apps under “Manage” in “Edit Page” in the admin panel.
  3. Photos will always appear as the first app in the row

Cover photos cannot include:

  • Purchase Information, such as “10% off” or “Download it at our website”
  • Contact Information such as a website address, email, mailing address, or information that should go in your Page’s “About” section
  • References to Facebook features or actions, such as “Like” or “Share” or an arrow pointing from the cover photo to any of these features
  • Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”

This information and more can be found here.

{ 0 comments }

If you are running a promotion or contest on Facebook, it is prerequisite that you know the promotional guidelines. Social Media Specialist Jacob Curtis covers the important rules that need to be considered for social contests on Facebook. Follow @NetbizSEM for daily marketing tips and industry news (#socialmediaminute).

{ 0 comments }

Viral videos will be a hot topic in 2012. With high-end cameras and editing software becoming more affordable and readily available to the average Joe, the opportunity for you to showcase your business while generating massive amounts of buzz via viral videos has arrived.

First, let’s define what a viral video is:

“A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email.” (via Mashable)

The Internet has essentially provided more avenues for you to reach your customers and with more and more consumers preferring video content to any other form, many companies have turned to video production in their advertising initiatives.

So here are 5 steps to help you make your next advertising video go viral.

1) Quality:Social Quality

Sure, most videos that go viral are either filmed on a webcam or mobile phone. However, when it comes to representing your business neither of these will do.

The good news is, most video recording devices and the software to edit your video have become more user friendly and inexpensive than ever before.

Providing the best quality of video will be crucial with most formats being in high definition (HD).

2) Different Platforms:Netbiz Social

The wise hunter sets more than one trap. In this case, though YouTube is a great place to start, there are many more options available, and with viral videos, the more places one can find or stumble upon your content, the better.

Submitting your video to sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Vimeo, Reddit, StumbleUpon or other industry-specific platforms will help generate more traffic.

3) Length:stop watch

This one is hard to judge when it comes to video content. Some of the most successful viral videos are anywhere from 30 seconds to 5 minutes.

The ideal length for your video really depends on production quality and the message you are trying to relay.

Keep the content concise and easy to follow with one call of action or message throughout the entire piece, and be sure to delete anything that isn’t strictly necessary to your video.

Sometimes viral marketing is more than just a single execution, it can also be an integrated campaign.

4) Understand Your Audience:audience

Sometimes humor may not be the best medicine. Understanding your audience and the reasons they would want to share your content are very important to remember.

After all, their online reputation is at stake, and nobody wants to share something with their network that they themselves don’t enjoy. Will they share your content because it makes them stop and think, or because it is moving and deeply emotional?

Also, creating content relevant to mainstream media or trending topics is a good avenue to focus on. Finally, consider the feedback your audience is providing your content and use it to improve your future projects.

5) Ask:fun-questions-to-ask-a-guy

Sometimes the most overlooked part of creating viral content is asking your audience to share it. Chances are if they enjoyed what they just watched then they are thinking about sharing it and asking them to share will motivate them to do so.

Do your part and make it as easy as possible for them to share.

Use social sharing buttons for people to Tweet or post to Facebook. Some videos have even gone as far as providing incentives for sharing (ex: once this video reaches 1,000 views we will provide you with a coupon code or we will donate to XYZ charity).

Some companies have even turned to crowd sourcing (or asking their audience to submit their own related content) with video contests that ask for testimonials or informational pieces.

Finally, and maybe the most important task, is to ask people with authority (influential social media users) to share your content with their existing audience. This is beneficial whether the authority is an industry leader with a massive Twitter following, or someone whose Facebook page has numerous fans in your industry.

These are just a few tips to get you started. With so much content on the Web, going viral should be a major goal for the content you produce.

{ 0 comments }

NetBiz Social Media Minute | Migrating Your Facebook Profile to a Fan Page

December 29, 2011

A quick tutorial from Social Media Specialist Jacob Curtis that illustrates how to convert your personal Facebook profile into a business Fan Page. Make sure to pay attention to the features that will be affected before completing the switch. Keep it social and learn more at http://facebook.com/netbiz.netbiz

Read the full article →