Unless you have had your head buried in a hole the last few weeks, I am sure you have heard of Pinterest.

Pinterest is the newest social media platform. It is a place to save(pin) images and videos on a board for later use. Your boards are then shared with other Pinterest users who can repin content that they like to their boards. This platform is very visual and is great for creating sharable images.

This platform could be a great tool for interior designers, teachers, artists, photographers, small business owners, anyone who loves DIY projects, crafters, magazines, museums, tourist attractions, SPCA and the list goes on…

How to use Pinterest:

1. Sign up for Pinterest

2. Create Boards- Currently I have a “Homeschooling” board and a “Home Ideas” board but you can name boards anything you want to separate your images just like categories

3. Save the Pin It bookmark to your computer- This book mark stays on top of your screen allowing you to easily hit the Pin It button and save the image to the board of your choice

4. You can use the search bar to search other peoples boards for specific keywords.

Why is Pinterest great for business?

1. It is a great way to make content viral!

2.  It always documents the original source of the content on the pin. Which means no matter who pins your content, it will be linked back to your site.

3. It offers great SEO potential

Some great links on how to use Pinterest:

Ideas on how people can use Pinterest : http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/293314/how-do-people-use-pinterest/1

To learn how to use the Pin It Button: http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3297-How-to-Use-Pinterest-for-Your-Ecommerce-Business

Tagged In:business, online business, Online business Red Deer, Online Consulting, online training, Pinterest, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer business, social media, social media consulting, social media training

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As one of the first social media consultants in Red Deer I have had to pave my way to create a community who understands the importance of Social Media. Does this mean that Red Deerians were not using social media before me? Haha NO, not even close!! It means that most although they were using it didn’t really know why they were using it and had no plan on how they were using it.

As a business this presented an interesting problem for me, as a player in an industry early in it’s area. The problem was, though it is always nice to have little competition it also means that I hold the responsibility of educating the public in my own hands. A job I take very seriously and enjoy. There is nothing more exciting then seeing the light bulb go on in a clients eyes when they learn the one step they were missing to find success with social media.

Since I began a few other consultants have ventured into Red Deer’s Social Media world, which is exciting since it adds to the knowledge and opens more people’s eyes to the importance of Social Media in Marketing.

To attend any of my upcoming classes and education dates please check HERE

If you are interested in having me speak at a company training event or in hosting a laptop party in or around Red Deer area please contact me. I am always interested in speaking opportunities.

Some of the topics I speak on include:

• Introduction to Social Media
• Social Media for Direct Sales and Multi-Level Marketing
• The Wonders Of LinkedIn
• Twitter for Beginners
• Blogging for Business or Pleasure
• Protecting Your Kids Online, What Every Parent Should Know About Social Media

Tagged In:Guest Speaker, Keynote speaker, Laptop Parties Red Deer, Public Speaker, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer Blogging, Red Deer Classes, Red Deer Consulting, Red Deer Direct Sales, Red Deer instructions, Red Deer LinkedIn, Red Deer Public Speaker, Red Deer Social Media, Red Deer Social Media Consulting, Red Deer Social Media Help, Red Deer Social Media Speaker, Red Deer Speaker, Red Deer teaching, Red Deer Training, Red Deer Twitter, Red Deer Wordpress, Social Media in Red Deer Alberta, Social Media Marketing Red Deer, Speaker

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Anyone who takes my Social Media Classes know I talk alot about “Keywords”

Well what really are Keywords?

Every day there is millions of online searches generated by people all over the world. How do they find what they are looking for when they don’t have a specific website in mind? They type “keywords or phrases” into their search engine.

For example if I was looking for a specific type of Chocolate I heard was made in France, I would probably open up Google and Type in “Chocolate made in France”. There is no guarantee I am going to fall directly on the chocolate I am looking for but there is a good chance that if I scroll down the list a few I may find it.

So as a business how do you decide which keywords to use when promoting your business online?

Start with your industry related words

For example: I would probably start with “Social Media”, “Social Media Consultant” and “Social Media Red Deer” for my keywords.

Review Google Analytics

Review your Google Analytics for keywords people are currently using to find your site. Look for recurring words and new possibilities.

Enter the keywords into Google’s Free Adword tool https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

What I am looking for is which words get the most hits. The reason for this is I know that those are the words that people are typing in to get my services. If the word shows small hits then I will avoid it since it is not likely to generate leads.

The next thing I am looking at is the number of competitors. Meaning the number of websites that are using the keyword. In general my goal is to find keywords that have low- Med competition.

Test

Once you have chosen your words you just need to try them out and see what happens. Keep an eye on your Google Analytics and which words are bringing you hits. There is never a guarantee which words will work the best and it requires ongoing tweaking and measuring to see which words will be your best contributors.

Tagged In:Central Alberta Social Media, Google Analytics, Google Keywords, Keywords, Red Deer, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer Businesses, Red Deer Social Media, Red Deer Social Media Training, Red Deer Websites, Social Media Keywords, social media marketing, Social Media Tools, social media training

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One of the main questions I get asked is should I use a photo of myself or my logo?

The answer to this varies on your branding. Who are you trying to brand your business or yourself? For example McDonalds is branding a business, so they would use their Logo. I am branding myself, so I would use a photo of me.

The next thing to consider is do you use the platform for personal or business. If it is a personal platform it should not be connected to your business.

There is an exception to the rule:

LinkedIn should have your head shot. The reason for this is LinkedIn is promoting you as a professional not your business directly.

Once you decide which image you are going to use, run it through these filters.

Profile Picture:

• The photo is professional
• Keep the image simple
• Head shot avoid full body images
• Simple background
• Current picture (no 1980’s photo from when you were skinnier)

Logo:

• If your logo is very complicated consider using a simplified version of it

Be consistent with the image that you choose use the same image on all platforms.

Once you choose an image stick with it

For more tips on designing social media logos check out http://www.thelogofactory.com/logo-design-tips/social-media-logos/

Images Provided by Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Tagged In:LinkedIn profile, profile pic, profile picture, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer business, Red Deer Businesses, Red Deer Social Media, Red Deer Social Media Training, twitter profile, wordpress profile

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Do you ever wonder when the best times to post on your Social Media platforms are?

As you all know technology is ever changing and how we use it changes just as fast. So when I read the latest recommendations from KISSmetrics I was not surprised to see that the best times to share online have changed since I finished University last year.

According to KISSmetrics:

The best times on Twitter are at noon, 5pm and 6pm. The best days of the week are midweek and weekends.

As for Facebook the best day of the week is Saturday and the best time of the day is noon.

Blogging is most effective in the mornings, with Monday being the best day to post.

Some things to keep in mind when thinking of the best times to post are:

• Who is your target market?
• What are their days like?
• During the day are they at work or home?
• Do they check their platforms from work?

What time zone is your target market in? If you are in a different time zone than them you’ll have to plan this into your Social Media planning.

So now that we know the best times to post does that mean we should all post at the same times every day?
NO!! For best results I would suggest not focusing all your posts to set times. Yes knowing the best times can be helpful and yes we should try to get some posts into those key times…but the key to success is to sprinkle your content.

During peak hours you may get exposure but there is a high chance your message is going to get lost in the hustle and bustle of web traffic.

So sometimes it’s better to sprinkle your message though out the day and week to see which days are your best times. You may be surprised.

During quieter days and hours you may have less people online to see your post but you also have less competition for content to read, making it more likely to get quality reads.

Images provided by Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Tagged In:Blogger, blogging, facebook, facebook training, linkedin, linkedin training, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer Social Media, Red Deer Social Media Consulting, Red Deer Social Media Training, social media training, twitter, twitter training, wordpress

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“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” – Michael Art Shuler

Let’s face it as business owners and moms we are busy! There is no such thing as “extra” time, so this week I decided to make a top 5 list of time saving tips for using social media.

1. Make Time For Success:

Set aside time every day for your social media. When I work with clients I often suggest 45 mins a day, 5 days a week. But split the 45 mins into 3 separate times. 15 mins in the morning, 15 mins before lunch and 15 mins before you are done for the day. If you can’t manage 15 mins at a time cut it back to 10mins. Set a timer to ensure you don’ get wrapped up and lose track of time.

2.Create a Daily To Do List:

Create a daily check list and keep it beside your computer.

Wish people a happy birthday
Respond to all emails in inbox
Make 3 comments on each platform
Update your Statuses

3. Automate:

Use a Social Media Dashboard like HootSuite to pre-automate all posts while updating all accounts from one easy location.

4. Turn Off:

Turn off your platforms during off times. If you listen for update beeps you will loose alot of precious business time and will soon learn to resent your social media.

5. Don’t Try To Do It All

Don’t be a user of all and success of none. Choose 1 or 2 platforms that you can devote most of your time to and stay off the other platforms that you can not commit to. If and when you feel like you have those platforms down pat and have time to add another platform then add another.

Tweetable- “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” – Michael Art Shuler co @jenni_belanger

http://clicktotweet.com/Oank8

Images provided by Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Tagged In:alberta social media, business tips, Jennifer Belanger, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer Business Advice, Red Deer Consulting, Red Deer Social Media business, Social Media Consultant, social media consulting, Social Media Red Deer, Social media time, social media tips, social media training

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Here is a great tip for making the most out of your business photos on Facebook and how to draw people to your website.

Images Provided by: Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Tagged In:Facebook Business, Facebook Business Photos, Jennifer Belanger, Red Deer, Red Deer Alberta, Red Deer Social Media, social media, Social Media Consultant

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