E-Marketing Associates

Tips for Business Marketing with Pinterest

Golda Criddle by
on December 28th, 2011

Move over, Facebook, Digg and Reddit. There is a new social bookmarking website growing fast in popularity over the last four months—Pinterest. The company has exploded from 1.2 million users in August 2011 to over 4 million in December 2011. During one week in December, the site received over 11 million visits.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Pictures can convey emotion, moods and evoke feelings in a much simpler and engaging way than words.  That is the idea behind apps like Instagram, and now, Pinterest; a place to organize and share online images. The network calls these images Pins, which are placed on Boards for any topic imaginable, from cats to food to national monuments. Users can comment and “repin” images on their own boards, which can be shared via Facebook or Twitter. For now the Pinterest club is exclusive to those who are invited. You can sign up for invites via the website or ask a friend to send you an invite.


Pinterest is not just a place to share images—it can be a useful organization tool. For example, brides-to-be can replace wedding planner binders with a Pinterest account, organizing gifts, dresses and styles. Those redecorating their homes can create a Board for each room and pin decorating ideas to share with their family or roommates. Cooks can keep an online recipe “book” and artists can keep a Board of inspiring images. Crafty individuals and shoppers can bookmark tutorials and products they like. Foodies can collect their favorite food, restaurants and places to travel.

How can marketers benefit from Pinterest?

  • Word of mouth: Pinterest is a great referral tool, in some cases better than Facebook, according to Shannon King, GM of digital for Real Simple magazine, who saw more traffic to their site from Pinterest in October. Promoting yourself is frowned upon on Pinterest, but you can make it very easy for people to share your images on their boards by creating a “pin it” button for your site.
  • Build a community through engagement and research. To avoid simply promoting yourself, think creatively when making boards on Pinterest. Hotels and retailers can create a suggestion board for guests to pin renovation and product ideas. It’s a fun, collaborative way to get customers involved and conduct research on what they’re interested in.

How do you plan to use Pinterest in your marketing efforts? Feel free to make suggestions in the comments below!

Categories: B2B & B2C,Blog,Photo & Video,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter — Tags: , , , , , , ;

Hotel for the Holidays: A Social Media Poem

Renee Radia by
on December 21st, 2011

‘Twas the last week of December, when all through the hotel,
The staff was busy, getting rooms ready to sell.
The lobby was decorated with garland galore,
Holiday music played overhead; who could want more?

Ice skating, tree lighting, caroling, and sledding,
Nearby activities where guests will be heading.
But how to get the word out about these fun events?
A Facebook post or Tweet makes quite a bit of sense.

Log in to Facebook and post to the Page,
Use a Bitly link to track clicks (they’re all the rage)!
Facebook’s new Insights tell you all that you need,
Reach, Virality, Engaged Users, indeed.

Visit your wall and respond to your fans,
People are more likely to include you in their plans.
“Thanks for choosing us,” “Glad you enjoyed your stay,”
These are just some of the potential responses you can say.
And for super fans who often promote your account,
Why not offer them a social media discount?

Don’t forget about Twitter, where news can spread quickly,
If you don’t respond fast, things can get prickly.
Schedule in advance with Tweetdeck or Hootsuite,
Use Twitpic or Twitvid to showcase your retreat.
Post regular content and tweet to your guests,
Also check your mentions and various requests.

But, alas, as you look, there’s a tweet that you see,
An unhappy guest in room three-o-three!
He wanted non-smoking, yet smoke is in the air,
So tweet to him that you soon will be there.

Note his surprise, as you knock on his door,
No one has ever responded like this before!
As you relocate him to a new smoke-free room,
It is clear that a lifelong guest is in bloom.
After you help him, what do you know,
He is on Tripadvisor, posting reviews aglow!

The holidays really are such a crucial time,
To make a good impression and act truly sublime.
Using social media can put your guests at ease,
The possibilities are endless and it can be a breeze!

Another busy day at your hotel has come and gone,
Your guests are snuggled in and the curtains are drawn.
And yet some televisions are still quite ablare,
With free movie specials they won on Foursquare.

Categories: Blog,Facebook,Hotel Internet Marketing,Hotels & Resorts,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter — Tags: , , , , , ;

A Look Back at Some Noteworthy Android Apps of 2011

David Sotelo by
on December 19th, 2011

2011 was a huge year for Google and their Android operating system. They started off 2011 with grand expectations and for many have met them. For the third quarter of 2011, Android’s market share was 53% for all smartphones worldwide which is staggering considering they were half that a year ago. As their operating system grew so did their applications and 2011 brought some really great applications along with it. The apps listed are not necessarily the most download or popular of 2011 but they are still worth checking out if you haven’t already.

Facebook: This one should come as no surprise since the Social Networking behemoth has over 800 million registered users. Facebook is the most popular app for Android users between 18 and 34.

Netflix: It was only a matter of time before the king of online movie rentals released their android application. There has been a few updates and it is now compatible with most devices and the movies look great.

Angry Birds: Angry birds exploded in popularity in 2011 and has grown from angry birds to angry birds rio and seasons. If you have never played it you will want to download this right away but one warning it is very addicting.

Power Amp: If you listen to your music on your android phone this is a great application. It is one of the best music players you can find on the market with features galore.

Swiftkey X Keyboard: If you are finicky about your typing or are a fan of swype then you swiftkey may be the app for you. It learns how you type so you can be a speed demon on your virtual keyboard.

Google Currents: This was a late comer but it Google really knocked it out of the park with this one. If you want one place to read your news and content in a beautiful layout this is the one.

Live Wallpapers: This is not exactly a new one either but live wallpapers have really blossomed in 2011.There are some beautiful ones including koi live, jungle waterfall and snowfall to name a few.

There are so many great applications for your android devices that came out this year and the way android is progressing there should be some even better ways to keep us enriching our lives. Mobile devices are transforming our lives in a wonderful way and we can only imagine what the New Year will bring.

Categories: App Reviews,Blog,Dr. App,Uncategorized — Tags: , , ;

Will Twitvid Become the Facebook of Video?

Golda Criddle by
on December 16th, 2011

Sharing pictures and videos on Twitter has always been a clunky process. Apps like Twitpic and Twitvid make the process simple by allowing video uploads through cell phones available instantly to share on Twitter. No doubt you have visited these sites briefly while browsing through Twitter. Twitvid aims to convince you to stick around with a redesign that will make it “a complete open-source YouTube.”

Twitvid’s mission is to be the new social network for sharing videos. The new site incorporates a feed of videos from Twitvid, YouTube, and Vimeo which can be organized into channels. You can also repost these videos or share them on Facebook and Twitter. Following channels made by other members leads to their videos showing up in your video feed. These channels can be public or private so that anyone can add videos to your channel (if that is your preference).

The new interface looks very similar to Facebook’s latest design, with popular videos on the left, video feed in the middle, followers and suggested followers on the right hand side. Twitvid users can follow celebrities, brands or certain interests to find the best videos. In this way, profiles will focus on individual tastes rather than top rated video content. Videos in channels can be watched full-screen and automatically in succession, mimicking the traditional television channel. There are also plans to incorporate video services such as Hulu and Blip.tv as well as allow people in different locations to watch videos at the same time.

All of these changes are part of Twitvid’s scheme to become a social video discovery tool that relies less on searching like Google’s YouTube. Individuals and celebrities alike can create their own channels for others to follow. With over 42 billion online videos watched in the U.S. in October 2011 alone, video is a viral marketing tool that today’s businesses cannot ignore.

With this redesign, Twitvid has the potential to become the Facebook of online video. Businesses often use Facebook to host contests to promote their products or properties. The new channels of Twitvid make an excellent platform for hosting video contest content in one place, with the possibility of multiple posters per channel and comments in the feed right underneath. How do you plan on using the new Twitvid for your business?

Categories: Blog,Photo & Video,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Twitter — Tags: , , , ;

Blogger Outreach: How to Make the Initial Contact

Renee Radia by
on December 14th, 2011

We have already covered on this blog the importance of doing blogger outreach for your hotel or brand. Having your company written about in the blogosphere can be invaluable press and because of the increasing amounts of people reading blogs everyday, an honest opinion or review of your property or services has the power to be very influential. People tend to trust bloggers because bloggers typically write very authentic and straight-forward thoughts. So how do you get your hotel or brand discussed by bloggers?

First, find the right bloggers to reach out to. There are so many bloggers out there and you need to make sure you target blogs that will actually benefit your business and reflect appropriately on you. After you have used such websites as Technorati and Google Blog Search to find the best fit blogs, it’s time to start forming relationships with these bloggers.

Before you actually contact anyone directly, there are a few things you should do that will really increase your chances of getting a response from the blogger, let alone getting the response you actually want! Read the blog’s articles. Leave insightful comments. Pose questions that inspire discussion. Bloggers love having their material read and they want conversations about their articles, so if you add to that discussion right out of the gate then the blogger will at the very least have you on his radar. If you come across an article that you really connect with or you think your fans and followers would enjoy, share it with them! Make sure to tag the blog or blogger so he knows you linked to him and enjoy his work. Don’t forget to read the About Me section on the blog. Some blogs have very detailed information and knowing more about the blogger will only enhance your relationship! Who knows…maybe you can connect over the fact that you both love Dave Matthews Band or own the same dog breed! Bloggers are more inclined to help you if you also help them (i.e. promoting their articles) so making a great first impression is key.

Finally, you are ready to reach out to the blogger. However, don’t simply send a mass email to all bloggers. Personalize your “pitch,” and don’t forget to address the blogger by his name! Let the blogger know what you liked about his blog. Let him know why you chose his blog to cover your hotel or brand over the other blogs. Why is your property or business valuable to his readers? It can be fun to invite the blogger to actually stay at your property or try out your product, but be careful to not violate any rules set by the FTC. Perhaps offer his readers a special social media discount. Let the blogger know your hotel’s story or give him a little information on the event you’d like him to write about, but don’t include too much content on your first correspondence with him. Keep it short! Provide him with links to your hotel’s or brand’s website, Flickr or photos page, etc.

Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a response. Lucky for you, there will always be another blog! Just remember to do your research, get involved in the community, customize your correspondence, and most importantly, be genuine!

Categories: Blog,Google,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , , ;

Mobile News Gets Elegant with Google Currents

David Sotelo by
on December 12th, 2011

I am sure many of you have either used or  heard of Google Reader. Google has updated the way we consume our mobile content and news in a major way. It’s called Google Currents and what it does is customize and personalize your news in a magazine like format. It is available for download now for both Android and iOS operating systems. You can add all your favorite content like Google reader or any other aggregator however you get it in a much more elegant and mobile way. So anything from your go to news publications to your favorite blogs will easily accessible in an easy to use swipeable format.

 

There are currently three editions to choose from including publisher, trending and favorites. Publisher edition is really nice because it gives you in depth articles, videos, photos and slideshows with high quality images. The navigation is easy to use with you basically swiping side to side and up and down to get to all you’re content. Trending gives you all you top stories that are currently trending throughout the web. You can customize the trending stories from different categories such a top stories, world, business, entertainment, sports, health, technology and science. Favorites is where you can add all the sites you want. The library section is where you can search for editions and blogs as well as add whatever is currently linked up to your Google reader account.

 

 

Twitter is great for up to the minute news and trending topics however Currents is optimized for mobile so it does a good job of presenting all your personalized content in a very fluent and appealing way. Another plus is Currents offers offline reading and article sharing though major social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. If you use news feeds and aggregators such as Pulse or Taptu then you will probably find Currents a welcome addition. Now the hard part is finding out which one to keep and how to make the news even more personalized.

Categories: App Reviews,Blog,Google — Tags: , , , , , , , , ;

Stumble Upon a Gem with the New StumbleUpon

Golda Criddle by
on December 9th, 2011

What have you stumbled upon lately while surfing the web? Chances are you’ve used StumbleUpon to find the latest viral video, picture or funny article. You’re not alone: as of August 2011, StumbleUpon drove half of all social media traffic, surpassing Facebook. It also boasts 20 million users who stumble over one billion web pages every month.

This week, StumbleUpon overhauled its website platform and logo in favor of a simpler, more visual site. The standard blue-green logo is now reddish-orange and white, and users can view all their StumbleUpon activity on their profiles. A new, black center bar on the top of the page called the “Stumblebar”  makes it easy to search for content and share via email, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  The biggest change, however, was the implementation of photo-driven channels.


Users can be specific and tell StumbleUpon what they like so the serendipitous site can act more like a search engine tailored to their interests. For example, you can follow brands (Gucci) instead of generic titles (luxury fashion), celebrities and site content from newspapers (The Atlantic Wire and video blogs (Funny or Die.com). StumbleUpon calls these categories “channels” and their function is similar to Twitter accounts. These channels are a less intrusive form of advertising. More than 250 brands, actors and sports figures have set up channels with StumbleUpon such as Audi, AOL, ESPN, Tom Hanks and Magic Johnson. It is also much easier to track all the pages, photos and videos that a user has liked in the past with the new StumbleUpon.

In August, StumbleUpon launched its “Explore Box,” which allowed for users to treat the site like a search engine and search for specific topics instead of looking through categories. You can search for “William Shakespeare” and related searches will pop up below the bar such as “Sexuality of William Shakespeare.” Based on your search, StumbleUpon also suggests three search terms you may enjoy (in this case: England, London and France).

These changes signal StumbleUpon’s new focus on curated content rather than random stumbling. With the new channels, you can follow content on “Sexuality of William Shakespeare” without following ALL William Shakespeare content. The updates also make StumbleUpon “sticky”— more accessible to users. Once you start using the new StumbleUpon, you’ll find gems that were hiding underneath the surface of the old platform. Try it out today to uncover your latest web treasure!

Categories: Blog,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , , ;

The New Tube of YouTube

Renee Radia by
on December 7th, 2011

Late last week, YouTube unveiled a sleek new interface. Unlike many other social networks’ redesigns that roll out gradually, YouTube’s occurred in one instant with the click of a button. The popular video-sharing site’s changes aim to take content sharing to the next level as well as promote the updated Channels feature. As is expected when a social network makes big design changes, YouTube is already on the receiving end of backlash and negative comments about the updates. However, with YouTube’s recent announcement of its desire to become a real alternative to cable television, the site felt the clean redesign was necessary in order to draw in more people, make sharing across social networks easier, and give the Channels a chance to shine.

Content sharing
YouTube now offers deeper integration among Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Users can connect their Google+ and Facebook accounts directly to YouTube to share their favorite videos with their circles and friends and also see what videos their connections are sharing. Taking a page from Twitter, there is also now a Trending tab, where current popular videos and channels scroll in a news feed. Under the Trending tab are other categories of videos that allow users to explore and find content often tailored directly to them.

Channels
With over 160 million unique viewers a month, YouTube is trying to increase that number with an updated Channels feature that is designed to compete with broadcast and cable television. The site now encourages users to subscribe to channels, which are essentially just collections of videos. In order to contend with TV, it is only natural that the site has announced upcoming series from high-profile partners, such as Jay-Z and Ashton Kutcher, who will provide original content that will entice users to tune in online and subscribe to their channels. Channels are suggested on the left side of the screen and a bright blue “Add Channels” button is at the top of the screen as well, making it very simple for users to find content and subscribe to channels in which they are interested. With various video recommendations along the right side of the screen, the site hopes users will stay on the site longer, and instead of clicking around on a video or two, will check out all the content on their favorite channels.

While the redesign is definitely different and sometimes so many recommended videos can be a bit annoying, it was necessary for YouTube to perform these updates and as with redesigns to other social networks, the backlash will subside in time. Integration between social networks was inevitable for this site and is probably something that should have happened long ago. It will be interesting to see how users respond to the Channels and if YouTube can ever become a real competitor to television.

Categories: Blog,Facebook,Google,Internet Marketing,Social Media,Social Media Marketing,Uncategorized,Websites — Tags: , , , , ;

Foursquare’s New Face for the New Year

Golda Criddle by
on December 5th, 2011

Have you visited Foursquare’s website lately?  Many use the service solely for checking in and unlocking deals via mobile phones. This is a fun way to discover tips and specials about places you have visited but previously did not offer much in terms of discovering new places. As of November 15, 2011, Foursquare has redesigned their website to be a more useful place for digital word of mouth.

When you login to Foursquare, you’ll see a horizontal, wide map that displays your last check in. If you use the buttons on the left hand side to zoom out, you can see where your friends have checked in. You can view multiple cities, even countries at a time. On the map above, you can see several icons highlighted around you –these are popular places on Foursquare. Foursquare even tells you if a friend has checked in at places in the past.

This new data is location and time sensitive. If you login during lunch or dinner hours, Foursquare will show you popular places to eat nearby. It factors in not only your own data, but also local Foursquare users and your friends. If you visit a new city, you can see where your friends have checked in and plan accordingly. The inspiration for this may have come from Plan My Next Trip, the web application that won the 2011 Foursquare Hackathon. The app can plan a weekend trip in any location based on Foursquare data from your friends, your history and other users.

Along with the website changes, Foursquare is also offering a new sharing button that will appear with Facebook’s “Like” and Google’s  “+1” called “Save to Foursquare.” The button will allow users to add venues to their “To-Do List” on Foursquare with one easy click. Users with “Radar” on the iPhone iOS 5 update will be reminded when they are in the area of the venue to visit.

How can businesses use these features to their advantage? With over one billion check ins, Foursquare is a data pool local businesses cannot afford to ignore. Here are some ideas:

  • Keep encouraging people to check in with incentives to drive online word of mouth.
  • Offer discounts for group check ins to allow for more conversations on your brand.
  • If you notice that a particular person regularly checks in and leaves tips, reward them. Create a special dish or deal named after them, incorporate their tips, and give them special freebies.

How will you use these new Foursquare features? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Categories: B2B & B2C,Blog,Social Media Marketing — Tags: , , , , ;