Seriously, people. As much as we like to talk about tools, do we stop and think about the purpose behind them? Just because Flickr is getting redesigned and may look more like Pinterest does not mean they are competition. To be fair to Mashable author Zoe Fox, she does not suggest this will happen in her article. But I have seen plenty of articles or posts about Pinterest killing Flickr, Pinterest combining Flickr and Delicious, etc and this is not even mentioning the Twitter stream.
While you could theoretically use Pinterest in the way you use Flickr, that isn’t in my opinion what it’s set up for. Flickr allows users to upload and share photos, create albums, etc. I can then share photos on behalf of my company, or share pictures of Piper’s birthday to the masses. The cross over here, perhaps, is for artists that may post their photography on Flickr and then also create a Pinterest page to share their work.
Personally, I don’t WANT Flickr to try to be Pinterest. I love the focus on a more visual interface, and more power to you on the redesign. But what I love about Pinterest is the ability to visually share ideas. I can share products I love, which can also serve as a bookmarked visual list of things I love to buy and where to buy them. I can share home decor items that all visually go together but are collected from hundreds of different websites. And no matter whether the item is still available from that store or retailer, I have an idea of what it looked like and possibly what it was called or who made it so I can search elsewhere.
Then, there is the wonderful Pinterest stream. I can view Home Decor again, for example, but this time see all of the other things thousands of Pinterest users are posting. It is a great way to expose yourself to new items AND new retailers. I think Pinterest will turn into an excellent referral source for online retailers. While some of these home decor items, such as furnishings, are quite expensive…I still have my handy Pinterest board that I can reference later.
So do I see new Flickr taking away value from Pinterest? Not in the slightest. Do I see Pinterest “killing” Flickr? No, not really. I think there could be some crossover, but given the fundamental idea of sharing that is engrained in Pinterest, I only see crossover for professionals and why wouldn’t they keep both sites?
Lately, you’ve probably seen every guru come out of the woodwork trying to explain how you can use Pinterest for a business purpose. I would caution that while you can think of ways to use this for any business, the current greatest value is in online retail. For instance, check out how one of my favorite home decor websites, Layla Grace, is using Pinterest to share ideas and vignettes with users.
What do you think the greatest value is for Pinterest? And what is it’s greatest threat?
My Blog Post from Training that Sticks on Creating Delight -
Some times customers ask us whether Signature Worldwide company get-togethers can really be as much fun as our training sessions. We will leave it to you to decide whether delight was created during this extra special closing ceremony, featuring the Signature Worldwide Air Symphony’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.
Signature Worldwide is known for training classes and business solutions that are inspiring and fun, results-driven, and stick with participants for years to come. Now we can add our musical abilities to the list!
It always amazes me how people can get jobs by purporting themselves to know things, rather than having actual abilities. I know I have made hiring mistakes with people like this…have you? When hiring, it is imperative that you make sure someone knows how to DO the work. What if it was their manager or editor or coworker? What if their portfolio has been heavily edited by someone else or is full of pieces by the “department” but not by the individual?
Always get multiple references from reliable sources and unless you have first hand knowledge of their abilities, give them a test. Check them out on LinkedIn…who do you know that they know? Do they have a lot of referrals? What do their personal social media profiles look like? Why did they leave their last job? Don’t just rely on that person’s answer, dig deeper into who this person is by asking mutual contacts for details. The best case scenario is that everyone says the person is awesome. Worst case scenario is that you save yourself time, money, and liability by not hiring a dud.
Perhaps the candidate wowed you in their interview by using all the right words. They said things like “SEO” and “target audiences” and “integrated strategies.” Sometimes the biggest duds can give the best first impressions. Unless you are hiring for a bullshitter, then by all means, just go on first impressions. Otherwise, test your candidates! Can they spell? Can they make good strategic decisions? Would you trust them with your dog, let alone your company Facebook page?Design your test based not in a live environment, but based on a situation they may encounter.
Sample scenario: Our company is launching a new Facebook game. It’s targeted to this demographic. Take two hours to research and present me with: a social media launch plan, a web advertising plan, and include sample tweets, Facebook posts, web ad copy, and keywords to target.
Then sit them in a cube outside your office and tell them to get to work. If they know what they are doing, they should at least have an idea of where to start. If they panic, run for the hills, or give you a cut and paste document with paragraphs from Wikipedia…well then you may have a problem.
Making a bad hiring decision costs you money and time…two things that are so precious when it comes to promoting a company, engaging customers, and maintaining a positive online reputation. Don’t take your chances and go with your gut…back up your intuition with facts.
What do you think? Any other advice for hiring in the social media or digital marketing arena?
Ohio Social Media Policy & Guidelines 2010 -
Ohio’s social media policy was created in 2010 to provide guidelines to State of Ohio employees on the use of social media and the integration of gov 2.0 (or #gov20) in state government.
This was a collaboration with Ohio Governor Ted Strickland’s office, the Ohio Department of Commerce (Cara [Keithley] Posey), Ohio Department of Administrative Services (Ron Sylvester), and the Ohio CIO’s office.
LongHorn Steakhouse social media response in less than half a day…from a staff member from the specific location I referenced
My customer loyalty means something to you. If it doesn’t, it should. After all, Forrester Research says loyal customers are more reluctant to switch companies, willing to buy more products, and are more likely to recommend your company.
I want you to consider my loyalty a sign. Obviously you are doing something right, whether it’s as simple as you have a great location to the fact that you offer an awesome product or you have killer customer service. I also want you to know that while I am likely to recommend you to everyone I know, I’m not the type to answer the survey at the bottom of a receipt. So I expect you to do some leg work and figure out what it is that makes me, your loyal customer, happy. And when you find the answer, reward it and replicate it.
While at my first week at Signature Worldwide, I went to lunch with my boss at LongHorn Steakhouse. I don’t know how many years it had been since I’d been to a LongHorn…I had no real positive or negative feelings about the brand. But my boss told me that they had good salads, so I ordered an entree salad and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was.
I generally do not go out for lunch. I eat every day at my desk while working or checking Facebook or reading the news. I opt for quick lunch options that fit in with my schedule, but there is only so much fast food anyone can take. I decided to give LongHorn carryout a try. I walked in to order at the bar and was greeted by a smiling blonde bartender named June. June took my order and offered me a free Diet Coke. She put my dressing on the side and made sure I had warm bread and sent me on my way with a smile in less than ten minutes. I returned to my desk at work to enjoy my warm bread and crisp salad and thought fondly of my lunch experience. It was certainly worth the $9.99, which was higher than what I’d pay at a fast food restaurant, but the level of service and the product made it worth it to me.
Over the coming months, I started ordering salads to go from LongHorn at least once a week. I always looked forward to seeing June and knowing that she would never forget my dressing and would always send me back to work feeling happy. I even started to go to LongHorn with my family once every few weeks, introducing them to my new-found restaurant of choice.
Today, however, I walked in and was not greeted by the hostesses as usual. The bar was busy and June was rushed. She still greeted me with a smile, but no free Diet Coke today. She got my order, packed to perfection, and still sent me on my way in 10 minutes or less. I left feeling a little disappointed…not in June, but in the restaurant. Something seemed amiss today, and I wanted to smack anyone who had caused sweet June to deliver less than awesome service. I wondered if anyone knew that I came to LongHorn because of the service I received? Because June gave me a free Diet Coke and made me feel valued for choosing them over another takeout option? Because the hostesses always thanked me and opened the door for me, even when I just got a salad to go?
So, this post is for LongHorn and every other brand. I count on you to reward good service. I count on you to recognize that little things like a free Diet Coke make a huge difference in me feeling valued to you. I count on you to notice that June builds personal relationships with those of us at the bar and makes us feel special, even though we just stop by for a takeout lunch. I count on you to give her credit…heck, give June a raise. At the end of the day, she coupled with the good food I never knew you had, are what keep me coming back.
Now, back to my salad…
Google Alerts is one of the best free listening tools on the web. Many business professionals still do not understand the value that these alerts can bring them when they do client research and build content for their own social media voices. (This is important for everyone…not just for those professionals “in charge” of social media.)
You define what’s interesting and Google Alerts finds it and brings it to your inbox as it happens, daily, or weekly. If you don’t know how to set one up, visit www.google.com/alerts and enter your search terms, decide what you want to see (type), how often you want to see it, and how much you want to see (volume.) Depending on the subject, you may only want news or you may want to also get blogs and videos, it’s all up to you. You also may want to receive this information daily or weekly or narrow it down to what Google considers the best stuff, but for reputation related searches I suggest as-it-happens and all results. I certainly want to know everything said or posted about me or my brand.
How Can I Use Alerts for Client Research?
Consider not only what’s relevant to you, but what’s relevant to the client.
How Can I Use Alerts for Social Media?
Monitor alerts for relevant content and consider sharing on social media.
Keep yourself in check.
Share good ideas and content internally.
Final Thoughts
Cara Posey, Director of Marketing for Signature Worldwide
I have left the world of government for a new challenge. I am now the Director of Marketing for Signature Worldwide, a training and business solutions company. Check us out on Facebook. I will still be talking about government and higher education, but also about customer service, sales, training, social media, and more. Just think of it as extending my horizon.
Mayor Shows Government Leaders How to Use Social Media in a Crisis -
Government leaders have a thing or two to learn about using social media in a crisis from Mayor Cory Booker of Newark New Jersey. First lesson: use social media to listen to and help your citizens. Social media is not just another push communications channel for your campaign messages. Second lesson: people will remember you for how you respond in a crisis. Personal responses garner so much more goodwill than generic ones (see the difference, comparing Booker with NYC Mayor Bloomberg in this Village Voice blog post calling Booker the hero of the snowpocalypse.)
Government staff and campaign staff alike should take note of this example of leadership.