STEP 1: Goals, Branding and Target Audience

Your business has goals and your social plan should too. It’s also a good idea to identify your branding objectives to help guide you in creating your social media plan. Tie your branding objectives to your business goals. If your goal is to gain more customers, then one of your social media goals would be to increase your visibility (let people know you exist). Another goal would be to use social media to engage with your customers to give them a sense of who you are, what you do and what your business offers.

Your social media presence will be a reflection of your business so it’s important to think about the tone you want to use for your social media posts, the images you use and the ad campaigns that you run. These will be the parts of your social media presence that will leave an impression with your audience so you want to have some planning and strategy behind. Your social media channels should also work together with your other online business channels like your website.

Think about how you would describe your business. What words would you use? What words do you want your customers to think of when then think about your business? These are the words you want to keep in mind when planning your posts for social media. They should help drive what content you post and how you present on social media.

Knowing who you want to reach is very important. What does your target audience look like? This includes general demographics like gender, age, occupation, income level and location. You will also want to think about what key interests your target audience has as well. Taking some time to think about this will help you craft content that to post on your social media channels as well as for any ad campaigns you run.

STEP2: Figure Out Which Social Media Channels To Use

It can be tempting to think that you need to be on every social media network that exists. In part, because sometimes it can be difficult to know which social networks are best for you and your business (this is where knowing your target audience is helpful.) I also attribute this feeling to FOMO –Fear of Missing Out. What if don’t join Instagram or Facebook? Are you missing out on opportunities to get new customers or leads? The thing to keep in mind is that each social network reaches their audiences in different ways and each one can serve a different and distinct purpose.

When I talk with new clients about what social networks we should focus our time and effort on, I always ask who their target market is because that is a big driver of how to decide which social networks to use. For example, I have a client that provides services to parents of babies and toddlers. The social networks that have worked best for us are Facebook and Pinterest. Why? Because the majority of her clients are moms and moms tend to hang out more on Facebook and Pinterest. We don’t focus on LinkedIn at all and do very little on Twitter because those social networks are not drivers of traffic and leads for this business. For other clients who want or need to reach a more professional audience or who focus on B2B, then I often recommend that they have a strong presence on LinkedIn.

The two most important factors in deciding which social networks to use are 1: Knowing your target audience and 2: Researching if your target market spends time on that network. A third factor to consider is how that social network works. For example, Facebook is a place where people engage in conversation, sharing and reacting to posts. With Pinterest or Instagram, it’s about sharing visual content. Instagram encourages social interaction with visual content and Pinterest encourages sharing or saving content as well as driving traffic to a specific site.

STEP 3: Find The Right Tools To Get The Job Done

There are a number of social media management tools that can be used to help you manage your social media posting and presence. You don’t necessarily need the biggest, shiniest and most expensive tool out there to be able to manage your social media. You may even want to use a combination of tools that allow you to most effectively manage your social media.

A few things to keep in mind which research a social media management tool:

• Find a tool that allows you to post across several different networks. Some tools do a better job of this than others so if they offer a free trial, you might want to sign up and try it out before joining a paid plan.
• Take a look at the features each social media management tool offers and decide which options are most important to your social media plan and goals.
• Look for a tool that offers brand and keyword monitoring and mentions. You want to know when someone says something about your business so you can respond if necessary as well as look for mentions of keywords that can help you reach new leads and customers.
• Most social media management tools will offer you the ability to generate reports on your social media performance. Monitoring and measuring the effectiveness of your efforts will help you to continue to refine your content and message but it can also help you identify areas or content that aren’t working so you can focus your efforts more on what is working.
• If you will have a team or more than one person helping to manage your social media, then look for a management tool that will allow for multiple members. Some social media management tools will charge quite a bit for an additional team member but there are also some great tools out there that don’t. Find what works for your budget. (As I’ve used a number of these tools, I will provide my clients with suggestions for what tools I think would work best for them.)

STEP 4: Monitor and Measure

Many people will focus on growing their following more than they will focus on whether their efforts are being effective. Let me just say that a large following does NOT necessarily ensure that your social media efforts are helping you reach your goals. Yes, you do need to have some kind of following in order to not just be shouting into a vacuum, but that’s not all you should focus on. Engagement is a much better indicator of how effective your social media efforts are.

• How are people engaging with your content/posts?
• What kinds of reactions are you getting?
• What kinds of posts get the most engagement?

Answering these questions on a monthly or weekly basis will help you to plan your future content and posts.

You will also want to monitor for mentions of your business. How are people talking about your business? If they talking positively, then respond and tell them thank you (when appropriate – not all mentions of your business require a response.) If you find a negative comment or if a customer has a question, then that makes for a great opportunity to respond and gain or keep a customer.

BONUS TIP

Consider setting aside a budget for advertising. This is a great way to be able to gain insights about your target audience and what they will engage with. It’s also a good way to jump start your social media presence. Advertising on social networks doesn’t have to break the bank and done right, even a small ad budget can yield big and informative results.
 

Want help jump staring your social media presence or with ads?

As a social media virtual assistant, I can help you create a social media strategy, determine the best social networks for your business, find the right tools and help you monitor and measure your efforts. I also offer Social Media Set-Up Packages to help set up your social networks. I can also work with you to set up ads on different social networks and I offer special Facebook Ads Packages.

The post Getting Your Small Business Started With Social Media first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

1. Facebook Groups

Facebook groups have been quietly growing over the past few years and have several advantages over a Facebook page. Facebook groups are usually focused on a specific interest or goal but they are also used by brands to give customers or clients “special access” to information, content and feedback that isn’t readily available on their public page. What’s appealing about a Facebook group is the level of control over who can access the content or see what’s being shared within the group. Groups can be both private and public (also known as Open or Closed.) For brands or businesses, the best way to use groups as a marketing tool is to create a group of your own rather than joining other groups. Unfortunately, you cannot create a group as a brand or business. You can only create a group using your personal Facebook profile. For some businesses and brands, this can be problematic if they prefer to keep their business personality separate from their personal.

There are some key differences between Facebook Groups and Facebook Pages. Facebook Groups are not set up for promotional purposes like Pages. A group shouldn’t be set up in your business name and it shouldn’t really be about your business. It should be set up as a safe place for your audience can feel safe and comfortable to share, talk, and ask questions about a specific topic or interest. Think about the topics or interests that your audience shares with your business services or products. For example, if you offer products for new parents, then you might want to start a group for new parents to talk about being a new parent and parenting.

You can use the group to start discussions that help showcase your expertise and experience. You’ll want to also share items of interest to the group that are non-promotional and will help keep the group lively with discussion and engagement.

2. Facebook Live Broadcasts

Since the launch of Facebook Live last year, more and more brands are finding innovative ways to use it to connect live with their audience. Facebook Live video allows you to speak directly to your audience and they can ask questions and engage in real time while you are broadcasting. Facebook Live video broadcasts are a fun way to introduce new products or talk about new services and to answer questions from your audience. Not only does your audience get to see and hear you but it gives them a way to interact with you.

You can use Facebook Live from your Facebook page, your personal profile or your Facebook Group. For the best brand visibility, you’ll probably want to broadcast using your Facebook page and to reach the widest audience. You can schedule a few posts prior to your broadcast to let your fans know when you’ll be broadcasting and what you’ll be talking about. Or you can just let them know to tune in for a big announcement (in the case of a new product or service launch.) Some brands use Facebook Live to also do live giveaways as a way to encourage people to join in and interact.

Create a plan for what you want to cover during your broadcast and be sure to leave some time at the end for questions and answers. Once your broadcast is over, it will be available through your page or groups where you broadcast it so that anyone can come and watch it at anytime. This way you can share it with your community even after it’s over for those that couldn’t join in while you were live. People can still post comments or questions on a broadcast that has ended, so be sure to have your notifications on for those and answer them in a timely manner to keep the conversation and engagement going.

3. Facebook Ads

While you might only think of Facebook ads for selling products or services, you can also use them to gain new members for your Facebook community. You cannot set up an ad using a Facebook Group, but you can set up an ad to promote a post on your Facebook page that is an invitation to join your Facebook Group or a post with the announcement for your Facebook Live broadcast.

The key to running a successful Facebook ad campaign to grow your community will be to target the right audience. This can be done via your Facebook Ad Manager’s Detailed Targeting section when setting up your Ad Set. You can also choose other brands or businesses that share an audience with you and target their fans. You should try to run your ads for a least a week to give the ad time to show to the audiences that you are trying to target.

If you’d like help setting up a Facebook ad campaign to build your Facebook community, you might want to check out my Facebook Ad packages.

Conclusion

Creating an engaged and interactive community on Facebook is important for a few reasons. First, it increases your reach and visibility with your target audience. It also gives you the opportunity to reach a group of loyal fans who can either become new customers or who will become repeat customers and tell their friends about you. An engaged community on Facebook also helps to cement your position in your industry and position you or your business as an expert in your niche.

Want help building your Facebook community?

I can help! Contact me today and let’s chat about how I can help you increase your reach, visibility and engagement on Facebook.

The post Creating Community on Facebook first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

The Details

Promoted pins are considered an ad on Pinterest and you’re able to set up different ad campaigns. For each campaign, you can select target audiences based on location (currently only in the U.S), interests, demographics and devices. Pinterest promoted pins work on a CPC basis (cost per click) with a minimum bid of $0.05. This means that you pay only when someone clicks through a pin to your website.

Pinterest has a few guidelines when it comes to promoted pins. Primarily, that you want to be authentic. You want your pin to blend in and be of interest to your audience. This means that it should NOT look like a traditional ad. Stay away from calls-to-action, pricing or blatant promotional content in your pin. Be sure to include dates with your pin if it is for a giveaway or other promotion. And, be sure to use an engaging image. Add in useful terms for your pin and double check the link where users will go when the click on the pin. Promoted pins should includes images that make people want to click or re-pin. Your promoted pins need to lead to a relevant landing page with no sign-up request. Pinterest also has some more specific advertising rules that you’ll want to read over as well.

Currently, Pinterest says they are working to approved promoted pins as soon as possible but they recommend that you submit your ad at least 7 days prior to when you want to promote it to ensure that it’s approved. Within the campaign set-up, you will have the option to set your CPC, the duration of your campaign and your daily budget. You can log in and edit or pause your campaign at any time.

Why Use Promoted Pins

Promoted pins can be used for content that you want to distribute to a wider audience than just those who follow you Pinterest. It’s also a good way to reach new followers or other pinners who are interested in your content. Promoted pins can also be a good way to increase visibility and reach for giveaways or promotions. Keeping an eye on your promoted pin analytics will be a good way to determine what type of content works best for your target audience. Promoted pins could work well for seasonal content and other time sensitive material that you want to have increased attention.

Getting Started

To get started, log into your Pinterest account and go here: https://ads.pinterest.com/

Click on the “Get Started” button and then go through and select a pin to promote. You can promote one or your own pins or a pin from another site. If you don’t see the pin you want to promote you can do a search for it using the search bar at the top of the page. Once you’ve found the pin you want to promote, hover over it and then click “Promote.”

After you’ve selected your pin, then you’ll do the rest of setting up your ad on the next screen. This is were you’ll input keywords or interests that will determine where you pin might show up in the search results. You’ll also specify your audience here by selecting location, gender, language, etc. Input what you are willing to pay for each click as well as the duration of your ad campaign and your daily budget. It will like take a bit of testing to figure out what the best Cost Per Click is for your pins. Like other ad platforms, it’s generally a bidding process and the more you are willing to pay per click, the more likely it is that your ad will show up in search results, depending on how much competition there is for your target audience. You should also keep in mind that there’s a good chance you won’t be charged the full amount that you’re willing to pay for cost per click. You might put in that you’ll pay $.50 per click but because competition is low (and because Pinterest ads are new), then you might only pay $.10 per click.

I recommend that you also check your Pinterest Analytics to see which of your pins have performed the best organically to get a good idea of which ones might perform well as promoted pins.

The Bottom Line

Pinterest promoted pins are new which means there is still quite a bit to learn about how to best use them or about what types of pins perform well. I imagine that Pinterest will continue to refine the ad platform as time goes on and as we gather more data about how pinners feel and react to promoted pins. I would definitely recommend that you consider checking out the Pinterest ad platform for your business or brand if you feel your target market is participating on Pinterest. Pinterest is still a relatively new social network and it’s user base continues to evolve and change over time so don’t rule out that your target customer isn’t using Pinterest until you’ve done a little research on it.

The post Pinterest Promoted Pins – How Do They Work? first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

There has been quite a bit of chatter online lately about the decline in reach for page posts on Facebook. Some people are pretty upset that Facebook is reducing the reach and visibility of the posts from their Facebook page and many declare it’s just an effort to force businesses to use Facebook ads. And, there may be some truth to that. But, there are other considerations as well such as:

• Reach is not down for everyone.
• Engaging content and an active page community can still contribute to a sizeable reach for posts.
• There is more competition for space in the newsfeed than ever before.
• It just isn’t feasible to believe that a user is going to be on Facebook for such a period of time each day to be able to see every single post from every page they like. (The average user likes approximately 150 different pages.)
• Facebook page posts have a limited lifetime reach.
• Facebook did not trick you into buying ads for fans and then left you lurch.

Here are a few other articles on this topic if you want to read more about it:

• Facebook Reportedly Slashing Organic Reach for Pages Is social net trying to force bigger ad spends?
• Why Is Facebook Page Reach Decreasing? More Competition And Limited Attention

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get down to whether or not Facebooks ads can be helpful to your marketing efforts.

Yes and no.

Facebook ads, much like any other ads platform, are only going to be helpful or effective if you have a good idea of what you are doing, what the current best practices are and how the platform works. So, if you just go in and set up a simple ad without much thought to what your real goal is, how you’re going to track it and who you are going to target, then it’s quite likely that you won’t see results that you like.

And, that “Boost Post” button that is so easily found under each and every post on your Facebook page? That’s usually one of the least effective forms of Facebook advertising available. Sure, it can get you some good reach and visibility and possibly some additional engagement. So, if that is your goal for that particular post, then boosting a post may be worth your money. BUT, if you want real results such as new leads, clicks to your websites and conversions, then “Boost Post” is not your best option.

Facebook does offer some really good advertising options where you can very specifically target certain audiences, gain leads and get clicks to your website. (Then, it’s the work of your website to help do any actual sales conversion!) Facebook offers the Power Editor which can currently be used through the Chrome Browser and which gives you the most power and control over your ads and audience. You need to know how to effectively set up your ad, what kind of ad you want to do, where you want it to show, who you want to show it to and how much you’re willing to pay for it.

Forget about CPM (cost per 1000 impressions) or CPC (cost per click). What you really want to look at is: How much did it cost you to get the desired action that you wanted? I’ll cover this more in-depth in future posts.

Chime in: Have you used Facebook ads? Were they effective for your marketing efforts?

The post Facebooks Ads: Are They Worth It? first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

If you think about it, Pinterest IS best for product based businesses. Users look up a product, like a kitchen table, tons of pins come up, they find one they like, the posts might even include a price on it and by clicking on the image it takes them right to the business webpage where they can order it. In fact, pins with price tags included get 36% more likes than those that don’t.

More and more users are signing up daily on Pinterest. The average user is female and on average spends about an hour on the website.

Let’s get going with some basic tips.

1. Set up a business account. Join as a business if you plan to use it to sell products. If you already have an account that you’ve been using for your business but isn’t defined as a business on Pinterest, you can convert it as well.

2. Determine if your website is pinnable. Do you have any pictures/images to pin? If not, get some.

3. Get the Pinterest Pin-it button on your website, or the a Follow button or Board Widget. One benefit of getting a Board Widget on your website is you can entice people to follow your boards from your website.

4.  Get to know your audience. Who are you pinning for? Who is your typical customer? client? It’s very easy to get caught up pinning and next thing you know you’re pinning ideas for your backyard come summer. Go back to the basics. Create boards that reflect your business or that will appeal to your target market. Your pins shouldn’t all be promotional but you want to create value so that others will be interested in following your and your boards.

5.  Keep pinning. Keep growing your pins and boards. Don’t do a bunch one day and nothing for a few weeks. Set reminders to spend 15-20 minutes 3 x a week dedicated to pinning for your business.

6. Get your website verified. When you verify your website with Pinterest, then you are telling Pinterest that you own that website and they place a check mark next to your website address in your profile to let others know you’ve been verified. Another benefit of getting your website verified is that you will get access to Pinterest analytics which can be helpful to tracking and understanding which images and pins are have the most impact.

In the next section topics that will be covered will include basics like how to upload a pin, what’s with the exploring interest and how to use it to your business benefit, and add a map? What does that mean?

If you’re new to Pinterest and this post spurred you to create a business account let me know. Comment below!

The post Quick Pinterest Tips for the Small Business Owner Part 1 first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

Small business growth has grown exponentially in recent years. So has the use of social media. Not surprisingly, the two of these have found they are good match. Social media helps small businesses have a voice and engage directly with their customers. While many small business owners want to use social media more for reaching their target market, there is still quite a bit of reluctance for them to take the leap. (Hint: That’s something I can help with!)

But, you can do it! And here are my tips to help any small business get started using social media.

Don’t worry about being perfect.

So many small business owners are reluctant or even just flat out afraid to start using social media because they are afraid they’ll make a mistake. They feel like they won’t do it right. And you know what? That will probably happen. So what. Make a mistake, learn from it and move on.

You’ve probably run across an article or two or ten from the “social media expert” who’s blasted some business or brand for making a social media mistake and they’ve skewered them as being so obviously unaware of what they are doing. Get of the Internet, they yell.

Of course, there are brands and business out there that have made mistakes. But they also usually have PR or Marketing Agencies that were getting paid the big bucks to protect the brand, be the voice and NOT make these mistakes.

That’s not you.

As a small business owner, you know your business best and you (hopefully) know your market the best. Take the jump and be the voice of your brand. Give people a peek inside and let them get to know who you are.

Be Consistent. Set a Time Limit

Using social media and getting results requires consistency. If you only have 30 minutes a day, then make sure you sit and down and do that 30 minutes each day. Showing up for 2 hours one week and 15 minutes the next week will not yield the results you want. Your fans, followers and customers will come to expect to see you each day. Show up. (Or find someone who can represent you to show up…)

Don’t just sell. Add Value. Engage & Connect

Create trust by adding value first. When people trust you, they buy from you. When they trust you, they are more willing to listen to your opinion and advice.

Ask yourself: What do the people in my target market love? What makes them tick? Let them know you understand them and who they are.

Set Expectations and Be Realistic.

Have a good understanding of what you want to get out of using social media within a certain time period. Be realistic about it though. If you expect to get 10,000 followers on Twitter organically and a 50% jump in sales in the first month, you will be sorely disappointed. Start small with goals like, posting daily and engaging and connecting with 5 or 10 new people each day. Ask what you can do for them. Give before you Get. (Need more help? Consider doing a social media assessment before you get started or consider getting social media help.)

Stay tuned for some actionable small business social media tips an upcoming post.

Image credit: greyweed

The post Social Media Tips for Small Businesses first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

Currently, if you have an account, then you are being given the option to switch to the new design right away or you can wait until it’s automatically rolled out to your account. If you switch though, then keep in mind you will not be able to switch back to the old design.

What’s Changed

Here are a few of the more noticeable changes that are part of the redesign:

• Pins are bigger, with less space between the pins.
• When scrolling through pins and you click on a pin to enlarge and view it, you do not lose your place in your browsing. When you click the back button, you land right back where you were. (This change was based on user feedback.)
• You are not able to comment on pins from the main pin page. To add a comment to a pin, you’ll have to click on the pin and view it in Close-Up view.
• When you post a new pin, you can no longer send it right to Twitter. You can still share pins to Twitter, but it’s a separate and much less convenient step.
• Same goes for Facebook. You can no longer share a pin at the time you pin it to your Facebook profile. You can share it separately using the new “Share” button.
• The category list now resides in a clickable drop down next to the search bar. This is something Pinterest is all too happy to point out to you when you make the switch to the new design.
• You can still Pin and “Like” a pin from the main Home Page.

The Close-Up View

Some of the more noticeable changes are the ones you’ll see when you click on a Pin for a close-up or larger view.

When you click on a pin to enlarge it, you’ll notice that images overall are larger. Also, at the top you’ll see of the pin stats such as how many times it’s been pinned and how many other pinners have “liked” the image. There is also a button that will take you to the host website for that particular image (although, if you click on the image directly while in the Close-Up mode, that will also open the website page where the pin originated.) This small detail is important to remember if you’re using Pinterest to drive traffic to your website or blog.  Stay tuned for another blog post with some tips for how to pin images from your own site. 

Here you will also see the “Share” button. By clicking on this button, then you are given the option to share it to Twitter, Facebook, by email or to “embed” it. So, if you hear people saying that you can no longer share pins to Twitter or Facebook, it’s not true. It just takes more time with this extra step.

The embed feature is actually pretty cool. It gives you the code you need to embed a pin into a website, blog or other online property. The embed option lets you embed Pinterest buttons, a widget of just that pin, a widget of your Pinterest Profile or a widget of up to 30 pins on your favorite board.

The nice part of this redesign is that Pinterest has made it easier to discover other great pins like the ones you pin. They do this by showing you the rest of the board that a pin belongs to in the right side bar and they also show other pins from that particular website (just below the board). At the bottom of the pin, you’ll have the option to comment and then further down, you’ll see pins from others who have also pinned that image. (Try saying this five times fast: “People who pinned this also pinned…”)

The Rumors

I’ve read in some places that you can no longer just use a pin’s link to share a pin but that you have to use the “Embed” feature. It was stated that if you just post or share the URL of a pin (the URL you see in your browser address bar when you click on it for Close-Up) then it won’t go to that pin. I haven’t found this to be true.

It’s been widely circulated that hashtags no longer work as clickable tags on Pinterest. Again, this has not yet proven true for me.

Posting or pasting in a link in a pin description will no longer work. That is, if you post a link in the description of a pin, then it will no longer work as a clickable link. So far for me, this hasn’t been true for my account or for some of my clients’ accounts that I’ve been working on.

This isn’t to say that these changes won’t ever happen. As with any social network or anything on the internet for that matter, a change can come quickly.

What have you noticed about the new Pinterest redesign?

Oh, and don’t forget to come follow and Pin with me! The Kimberly on Pinterest

Interested in getting help with setting up your Pinterest account or thinking about working with a Social Media Virtual Assistant? Contact me today for a free consultation!

The post Pinterest Makes Big Changes – What You Need to Know first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

As you may have heard Google is getting rid of it’s much loved, very convenient Reader. This move comes as Google tries to consolidate its services.  Google Reader will shut it’s doors on July 1, 2013. Perhaps the petition to keep Google Reader alive will work …but in case it doesn’t, please read on.

Everyone is writing about Google Reader Alternatives. I typed in Google Reader and it was the first option that came up.  In this post I will give a snapshot of a few alternatives that I’ve chosen: Old Reader, Feedly, Newsblur, Netvibes, and Pulse. In addition to looking at the overall usability of these tools, one of my primary objectives is to see how easy it is to share content from these tools to social networks.

So, getting familiar with these alternatives now could be key if you want to avoid a disruption of your daily feed reading.  And…if you read your RSS feeds in more than one place (that is, if you want to read them at home, at work, or on different devices), you’ll want to try a web-based or cloud RSS reader, like the ones listed below and similar to what Google Reader is now.

Old Reader

The Old Reader is a great alternative. Its design is based on Google Reader’s prior design, so it’s a good option to check out if you’re looking for something familiar. Word of caution: there might be a wait time to import your file from Google Takeout into this service when you sign up. Due to the wait time, I wasn’t able to see this one in action and to gauge how easily it is to share from the reader (there are 8877 users ahead of me).

Feedly

Feedly is a Google Chrome extension that shows the latest updates from feeds, blogs, and sites like Facebook and Twitter in a magazine-like view. Currently, it automatically connects with your Google Reader and imports those feeds directly. According to their blog, they are working on new features and updates everyday to keep up with the recent influx of users looking to switch from Google Reader.

It takes a little time to set up Feedly to do exactly what you want it to do, but you’ll probably be happy with the end result. It’s more of a visual/magazine style reader so that’s something to keep in mind as a difference from the Google Reader you’re used to. There are some tips on the Feedly Blog for how to make your Feedly look more functional and less visual. Feedly is also available as an extension for other browsers as well as available as in an app in the Apple Store and as an Android App. Sharing to social networks is easy from Feedly.

Newsblur

Meet Newsblur.  Migrating from Google Reader is easy with the click of a button.  You create an account with them, subscribe to your favorite sites, and can read them on any computer.  Unfortunately, it does look like NewsBlur has suspended free accounts for the time being. When you go to sign up, then it will give you the message letting you know Free accounts have been suspended and it will ask you to sign up for a paid account. I didn’t want to do this at the time but when I closed out the window and went back to it later, I suddenly had the option of using a Free account and importing my Google Reader feeds. The downside is that with a free account you can only track 64 feeds. So, they really prefer you to go with a paid account. Not sure if the “leaving and return later” trick will work for everyone but you might want to give it a try to gain access the Free account if you’re interested in checking it out.

NetVibes

Netvibes is the one so far that I’ve found to be more along the lines of what I’m looking for visually. It offers an import option which makes switching from Google Reader easy. It also offers a widget type view for a more visual way to look at your feeds but it’s the a reader view which I prefer – with three options of a list view, an expanded view and a mosaic view (so you can see images from the article.) You can also create Dashboards for different topics. I don’t like that it doesn’t easily include social sharing options like some of the others do, so this means there are extra steps involved in sharing these articles on social networks. Although in widget view, you can view the website within the Netvibes window where you might be able to find that site’s social sharing buttons. But again, this is an extra step you’ll have to take to share articles from your feed to social networks.

Pulse

Pulse is less of an RSS reader and more of a news curation tool. It determines what might be of interest to you and places those in your dashboard. It’s also based on a more visual, tiled look. There is the option to import RSS feeds but apparently that’s only available via mobile and not on the web which is a big drawback in my opinion. It’s useful though if you are wanting an easy way to find articles and news are trending. And, they make it easy to share the content to your social networks. Mobile apps are also available.

UPDATE 4/11/2013 – LinkedIn Acquires Pulse

Paid Option – SproutSocial

One last option that appeals to me but there is a cost involved is SproutSocial. I already have a paid account so this makes it a realistic option for me. They do offer a free 30 Day trial though if you want to give it a spin. Along with many other great features as a social networks management tool, SproutSocial lets you easily import your Google Reader feeds and show them to you in a visual style list. SproutSocial makes it easy to share items from your Reader with the social networks that you have included in your account.

Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Sprout Social.(affiliate link)

If you have found another suitable Google Reader alternative, please let us know!

The post Google Reader Alternatives – Top Picks first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

“Hearing that Google Reader is shutting down is like hearing that your favorite old bookstore is closing,” writes The New Yorker’s Joshua Rothman.

Google is spring cleaning, first on the list is Google Reader which will officially shutter on July 1, 2013. Do you use Google Reader? I do. I am seriously bummed with it’s death. However due to declining usage, Google is putting down the Reader so we’ll need to come to terms with this.

Why Use a Reader?

In a nutshell, a RSS reader is a tool, a tool for getting information from other people so you don’t have to keep going to their website to get updates.  You subscribe and updates are sent to your Feed Reader automatically, allowing you to read it whenever you want all in one place. Google Reader is such a tool,  an aggregator or in other words a feed reader, news reader, or RSS reader and if you like all your news in one spot from headlines to your favorite blogs then using an aggregator is a great tool. Many use it to aggregate news and analysis and have used it for years.

The good news is that you have until July 1st before it’s officially GONE.  Before jumping onto the next reader train, let’s take your feeds from Google Reader and export them into an XML file. By doing this you will then be able to import your feeds into your new RSS reader of choice. It’s easy peasy!

How to Export Your RSS Feeds From Google Reader:

1. Login to Google Reader (if you’re not already signed in to your Google account, it may ask you to do so).

2. Go to the Google Takeout Page. Click on the “Create Archive” button to start creating your file.

3. Download your content. You’ll be asked to verify your password before the download begins.  Google will download a .zip to your computer.

The zip file can be used by a range of Reader alternatives, so it’s definitely worth having. Inside of the Zip file, there is another file called “subscriptions.xml” Once you choose your new feed reader, you can import this file to add all of your reader subscriptions to the new service. This won’t mark which items have been read or may have starred, but at least it’s a time saving short-cut to getting all of your feeds into your new feed reader.

Stay tuned for our next post with an overview of some Google Reader alternatives.

Where you able to successfully export your feeds and then import them into a new feed reader?

The post Good-Bye Google Reader – How to Export Your RSS Feeds first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.

Pinterest has experienced phenomenal growth this year. With a mostly predominantly female user base much has been said about how if you market to women, and especially to moms, then you had better be on Pinterest. It is estimated that between 60 and 97% of the user base for Pinterest is female. Previously only available by invite, Pinterest has recently opened the network up to everyone.

Just a few of the signs that Pinterest is HOT:

• Pinterest is now the 3rd most popular social networking site behind Facebook and Twitter. (Experian)
• Users who logged into Pinterest daily has increase 145% since the beginning of 2012 (Mashable)
• Pinterest generates more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined. (Mashable)
• Despite being primarily an invite only network, Pinterest has grown to have almost 15 million users. (Econsultancy)

What exactly is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where users create topic specific or general pinboards to group and share images or videos. Images and videos can be shared from other websites or uploaded from your computer. You can view and follow other users’ boards or follow the user and all of their boards. You can also add other users to a board and give them the ability to contribute to special boards as a way to increase your reach and visibility. Images that are pinned from a website will be linked back to the original post or place they were pinned from. This makes Pinterest especially appealing for e-commerce sites or for any sites that sell things online. Home decoration, fashion, food and wedding planning seem to be particularly popular boards. Data also show that Tutorials/DIY guides see a 42% higher click through rate than other pin types.

Pinterest as a Marketing Tool

Multiple studies indicate that Pinterest can be a great source of referral traffic. However, this also means that you will now want to more thoughtfully consider the images you use on your blog or website and making them “pinnable” with good visual appeal. It can be a good idea to include several different images in blog post or on a web page to give visitors a variety of options to pin what appeals to them. Data also suggest pinned images are leading to purchases by users which makes this a social network that can easily be linked to increasing sales or for sales lead generation.

Pinterest contests are also growing in popularity. These are a great way to further engage your brand with followers in a social way. This article is a great overview of how some brands and companies have creatively used Pinterest for contests.

Pinterest Tips

When you first set up your Pinterest account, be sure to add a profile picture (or a brand image) and add a short paragraph in the “About” section and add the URL to your website as well. You also have the option to link your Pinterest account to Twitter or your personal Facebook profile which gives you the option to cross post your pins to those networks as well.

Create boards and start pinning! Give your boards interesting and creative names to increase the likelihood that others will follow your boards or re-pin your content. Post a short (keyword rich) description in the box below the pin. If you are re-pinning someone else’s pin, try to put in your own description rather than just re-pinning with their same description. Users are notified by email when someone has re-pinned one of their images so this can be a good way to connect with other users as well as find out what types of pins your followers like. You can also add a price to your pin by typing in $ with the price in the description. This can sometimes lead to your pin showing up in the Gifts section (for greater visibility). Other ways to engage on Pinterest are to “Like” other pins or to leave a comment on a pin. You can also “tag” other Pinterest users in your description as a way to network with other users. These all create another level of social engagement.

Pin items from a wide variety of places and pin items from your own site or blog, but be careful not to over-pin your own stuff.  Pinterest is for curating content not solely as a self promotion tool. Most  Pinterest users are turned off quite quickly by users who use the platform soley for self-promotion. Also, avoiding pinning an image to more than one board. Users who pin something and add it to three or four different boards just clog up their followers pin page with the same pin which can be annoying.

For your website or blog, be sure to add a “Pin It” button to make it easy for your readers or web visitors to easily pin your content.  Also, Pinterest provides you with the code to add to your site to help others find your profile and follow you.

Click on “Popular” to see what types of pins are currently popular or trending as a way to get some additional ideas of what to pin and how to create pinnable content for your website or blog.  Also, you can check to see what images and which users have been pinning content from your site by typing in http://pinterest.com/source/yoursitehere.com.

The Downside of Pinterest

All joking aside, survey data indicates that approximately 75% of people believe Pinterest is a huge time suck.  It seems as though people either really love and enjoy Pinterest or they just don’t get it. Those who love it can easily find themselves pinning for hours or constantly on the look out for things to pin. As with any social network, you will need to figure out how to best manage the time you spend using Pinterest.

Just as with any other popular social network, spam can be an issue on Pinterest as well. People will pin an image to mislead people into clicking it to see the original post and it takes them to a spammy sales page that is completely unrelated to the original pinned image or it can be to an affiliate sales site and even worse yet it could be to a harmful site with malware or viruses. Pinterest does continue to work on this issue but as a fairly new network, they still have some work to do.

Recent data suggest that about 40% of marketers are not yet considering using Pinterest as a marketing tool. This is both good and bad. It’s bad because they may be passing up a great opportunity to use an additional marketing  tool for their business or brand and because it shows that many are not quite taking Pinterest seriously. However, in my opinion this is also a good thing as it gives you time to get creative with how to use Pinterest for marketing and to grow a following for leads and referral traffic before it is overrun with marketers.

Some people have had concerns about the terms of use and potential copyright issues. This is something that Pinterest has worked and continues to work on.  Here you can read Pinterest’s full copyright and trademark policy.

If you have been using Pinterest, please chime in and share your thoughts about this addictive network along with a link to your Pinterest profile so we can connect there as well! You can find me on Pinterest as The Kimberly.

The post Pinterest Makes Marketing Easy on the Eyes first appeared on Virtual Research Assistant | JK Virtual Office Resources.