Blog | Professional SEO & Search Marketing | Deep Ripples

UMass Social Media Update – Blogging Dead?

jen@deepripples.com (Jen Whaley) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:36:57 +0000

The Deep Ripples team has been in the trenches as the marketing world has transcended online. For our clients, it is critical for us to stay up to speed on new tools, new platforms and new mediums. There were times when certain mediums (not naming names – cough – cough – Digg) were a high priority, but as time goes on, competition increases and algorithms change – consumer behaviors evolve and marketing strategies have no choice but to adapt. Our advice – do not abandon mediums, instead – find the perfect mix.

We are in a marketing age where you must combine traditional marketing with the ever-changing digital and social media environments to help your clients gain attention, stimulate engagement and maintain relationships. There are always new studies to interpret and experts declaring the “one” way that will attract the most customers.

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has recently released its 2011 Social Media Update that reports consumers are using corporate blogs less and social media networking sites more to interact with their favorite brands. UMass has been tracking the use of social media among Inc. 500 privately-held companies for the past five years.

While this is a pretty graphic showing interesting statistics – I wouldn’t suggest marketing directors propose the cancellation of the corporate blog any time soon. It is a bit of a stretch to assume that these numbers reflect best practices for what “profitable” and “successful” companies do. I think there are many contributing factors that affect why corporate blogging has plateaued.

Corporate Blogging Requires Planning

I won’t go as far to say that corporations have tried to take the easy way out. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and say, they didn’t know what they didn’t know. Many corporations launch a blog without a plan.

Contributing Factors to the Corporate Blogging Decline

**Disclaimer - True for somecorporations – not all**

Research

The corporations that participated may not have researched their audience with blogging in mind – Who are they? Where do they spend their time online? How often are they on social sites? Do they subscribe to blogs?

Project Manager

They may not have had a dedicated person to manage the blog. They may have put a junior level account executive or an intern in the role as blog project manager.

Human-Powered

They did not utilize their greatest asset – their employees. They did not get to know who they are - who enjoys writing? Who keeps a journal? Who is so passionate about their career they are one of your greatest brand ambassadors when they are not at work?

Editorial Calendar

These corporations may not have implemented an editorial calendar/schedule. So, the junior account executive doesn’t have an approved plan to hold contributors accountable for missing deadlines. Nor can a corporation train readers when to expect to receive communication.

SEO & PR Opportunities

They did not understand the SEO opportunities that a blog can provide; the concept of Inbound Marketing and how it is essential to their online marketing success. The blog is an extension of your online (and offline) brand reputation. These corporations may have thought that all they had to do is buy articles and “have” a blog. Instead – they should be sincere and use every post as a way to position each author as a thought leader in his or her area of expertise.

Blogging Requires Commitment

Social media is not replacing corporate blogging. Blogging is not dead. You can post a catch phrase on Facebook and Twitter and conjure up a lot of attention. But, then what happens? It should be seen as a hook – get someone’s attention and then provide them with the meat and potatoes of ‘who you are’, ‘what you do’, ‘how you do it’ and most importantly – ‘why you do what you do.’

In honor of Valentine's Day - let me explain the online courtships between a company and its customers in a way we can all undertand.

To put blogging in traditional marketing terms – it’s NOT similar to a billboard campaign creation. A blog does not just get created and launched only to sit in the same place, with the same message, for six months without being updated. Blogging is more like a guerrilla marketing campaign where your team hits the streets to speak with everyone they can find. You approach each person with your catchy phrase, get their attention and then have a real conversation.

Moving forward – remember that there just isn’t one medium or tactic where you can spend all your time and receive instant or even long-term results. Diversify your marketing efforts among the new and old ways of marketing and communications. Blogging takes time and resources to pull off successfully. Before you launch – have a plan. Before you launch – make a commitment.

What do you think? What other contributing factors may have added to why more corporations haven’t continued blogging?

*Photo credit (photo used in graphic): bizior photography*

Best SEO Article of 2012

bill@deepripples.com (Bill Bean) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:07:03 +0000

It's a little early to make the call, but I think I've just read what may turn out to be the best SEO article of 2012. If they gave out Oscars in our industry, this post would win one.

"How Much Does SEO Cost?" is so well written and addresses this question better than anything else I've seen. Author Trond Lyngbo is an seo strategist with Metronet. Well done, sir, well done!

“Why can’t you just give me a straight answer?”

Johanna’s voice showed a trace of irritation. “All I’m asking is how much you charge for SEO services!”

I smiled. This was familiar terrain. As an SEO consultant, almost every client asks me a similar question. My answer is always the same.

“It depends. On many things. Because SEO is not a turn-key solution you plug in to play.”

He had me at, "It depends." That's our standard answer. Finally, validation!

I'm not gonna lie, I'm jealous. As it sounds like so many conversations we've had and have tried to have, this is the article I wish we could have written a long time ago. Thankfully, I've learned you don't need to reinvent the wheel. In the continuing spirit of complete transparency, I'm letting you know I'm gonna use this article every chance I get to sell more SEO, making sure Trond gets the credit. (Since he's in Norway, I'll assume we're not direct competitors and he won't mind.)

Here's hoping this great piece of content gets all the links it deserves. I'm hoping you'll link to it. At this point, it's time for you to go read the article.

Rebound Marketing - Offensive Rebounds for Inbound Marketing

aaron@deepripples.com (Aaron Douglas) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:08:40 +0000

In both basketball and Internet marketing, conversions on your first attempt are great, but statistically you're going to miss more than you hit. Having your players in position for the offensive rebound means getting a second (or third or fourth) chance to score. As Internet marketers, the longer we can maintain possession of the ball, the more opportunities we have to score (and the fewer chances your competition gets).

It's been 20 years since I played on a basketball team, but it was a formative time in my life in regards to self-worth, teamwork and competition. I was small, and not especially talented or athletic, but I was tenacious (a label often used by small, clumsy and talentless people). Over the season my stats showed I had an unexpected aptitude for rebounds, steals and assists. Truth be told, I was only good at stealing the ball (apparently stripping someone attempting a rebound counts as a rebound. The assists resulted from getting rid of the ball as quickly as possible because I sucked at dribbling - see "talentless" above). The point was, despite some obvious shortcomings, I found a way to participate that contributed to our likelihood of winning

Holding to the basketball analogy, when we attempt to score in our Internet marketing attempts, do we launch the ball in the air and hope for the best, or do we follow the shot and hustle for position with the intent of creating another opportunity? We've put a lot of time toward attracting, engaging and enrolling our audience, so why do some of us make so little effort to maintain possession of the ball? You may have offered exactly what I'm looking for, but the time, place, device, etc. may have prevented me from following through (it's hard to enter credit card information while on a treadmill). Rather than leaving me to find my way back later and running the risk of mis-remembering the path that brought me to you in the first place, or getting distracted by some other shiny object, you ought to hustle for a followup.

Here are a few examples of how to grab the offensive rebound with your inbound marketing and keep the ball in play.

Give - If I like what you've said so far, I might be willing to hear what you'll say next, but I can't give you my email address if you don't ask for it. Newsletters, updates, special offers - lists provide both an insight to visitor interests as well as opportunity to nudge them down the road. Depending on your audience, sales cycles may be months, and friendly reminders go a long way to keeping you top of mind. One of my favorite tactics is when a lightbox layover pops up when my cursor leaves the body area (to click back or type an address) and asks if I'd like to bookmark this page for later, or subscribe to updates via email.
Share - We all want more follows, likes and pluses, as they benefit us on so many levels, but what really matters is mindspace. My primary sources of visual entertainment are Hulu and Netflix via my iPhone. The problem is, neither of these services allow me to share mindspace with others. It is impossible to pass a clip, link to a video etc. On the other hand, Spotify does it right - I can easily share a link to a song via email, Twitter or Facebook, and I can also lists albums or create playlists to share with others (who can then sign up for a free account). Social provides a combination of benefits, both for people and robots (i.e. search), but sharing has to be easy to be effective.
Stalk - Retargeting is about exposing a user to brands to which they have previously (and voluntarily) been exposed. The concept is simple: (1) a visitor comes to your website. (2) They read about your products/services but don't purchase or engage. (3) When they visit other websites, they see ads for the products/services they were viewing. The value is in the program's ability to bring them back and keep your brand top of mind. Retargeting allows you that rebound opportunity for window shoppers, cart abandon-ers and various instances of "consumus interruptus".

The opportunities for rebounds in Internet marketing are endless, and in many cases cost-effective and easy to implement. All that is required is some thinking-through of the attention/engagement/enrollment process from the perspective of the people with whom you're trying to build a relationship. Make it clear, make it easy, and make it count.

*photo credit

** I would love to hear/see other examples of effective techniques of "rebound marketing" below **

Big Internet Players Blackout in Protest Against SOPA

jen@deepripples.com (Jen Whaley) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:56:11 +0000

Today, January 18, marks a day in history of the first-ever Internet strike. Big players in the Internet world, Wikipedia, Reddit, Wordpress, Mozilla – just to name a few, are blacking out their respective web sites to protest against SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act). Google did not shut down their web site/service, but they did blackout their logo in opposition. The bill was recently pulled from the floor of the House of Representatives, stopping the vote in its tracks. But – the controversial topic is not dead yet – come January 24 Congress will vote on the Protect IP Act, which, reports say, will censor the Internet.

What do you think? If you need help deciding - I have collected five SOPA articles that may shed some light on the issue.

SOPA will not move forward in the House as the official vote was cancelled and the bill has been yanked from the floor. Representative and SOPA opponent Darrell Issa cheered this as a win for the internet community – but he warned that SOPA’s Senate cousin PIPA is still a major concern. Source; WebProNews.com
Tomorrow…They're protesting Internet piracy bills currently being considered in the U.S. House and Senate. Video Source; CNET.com
The copyright wars are just the beta version of a long coming war on computation. The entertainment industry is just the first belligerents to take up arms, and we tend to think of them as particularly successful. After all, here is SOPA, trembling on the verge of passage, ready to break the Internet on a fundamental level— all in the name of preserving Top 40 music, reality TV shows, and Ashton Kutcher movies. Source; BoingBoing.net
The freedom, innovation, and economic opportunity that the Internet enables is in jeopardy. Congress is considering legislation that will dramatically change your Internet experience and put an end to reddit and many other sites you use every day. Source; Reddit.com
"Some technology business interests are resorting to stunts that punish their users or turn them into their corporate pawns, rather than coming to the table to find solutions to a problem that all now seem to agree is very real and damaging," said Senator Chris Dodd, the chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America. "It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information... A so-called 'blackout' is yet another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals." Source, BBC

Some recent #SOPA tweets...

What do you think? Is shutting down/blacking out a big time service like Wikipedia and Craigslist a good idea? Will it make their point?

Record Breaking and History Making CES…impact to search?

jason@deepripples.com (Jason Bean) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:08:48 +0000

The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show wrapped up this past weekend in Las Vegas. Somehow, in a down economy, this year’s show was the largest in event history drawing in over 3,100 exhibitors spread across almost 2 million square feet of exhibit space that attracted over 150,000 attendees who saw the release of 20,000 new products.

The question I must ask now is, how does the release of all these items impact what people may be doing online?

Some of the biggest items launched over the 4-day span included even larger TV’s, smaller smart phones, and more and more tablets running a variety of operating systems.

What do all of these items have in common? They’re all portals to the Web and more specifically your content on the Web. This is not so surprising for devices like smart phones and tablets, but having your TV continually connected to the Internet is still a new idea in most households. The TV in our house is currently directly connected to the Internet, but I’m not quite browsing the Web from my couch on a regular basis.I think the big obstacle is supporting hardware. Think keyboard and mouse instead of just your handy-dandy ergonomic remote control.

What does this mean for online marketers?

What happens when your living room TV becomes nothing more than a larger monitor in your house for the Internet? How does that impact search behavior among users? Imagine just seeing a commercial and it inspires you to immediately search for more information about that product during the following commercial. How much more crucial is it for your online advertising and content to match-up effectively with all of your other marketing activities?

TiVo used to overlay information about upcoming shows on the screen and they would allow you to push a button on your remote to schedule that show to record on your DVR. Imagine “clickable” links in commercials and even embedded within shows to promote content. Search by click?

With the proliferation of more mobile devices and Internet usage also pushing voice commands, think of Apple’s Siri, do people search differently? Do search queries get even longer tail specific for accurate results, or do limitations in voice-recognition and artificial intelligence make search queries become more generic for a wider range of potential results to your search?

Whether you realize it or not: the search landscape is changing. You can either see it as searcher behavior is changing because of the world around us, or because of the way we act online - we’re morphing the world around us to fit our own needs.

Objectifying Online Marketing

aaron@deepripples.com (Aaron Douglas) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:14:00 +0000

I recently watched the movie "Objectified", a documentary about industrial design, and the notion that stuck was that good design is about clarity of form and function, using as little material as necessary - but no less. As the subjects described their philospophical ideals, I was struck by how remarkably similar good design was to good online marketing. Despite the common cry for "more" (more links, more content, more followers, etc), I see companies burning time, energy and money to accomplish very little. In most cases, the system produces a whole lot of noise for very little signal. One of my least favorite things to do is to help clients to understand they have been largely ineffective in their efforts, or even worse, would have been better off doing nothing.

The inefficiency of most online marketing efforts is astounding. We can usually see the issues resulting from clients leaning hard to one side or the other on a continuum between design and technology.

On one end are the designers, purely focused on form. They are heavy on the graphics, use lots of fancy effects, they talk about a "visceral user experience". They design to please the client, aren't familiar with compliance, and are offended when it is suggested that they objectively measure the effectiveness of any of their work. They probably use flash WITH sound effects.
On the other end are the technicians, purely focused on influencing the machine. They prefer raw html, are learning Python in their free time, and refer cryptically to "recent algorithm updates". They honestly think they can outsmart the engines, aren't concerned with asthetics, and know at least 6 ways to use a 'rel=' tag. They make jokes about incomplete PHP expressions.

The problem with either extreme (or any extreme, for that matter) is in it's short-sightedness. A beautiful website is worthless without any impressions (21st century version of the "if a tree falls in the woods..."). A top-ranking site generates nothing if visitors bail as soon as the page loads. On the ends of the spectrum, a tremendous amount of effort produces little to no gain. What seems to work best is a balance of design and technology, a "sweet spot" somewhere between people and robots. As with the psychology 101 conundrum of which is more important, "nature" or "nurture", the correct answer is "both/and". As obvious as a balanced approach to online marketing seems, those that actually adhere to it are by far the minority.

A mature approach to online marketing starts by first seeking leverage in opportunity of context and resources. Its less about doing more, and more about doing well. Our SEO & search marketing campaigns are often designed for a perfect world, then promptly tailored to the one we're working in, for the people we're working with. The first step is help clients develop efficient, effective solutions, but the greater goal is systematic optimization of their online marketing efforts. Done well, its a recipe bordering on alchemy, a complex relationship of ingredients that are far greater than the sum of their parts.

Fix Broken Links, Please

bill@deepripples.com (Bill Bean) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 17:31:00 +0000

A recent Search Engine News article alerted us to Google's intent to continue to roll out Panda updates. The next one to be in the first part of 2012.

Panda is meant to weed out of the SERPs questionable and low value sites and pages. Among these are sites referred to as link farms. Because link farms have lots (ie bazillions) of links, and because it is, relatively speaking, too costly for them to adequately maintain all those links, a site with lots of broken links MIGHT be worthy of the wrath of the Panda. (good explanation of Panda)

"Check all links and make sure that the URLs still exist. If you find some that are no longer working, fix them or remove the links so that Google will not think that you are intentionally trying to abuse the search algorithm. Broken links give Google the impression you're just a link farm." Search Engine News article

I'm not sure what the official number is for "lots of links", but suffice it to say it's probably something larger than dozens. Our typical client doesn't have thousands of links (though there have been a few). They don't even have hundreds of pages. Setting aside the risk of a Google smack down, we consider it best practice to keep an eye out for broken links and their ilk, and to fix them promptly. Seems that most legitimate SEO types agree.

Broken links are simply links that aren't working anymore (you can quote me on that). The broken link might be the result of something as simple as a typo, but most often it means the link is pointing to a page that no longer exists (i.e. 404 errors). This wikipedia article refers to it as link rot. Who wants a bad case of link rot? (Got a cream for that?)

Looking for link rot issues is a standard part of most SEO audits. We do it using tools like Screaming Frog and SEOMOZ crawl test to find problems (not affiliate links). Additionally, we monitor Google and Bing Webmaster Tools for our clients on a continuous basis. This seems to be standard operating procedure for most SEO's, small and large.

Here's where I'd like to pick a fight with a valued partner: the webmaster. By webmaster I simply mean the person or agency who's been hired to build and/or maintain a client website. As someone who's relatively new to the industry I don't get why developers/designers/webmasters don't monitor and maintain this critical aspect of website health. It seems to me this should be a regular action item for them. Isn't this simply due diligence?

It's time you website professionals up your game. Don't wait for the SEO guys (or gals) to find the problems. We don't want to make you look bad, but we can't ignore the problem. We have to bring it up to a client. It's like having a house built and then finding the construction guys swept all their trash into a closet in the basement or left a bunch of broken pipes and unnecessary wiring in the walls.

Granted, their are some developers and webmasters out there who are on the ball and getting it done. And I will acknowledge that many website owners simply don't pay for this ongoing service. Please add this to your job description. Let the client know this is one of many numerous reasons why they need to pay you a monthly retainer. We'll help you sell it!

I love developers. Some of my best friends are developers, well, I have some developers who are friends (not the least of which is my brother). I'm not hating on you. I certainly don't want to do what you do, so I need you. And I want you to do good work. Anything worth doing is.... You have permission to remind me I said that.

Image Credits: Panda, Wiring Mess

Content Marketing: It’s Not Rocket Science

jen@deepripples.com (Jen Whaley) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:33:00 +0000

Content marketing is not new, nor is it rocket science. Whether I’ve been labeled as a public relations practitioner, advertising assistant or content marketer – one fundamental truth remains: I’ve always been producing and distributing valuable and relevant content to an understood group of people to encourage engagement and a change in an attitude or behavior (a.k.a. content marketing).

It’s not the concept of content marketing that is new; it’s the mediums and the strategies that companies employ to tell their story. The concept of content marketing (communicating with customers without making a hard sell) should have been evident in our old school ways of PR and within our advertising campaigns. We have always been taught (shout out to Professor Nancy Whitmore at Butler University) that you must truly know the public you are trying to reach and communicate information that adds value to their lives in order to be remembered.

Brands that do this, that have always done this, create loyal followers (nothing to do with Twitter, much to do with the essence of groupies). Brands that communicate their story (their employees’ stories, their customers’ stories) well create relationships that last beyond a single purchase or a one-time visit to a Facebook page.

I believe as PR professionals and marketers we lost sight that our clients’ customers are people who can be inspired, motivated, educated, etc. We lost sight that getting to know customers and providing them with relevant, valuable information strengthens an enduring relationship.

Content marketing done right does not interrupt or bombard with selling language. A content marketing strategy done right delivers communication to someone who actually wants (and even at times has requested) to hear from you. After all, according to Roper Public Affairs, 80 percent of business decision makers prefer receiving a series of articles rather than an advertisement (this again - isn't shocking. In 2007 I spent much of my time writing advertorials).

Ok, so rocket science may have been a little – brash. Understanding what content marketing is – that isn’t rocket science. Connecting the dots that this is what companies have been doing for centuries – we can get that. But, accepting that the way you (or your clients) have been “doing” content marketing are no longer working because your customers have changed (and so have their technologies – Twitter, Facebook, DVR, SiriusXM Radio) can be tough. And, determining where the hell to begin with your new ways of content marketing – can be excruciating.

Customers are changing. Technologies are evolving. The question – are you?

Understanding Basic SEO Tools

jason@deepripples.com (Jason Bean) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 21:39:15 +0000

Man figured out how to kill an animal with a rock, drink from a broken coconut shell and rub two sticks together to create something as powerful as fire. It’s just our nature to look for a new tool to make our lives easier.

The same goes when trying to improve or even just get a grasp on SEO.

Whether you call it looking for efficiencies or trying to get more done with less effort, finding the right tool for your toolbox can make all the difference in the world of getting the job done right and on time.

Here’s a short list of some of the basic SEO tools I use on a daily basis as we work with clients to provide more than just search results. Some of these may be considered more of a knowledge resource than a tool, but you’ll get the idea.

Evernote – This has become my sort of “central base” for collecting information and making notes on tasks that I need to complete. I’ll use Evernote to save articles I want to read later, copy bits of code for website; make lists of tasks I’m currently working on and need completed and even start collecting blog post ideas across a variety of sites. Because I can do each of these things from my computer, my phone, the web and now even my Kindle Fire, the information I need is almost always at my fingertips.
Website: www.evernote.com
Google Analytics – almost the first thing I work on with any new client is either getting access to their Google Analytics numbers, or getting their own code registered and configured on their website. Getting an idea for what traffic is already coming to your website and what the visitor is doing once they’re there is crucial. Sometimes your best first effort is to just optimize your content and current website to capitalize on the traffic you’re already getting before you try to start attracting new visitors.
Website: https://www.google.com/analytics
Google Webmaster Tools / Bing Webmaster Tools – going hand-in-hand with Google Analytics is also to get your site claimed and verified on Google Webmaster Tools / Bing Webmaster Tools. If these two core search engines are having problems doing their thing on your site, it would be nice to know why, right? Well, these two websites offer you just that! Problems with your sitemap? What happened to those 400 pages and where are they now? This is the kind of quick hitting information you can use to identify and fix some so-called “low hanging fruit” on your SEO To Do List.
Website: https://www.google.com/webmasters
Google Alerts – I would say one of the biggest challenges for most clients I’ve worked with over the last decade and a half is content. Once you’ve got your site optimized, the only reason people are going to keep coming to your site is if you give them something (content!) worth coming for in the first place. Google Alerts can help you find what’s already being said online about the topics (keywords) relevant to you. It also tells you what people may already be saying about you and your brand. There are even some tricks on having Google Alerts notify you when you’re site is being hacked by those wonderful ED drug pushing pornographic gamblers.
Website: http://www.google.com/alerts
TweetDeck – Sure it can be used as a giant time-suck, but Twitter for me is my own little search engine. TweetDeck helps me manage my accounts and my attention span so I can quickly find content I’m interested in and answers to questions that may arise during my work. If I’m hitting the proverbial “brick wall” on trying to figure something out, I’ll send a quick Tweet to my followers or perhaps to a couple of specific friends and see if they might have an answer or point me in the right direction. Also, like Google Alerts, I can also let TweetDeck help me “hear” what other people may be saying about me or my brand via saved searches.
Website: http://www.tweetdeck.com
Raven Tools – This tool falls into the what-did-I-do-before-I-had-this category. For putting together your own sort of dashboard for things to pay attention to, Raven Tools can’t be beat. They keep adding more functionality and improving what they’ve already had and I can’t keep up with all the great things it can do. Track keywords, monitor websites, assign tasks for follow-up, monitor Google Analytics, your social media outposts and more. It’s all here. If you’re trying to keep your head above water while you’re drowning in SEO, take a look at Raven Tools.
Website: http://www.raventools.com
Microsoft Excel – If you’re in business, you’ve got to learn how to use Excel. I’ve still got loads of stuff I need to learn on this little tool that’s been around forever, but at its very least it allows me to quickly manage data collected from other sources and manipulate it and review it as needed. I’ve even built a little spreadsheet that lets me quickly build and manage my 301 redirects for those 404 pages that Google Webmaster Tools identifies
Website: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel

By no means is this every tool in my toolbox. Some of these are sharper than others, some are scuffed up from use and don’t seem like much to look at, but they help me get the job done right and on time

Stay tuned, I’ll spend a little more time on each tool and how I use it for some specific tasks. I’ll also introduce some other time-saving tools. Ok, so they may not be as cool as fire, but when it comes to SEO they will be tools you can’t live without.

Have a tool you use on regular basis and can’t live without, I’d love to hear about it. Just let me know in the comments.

The Growing Interest In Pinterest

aaron@deepripples.com (Aaron Douglas) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:17:26 +0000

Pinterest is a website that allows users to create their own virtual bulletin board. On this bulletin board, users can post pictures, either with a certain theme or randomly. Users can also browse the pinterest boards of other members to get new ideas and to share their thoughts. Pinterest takes social networking to another level.

Getting Started

Pinterest is currently by invite only, which means that you either need to know someone who has invites available or request one on the Pinterest website. To request an invite, click on the red "Request Invitation" button on the Pinterest homepage. On the next page, enter your email address and click "Request Invitation." You will then need to wait to receive an invite. When you do, you can set up your account. All accounts must be attached to a Facebook or Twitter account. After you enter your account information, you can set up individual boards for yourself. Each board can have a theme so you can pin relevant pictures to the proper board. Accounts can have more than one board.

How It Works

Once you set up your Pinterest account, it is time to create your boards. You can assign a different theme to each of your boards so you can pin up relevant pictures onto each board. For instance, if you want to create a wish list to give friends and relatives gift ideas for you, start a board entitled "My Wish List" and send the link to family and friends. After you create a board, you can then pin relevant pictures onto your board to display them for others to see. You can also begin following others, as well.

To follow others, you must find their boards or search through pins until you find one you would like to follow. When you click on follow, you will then follow that person and have easy access to their pins and boards. If you decide you no longer want to follow, you can click on the follow link again and you will no longer follow that person. To ensure you can easily follow any pins you encounter, always make sure you are logged in before searching through pins. When you locate a pin you like, you have the option of commenting on it, repinning it to one of your boards or liking it. You can complete any combination of these actions.

Interesting Uses

While some people use Pinterest to simply draw attention to pictures they found entertaining or they simply liked, Pinterest can be used for a wide variety of things. Some people use Pinterest to plan their vacation. They pin pictures of places they want to see or items they need to purchase for their vacation. Likewise, you can use Pinterest to plan your wedding, pinning pictures of food, clothing, venues and other wedding-related items you want for your own wedding. If you need to make a gift registry for a wedding, birthday, graduation or other major event, Pinterest provides you with the venue to place wish list items from multiple retailers. In your description, you can tell people exactly where to find what you want. Those who are crafty or enjoy making new recipes can use Pinterest to show off their latest creations. You may even find that you can sell your products to people through pinning pictures onto Pinterest. The possibilities for using Pinterest are limited only by your imagination.

Pinterest is still a fairly new website, but shows plenty of promise for the years ahead. Users can only sign up by invitation, either through a friend or family member or through requesting an invitation from Pinterest itself. However, once you become a member, you can easily share images with your family and friends for various reasons, including planning major events, providing a wish list or even selling your products.