5 Ideas for Pinterest Boards That Can Help Build Your Brand

BY Karen Leland | December 18, 2012|

2 Comments

As a growing number of consumers jump on the Pinterest bandwagon, the opportunities to use the social-media site for business have grown exponentially.
What is Pinterest? The bulletin-board-style social image sharing website is a relatively new social-media phenomenon, created just two years ago and rapidly became one of the largest online social networks. The site allows its users to create and manage image collections, known as "boards," grouped by theme, and follow others with similar tastes and interests.
Pinterest recently launched business accounts, allowing users to define their accounts as businesses or brands, and the possibilities for using the site to promote your business, book or product are becoming significant.
If you're interested in getting started on Pinterest, but don't know where to begin, consider the following ideas for boards that can help build your brand.
1. Education. "How to" information does well on Pinterest. Look at the materials your company has that educate, teach or inform your customers or prospects. For example, do you have an ebook, white paper or video? You could pin the image of that content with a live link to download the paper or play the video on your website.
Related: 3 Ways Brands Can Use Pinterest's 'Secret Boards'
For example, Flourish Design Studio has a board titled "Wordpress Training" that features a series of pinned how-to videos on using WordPress, covering everything from how to create links to embedding video. What's worth noting is that these videos were not created by Flourish. They were created by a site called wp.tutsplus.com. Flourish has simply pinned them and given proper credit and a link to the content creator's website.
2. Feedback. Thinking about launching a new service or product? Try a virtual focus group by creating a Pinterest board that allows you to test what your target market thinks. Brand managers can post and pay attention to what is getting liked, repinned and commented on, then pivot as needed. Beyond seeking feedback on products and services, you could ask for opinions on a particular aspect of your business.
3. Events. If your business is hosting a training, meeting or upcoming event, create a board that introduces it to your audience. Some ways to promote the event without being overly spammy include pinning information about:

• The speakers
• Workshops and other educational sessions
• Sponsors
• Location and surrounding area
• Special events within the event

You can also include:

• Blog posts related to the topic of the event
• Special offers for early registration
• Event photos and attendee comments

Related: 5 Free Tools for More Powerful Pinterest Marketing
4. Makeovers. If your business lends itself to visually showcasing before-and-after images, this board is for you. Businesses that can take the best advantage of this include makeup artists, hairstylists, wardrobe consultants, interior designers, landscape architects, plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists and home or office organizers. Even coaches and consultants can use this board by creating pins that showcase impressive outcomes, such as an increase in sales or Web traffic that resulted from their intervention.
5. Company culture. Generate greater customer engagement by giving your clients an inside peek at your business through a board or boards that offer a feel for your company's style, ideas, projects and commitments. For example, Whole Foods has a board called Whole Planet Foundation, which features pins of projects from around the globe that reinforce the Whole Foods commitment to sustainability, organic farming and green in general, as well as inspirational sayings that reflect the company's whole-living message.
While these boards aren't likely to make you Pinterest superstar overnight, they can help get you started on a path to finding and engaging your potential customers with visuals that speak to their needs.
Related: New Tool Gauges Pinterest Mentions
Read more stories about: Social networking, Branding, Social Media Marketing, Pinterest, GrowthCon

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Karen Leland

Karen Leland is an author and president of Sterling Marketing Group, a marketing and brand-strategy firm based in San Rafael, Calif. Her forthcoming book, Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business, will be published by Entrepreneur Press in May 2013. Find Leland on Pinterest.  

Invest in You

Tonight I left one meeting to attend another...as usual.  But this one is special.  The Urban League's Young Professional General Body Meeting.  ((This is a time where young professionals can learn from seasoned professionals and from each other. ))

So I rushed in a bit after the meeting started and tiptoed to the back of the room where I saw an open seat.  I landed right in the midst of a conversation on finances and the concept of paying yourself first.

This is a principle that I love by.  And I live by it automatically. 

David Bach wrote a book entitled the Automatic Millionaire.  He emphasizes that you will automatic gain millions if you save and pay bills automatically.

Your brain doesn't have time to think of ....where should i spend this extra $20, if the $20 goes automatic into a savings account/ IRA.

Simple? Yes?


The conversation also resulted in the importance of investing and learning how to invest vs. just trusting someone else with your money.

My challenge to you.  Take the time to understand how and where money flows in and out of your account.  Read the book Think and Grow Rich.  And get connected to those taking action on their finances!

Invest in you!

Much love,
Coach Cass
Coach for Female Entrepreneurs
www.InspireMany.com
coach@inspiremany.com

Do You Find Yourself Falling For These 12 Familiar Myths?What myths of clutter do you resist–or believe?

Do You Find Yourself Falling For These 12 Familiar Myths?What myths of clutter do you resist–or believe?


Published on February 7, 2013 by Gretchen Rubin in The Happiness Project



One of my Secrets of Adulthood (and a point oddly under-emphasized by positive psychologists) is: Outer order contributes to inner calm. More, really, than it should. Why does making your bed make such a difference?



But as much as most of us want to keep our home, office, car, etc. in reasonable order, it’s tough. Here’s a list of some myths of de-cluttering that make it harder to maintain order.



1. “I need to get organized.” No! Don’t get organized is your first step.



2. “I need to be hyper-organized.” I fully appreciate the pleasure of having a place for everything, and perhaps counter-intuitively, I believe it’s easier to put things away in an exact place, rather than a general place (“the third shelf of the coat closet,” not “a closet.”) However, this impulse can become destructive. If you spend a lot of time alphabetizing your spices or creating eighty categories for your home files, consider whether you need to be quite so precisely organized. I find this particularly true with toys – I’ve spent hours sorting pretend food, Polly Pockets pieces, and tea sets, only to find everything a jumble the next day.



3. “I need some more inventive storage containers.” See #1. If you get rid of everything you don’t need, you may not need any fancy containers.



4. “I need to find the perfect recipient for everything I’m getting rid of.” It’s easier to get rid of things when you’re giving them to someone who can use them, but don’t let this kind intention become a source of clutter, itself. I have a friend who has multiple piles all over her house, each lovingly destined for a particular recipient. This is generous and thoughtful, but it contributes mightily to clutter. Try to find one or two good recipients (including a place like Goodwill), or if you really want to move your ex-stuff in multiple directions, create some kind of rigid system for moving it along.



5. “I can’t get rid of anything that I might possibly use one day.” How terrible would it be if you needed a shoe box and didn’t have one? Do you need a giant backlog of ketchup packets? How many mugs does one family use?



6. “I might get that gizmo fixed.” Face it. If you’ve had something for more than six months, and it’s still not repaired, it’s clutter.



7. “I might learn how to use that gizmo.” Again, face it. If you’ve had a gizmo on the shelf for a year, and you’ve never used it to make gelato or label a sugar jar, it’s clutter.



8. “I might lose a ton of weight and then I’d fit into these clothes again.” If you lose a bunch of weight, you’ll want to wear a new pair of jeans, not a pair you bought seven years ago.



9. “I need to keep this as a memento of a happy time.” I’m a huge believer in mementos; remembering happy times gives a big happiness boost in the present. But ask: do I need all these t-shirts to remind me of college, or just a few? Do I need to keep a desk to remind me of my grandfather, or can I use a photograph? Do I need fifty finger-painted pictures by my toddler, or is one enough to capture this time of life? Mementos work best when they’re carefully chosen – and when they don’t take up much room!



10. “I need to keep this, because the person who gave it to me might visit my house and be hurt when it’s not on display.” Is that person really likely to visit? Is that person really likely to remember the gift? Will the person really be upset by the lack of viewing of the gift?



11. “If I have any available space, I should fill it up with something.” No! One of my Secrets of Adulthood is: Somewhere, keep an empty shelf. I know where my empty shelf is, and I treasure it. This creates a bit of an issue with my husband, who likes to plunk something down on an empty shelf; he also likes to start using the new toothpaste before every bit of toothpaste has been squeezed from the old tube. He has his flaws.



12. “I might need this.” If you haven’t needed it so far, maybe you won’t need it in the future. And you can probably get it, if you do need it. A friend with acquisitive tendencies told me, “I remind myself that I can store things at the store. Those things will be at the store when and if I need them. I don’t need to keep that stuff in my house.”



How about you? What myths of clutter do you resist–or believe?

FREE 7 Day Spread the Love Challenge

Hey family!

I was watching Family Feud and they pointed out that February was the number 1 month for engagements.  Valentine's Day is coming up and this is the season of love!

I'm a mush.  I infuse love into my daily life to make it more exciting.

Knowing that my life is love filled, I wanted to make sure to spread the love to you too.

Hence the 7 Day Spread the Love Challenge.

A challenge created to bring more love into your life.  Yes single or taken you can use more love in your life.  Every day for 7 days.  Your focus will be to spread the love.  The more you give love, the more you will feel loved.  It's a "lovely" feeling.

Let me know how it goes family!

Welcome to the Challenge!

www.InspireMany.com/spreadthelove

-Coach Cass
coach@inspiremany.com
305-349-3648
Ask me about our coaching program

Inspire Many League!

Wow!  I'm ecstatic about this new year and my new coaching group!

Almost 20 women who are focused on increasing their income, creating a work/ life fit, growing spirituality, being well, and smiling!  Can we say EXCITING!  All creating the life they deserve.

On Tuesday we had our first call.

#BOOM!  I gave them a slew of homework.... no complaints!  Beautiful!

These Superwomen are entrepreneurs, coaches, authors, moms, sisters, caretakers,  managers, visionaries, and so much more.

The more I think about it....the more I give thanks for being blessed with this league of women who will not only make it a good year, 2014 will be the BEST year of their lives!

This was just a simple shout out!  Have a great weekend.

Happy Dr Martin Luther King Weekend!

-Coach Cass
www.inspiremany.com/GroupCoaching.html

Inspire Many Missions Trip to Kenya, Africa

Aloha!


You are getting this update because you have expressed intent of joining me, Coach Cass, on a missions Trip to Kenya, Africa.

Last February, I had two good friends who are married. Decide to give everything up to go to Africa to become Missionaries.

I always dreamed of visiting Africa, but I didnt know when and for what. I wanted there to be a purpose.

So I was led to tell them, Hey if you are still in Africa next February, Ill be there to help out. WE ARE GOING TO AFRICA!

So here it is family. I thought it was robbery if I went by myself. So I am opening this opportunity to have a select few to join me on this mission.

Today I spoke to the leaders ,Rev Sonji and Rev. Sonia, of the Park Ministries - Kenya. We almost jumped on Skype this morning at 5am! WHOA! But I had to request 7 :) ((Rubbing eyes and stretching))

Turns out they are coming back at the end of February to the states to raise money for land to start a SOS children's village in Africa. WOW! I love SOS Children's village.

So after an hour of conversation...here is the synopsis:

So these are the dates we are working on. Thursday ,Jan 31- Thursday Feb 14th. Happy Valentine's Day

We would arrive on Thursday, rest and explore a little on Friday.

Saturday morning- we would speak with refugee women from Sudan and Ethiopia

Sunday- we would accompany my friends (the married couple) to one of the churches they have planted there to see what they do.

Monday- we would go through a prep training for the rural experience ( what to expect, what we will encounter, to take away the shock factor)

Tuesday -we would leave for a rural village, Isiolo.

We would stay in 5 star hotel **according to Kenyans....probably a 2 star for us. Hey its a bed and hot water. Breakfast included.

We would help out in the village for approximately 5 day and take part on Sunday in their church service ...just to see how they worship in rural Africa.

There will be translator at each site to help.

When we get back ...we would rest and the next day go to a boys detention center where they pick up street kids. The men on the trip can play soccer and evangelize the manly way.

Also we would help with life skill activities.

Last but not least if time remaining we would have a safari experience with one big family dinner. Then going to the big Nairobi marketplace to shop.

Then...guess what...back on the plane February 14th...coming on back home.

Questions?

Cost:



We are looking at most $3000. Including place to stay, meals, transportation, and safari.



VACCINATIONS:



I have been told you MUST get the recommended vaccinations, no matter what your US doctor thinks. Im going to go with the recommendation of those who are American who live in Kenya and have not gotten sick. Therefore you MUST get your shots to go on this trip.



Hepatitis A$ 95.00Yellow Fever$ 130.00

Hepatitis B (2 doses)$ 70.00Tuberculosis $

Polio$ 65.00MMR (2nd – born after 1957)$

Tetanus (w/in 6-7 yrs)$ 75.00Chicken Pox Vaccine$ 120.00

Typhoid$ 85.00**Doxycycline (50 ct)$ 20.00

Visa:



You must get your Visa 60 days in advance of the trip. Apply through the kenyan embassy in DC. You then send your physical passport to DC and they send back your visa in your passport. YOU MUST have this done in order to go on the trip. http://www.kenyaembassy.com/dcservices/appforvisaonline.aspx.
Sleeping arrangements:

WE would stay with the ladies of Kenya Believe it while in Nairobi and then in hotel in Iseolo.

Payment Plan:

Non-refundable $500 is due on November 15th, 2012. You can send via paypal to inspiremany@gmail.com.

If you would like to donate, You can donate via the information above.


Fundraisers:

You can fundraise for this trip. Would you like to do a fundraiser as a group? If so, we are open to ideas.

Clothing:

Ladies: in rural Africa, please wear long skirt and roundneck long sleeve/ short sleeve shirts. Things are much more traditional there.

In Nairobi, it's a city. So normal wear but nothing to revealing. Meaning no cracks showing please ;).

What I bring to give?

I have been told each child is given 1 pencil for the entire school year. So we would like to bring at least 2 suitcases full of pencils. They also need 1 subject notebooks, crayons, childrens' books, coloring books.
Latex gloves for women helping in childbirth.

I've gone to church but I have no clue about evangelizing or missionary work:

If you have a heart that loves God and you believe in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you are welcome to be apart of this missions trip.

The beautiful ladies from Park Ministries - Kenya will walk us through the simplicity of having a conversation of how God has been good to you and sharing this experience. Believe me...this will be LIFE CHANGING! Expect the best and it will be the best. once again this is very simple travel. meaning no a/c, bumpy roads, and a servant attitude. Very important that you keep that in mind. You have never traveled like this and there will never be another opportunity like this one. I encourage you to make the sacrifice to come after you pray about it.


Mandatory Reading: These books will help you to understand the work of a Christian. and is recommended by Sonia.
Until the Whole World Knows by Alicia Britt Chole

When Helping Hurts by Fikkert and Colbert

Ok, I believe I covered alot. Let me know where you are in your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from each of you.

Many blessings and Much love,

Coach Cass
www.InspireMany.com

Finish What You Start

"Much of the stress that people feel
doesn't come from having too much to do.
It comes from not finishing they've started."-David Allen

— David Allen