Ugh, another social media platform? You’re thinking “I barely have time for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Youtube, now I have to do Pinterest? Before you wave this one off lets look at the perks of pinning for your business.

What is it?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where one shares the things they like with friends through photos. Those who “pin” can arrange their favorite things onto themed pinboards  ranging from scenery, home décor, fashion, food, inventions and much more. If you were planning a party you could map the whole shin-dig out on Pinterest.

Why should business owners start pinning?

Pinterest is another great tool to market your product or service in a visual way. Investing in quality photos is key because captions are minimal on this platform. Let’s say you were a wholesaler of party products or even a party planner. You could use Pinterest to showcase your party designs, themes, and ideas in order to entice a broader clientele.

Pinterest recently reached 10 million monthly unique users at a rate that was faster than any independent site in history and daily users have increased by more than 145% since the start of 2012. In fact, Pinterest is so popular the wait to join is becoming longer, so hurry up and wait by requesting an invite here: http://pinterest.com/landing/ and while we wait for Publicity Works to receive an invitation we’ll be peeking at our PR Manager’s pins.

Don’t get pinned by only using Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is the hottest social start up in 2012 – start pinning your way to more business.

Running a business is hard enough and marketing your brand, product and yourself takes extra time, energy and brainpower. But to be successful and acquire more business you must do more than care for your customers, douse fires, and pay bills.

Publicity Works is here to help! We’ve come up with a few simple tips to market your business that doesn’t cost a fortune and won’t crush your cranium.

Give Thanks! We are huge fans of the personal thank you note. If someone has referred you, helped you, given you a plug via social media, let them know you appreciate it.

Blog. Even if they are brief, show the web that you have something to offer that other companies don’t.

Network like a pro. There are so many ways to connect with people in your industry as well as other vendors and contractors that could send you additional business. Find a way to connect whether it’s coffee talk, a cocktail party, linkedin or facebook.

Holler! If you like what you see let the owner of the intellectual property know you dig it. You never know what kind of products or services they may be in the market for. Introduce yourself via e-mail or social media and give them kudos. After all, everyone loves a shout-out.

Stay Current. Be sure to update your website and social media platforms with your most current work. You’d hate to be overlooked because you seem out-of-touch.

If you like what you see here give us a shout!

Follow us on twitter @publicity_works and like us on facebook.

We’re confident 2011 will be a promising year, but to ensure future success and stability we’ve made a few resolutions.  We resolve to:

• Embrace new trends

The technological landscape is constantly changing and it’s important to communicate in the most effective way possible.  We resolve to stay abreast of new mediums.

• Give back to the community in creative ways

Publicity Works adopts a cause each year.  This year we are working with the International Rett Syndrome Foundation and supporting the Strollathon: Stroll and Roll for Rett. To learn more about this important cause visit www.rettsyndrome.org.

• Encourage additional employee education

We encourage creativity and growth in all areas and gaining as much knowledge as possible is crucial to success in this industry.  PW is committed to staying on the leading edge, as always.

• Keep our desks clean

Does anyone work well in a pile of papers?  We think not.  We’re starting the year off right with a deep clean.  Cheers to clutter free workspace!

• Revive the fine art of handwritten notes

Communication has become very convenient, but at times it can seem impersonal.  We resolve to resurrect the handwritten note.  Whether it’s to say thank you or just a quick hello, everyone loves the personal touch of holding a note penned just for him or her.

Facebook stopped being the casual site for college students long ago (at least in the fast-paced world of technology). This means you need to stop using Facebook casually. Unless you’re stuck in a unibomber-like shack, you most likely have Facebook friends who are coworkers, relatives, acquaintances, etc. The point is not everyone who sees your posts is your bosom buddy.  So don’t be an idiot. Don’t post pictures of yourself doing a keg stand at your friend’s Fourth of July party (that one’s obvious), but also don’t bore people with the minutiae of your everyday existence.

Now, that doesn’t mean you have to stop being yourself, it just means you should take just a little more time dashing off your posts, and fight the urge to post about every single thing you do every single day. Posting “You’ve got to check out the black bean burger at the Emory!” is one thing. Posting “Ate a burger for lunch, yum” is another. What’s the difference? People can get value out of the former post – you’ve brought something you love to their attention and they can try it for themselves if they want to. The latter post is just something you did with no redeeming details. Facebook isn’t your personal diary, it’s a social networking site.

The thing to remember is that just because you’re posting online – Facebook really isn’t any different from real, face-to-face human contact (remember that??). People are still people, and they’ll still say “So what?” whether they’re talking to you in person or reading your posts in their news feed. So quit it with the “quiet night at home, zzz” posts. No one cares. But don’t get discouraged. You can make people care by adding just a modicum of thought and changing that post to, “Spending a quiet night at home tonight, but I hope to see you all at the big LCD Soundsystem show tomorrow. Their new album is amazing and tickets are still available!”

And speaking of putting a modicum of thought into things: Spell things correctly, please. And use punctuation. Those buttons actually do have uses besides making smiley faces.