Pinterest has become a social media star over the last few months, now reaching 16 million users worldwide, according to Google Ad Planner. The virtual pinboard site is the next platform marketers need to take advantage of.

As with other social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, Pinterest comes with its own code of etiquette. If you violate certain rules, you risk becoming a virtual pariah—and that's a marketer's nightmare. Follow these tips to pin like a pro.

1. Source images properly. Sourcing the original link is the unspoken cardinal rule of Pinterest. Whenever you find and post an image to Pinterest, make sure to include a link to the original source. For example, don't link to Google Image if that's where you found a picture of the perfect flower arrangement. Instead, link to the florist who created it. It's only fair to the original creator and to your followers. You can also help the community ensure that these rules are followed. If you find an improperly credited source, Pinterest recommends leaving a comment so the original pinner can update the source.
2. Don't trick users into following incorrect links.  Unfortunately, some dishonest users have embedded incorrect links with their images so that when a follower clicks on an image, they're redirected to an unrelated website or blog (giving the site extra page views and, as a result, extra income). This is a major marketing no-no and a surefire way to lose followers. Instead, make sure you are linking only to relevant content.
3. Write a full caption. Make sure you write a descriptive caption for every image you post. This is a courtesy to your readers and a chance for you to tell why they should click on the link. However, avoid obviously advertorial captions. Pinterest is more about authentic communication than about pushing ads on the community.
4. Don't become a pin addict. It's fun to post to your virtual pinboard, but you don't have to post every single thing you find (especially if it greatly strays from your brand image). High quality is key in the digital world—and it's what Pinterest followers love most. Don't go pin-crazy if you want to keep your followers.
5. Think about whom you want to share with. If you sync your Pinterest account with your other social media accounts (notably Twitter and Facebook), everything you pin will be shared with your followers on those platforms. These updates can be considered a major nuisance, so carefully consider whether your pins are worth sharing.
6. Don't be stingy with interaction. Like all social media sites, Pinterest works best when users communicate with each other. The more you give, the more you get. You don't have to engage in a ton of communication, but a nice, short acknowledgment of a comment or liking someone else's pin will keep the good will flowing.
7. Always be respectful. The Pinterest community is about sharing the things you like. For that reason (and, obviously, because it's a public forum), you should always communicate kindly and respectfully and avoid negative interaction, in both what you post and what you comment. Do not insult others or use unprofessional language.
8. Report objectionable content. Pinterest appreciates users who contribute and make the community a better place. No one likes to be a snitch, but sometimes it's appropriate to report objectionable or offensive content (according to the Pinterest Terms of Service or Acceptable Use Policy). To report something, click on the pin, then click the "Report Pin" button that pops up in a sidebar to the right of the image.

Pinterest has become the latest social media star, so start pinning and connect with your consumer base, but remember to keep it professional.

Let me show you how to maximize Pinterest for your business.  Call today!  888-904-1400

A version of this post appeared on Flowtown and Ragan Communications.

• Testimonials with photos or video
• Recommendations from previous customers
• Messages regarding special deals or promotions (available discounts, free shipping, etc)
• Traceability back to your Manta profile
• Links to your Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube accounts
• Instructions on how to contact you

With these enhancements, you can improve the user’s experience and allow them to get to know you better. All of which can help increase their chances of buying from you. Get started today!  Call 888-904-1400.

Quote o the Day

"Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will and be judged by only one thing: the result."
-- Vince Lombardi, football

Here are a couple of tips:

• Claim and optimize your local search listings with Google, Yahoo and Bing. Optimizing is the key to gain high rankings, simply claiming them does little to get your business found.
• Get mobile friendly, with about half of all local online searches being done on mobile devices, and growing this is too huge to ignore.
• If you rely heavily on a website for leads, it needs to get found and you need ongoing SEO for that.

Quote of the Day

"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."  -- Vince Lombardi

Just like an old piece of clothing that's been hanging in your closet and doesn't fit anymore, the same can become of your business.  It's time to swing open the doors and take inventory.  What works for you and what doesn't?  If it doesn't fit, throw it out!  Throw out all of your old business processes that don't work and establish new ones.  Hire professionals with specific expertise to get you to where you need to go.  Establish a business plan with attainable goals. 

We can help you.  Call us at 888-904-1400 to see how to get a fresh start.

• Set up a free Gmail (Google email) account to receive "Google Alerts." Google Alerts allow you to track stories of interest by topic, like your industry’s key terms or competitors. When Google finds a story containing that term, it will arrive in your Gmail inbox as an alert. 
• Search for industry-specific news sites or blogs and sign up for their free RSS feeds, which will be sent directly to your email address.
• Get news you choose directly on your smart phone with popular apps like Pulse or TipB.

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Brought to you by Manta Minute Tip of the Day

Align social and search Perhaps even more surprising is that consumers who are exposed to social marketing are 50% more likely to click on paid search ads. It is readily apparent that social media provides new avenues of opportunity for search marketers today.

In this white paper, “Social marketing for search marketers,” Search Marketing Now shows how search marketers should use social media to boost brand influence, reach, website traffic, and sales conversions.

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Brought to you by Adobe and Omniture

Visit their website at:  www.firsthelpfinancial.com

Seventy percent of consumers say online search is their preferred method for finding information about local businesses, so it's critical for small businesses to manage their online presence.

As consumers become more Internet savvy, it's imperative that businesses take ownership of their Internet presence and manage it. Your company can show up in various places on the Internet without your knowledge through public records, directory listings, personal blogs, etc. No matter who put your company information out there, you should take it as an opportunity to increase awareness of your company. Following are five steps you can take to do just that.

1. Do an online search for your company.

Your first step is to understand where your company information is on the Internet and to take ownership of it. Search for your company name in any search engine. Be sure to search for common misspellings and possible abbreviations. Check listings for accuracy and completeness. Many sites, including Manta, encourage business owners to "claim" or "own" their business listings. Take advantage of that. You should always be in control of how your company is represented online.

2. Remember to NAP.

The most important information you put online can be abbreviated as NAP:

•Name
•Address
•Phone Number
If you want to be found, you must have this information listed, and it must be consistent in every occurrence. That includes spelling, abbreviations, formatting, and phone numbers. Search engines look for clusters of reference information that are consistent.

When displaying your address, make sure paste it into a map website to make the correct address is displayed. This is what your customers will do and if mapping websites cannot locate your address, you will lose customers.

Although these tips may seem very elementary, they can make a big difference in optimizing search engine results.

3. Know your business' vocabulary.

Search engines look for common words when matching websites up to searches. So understanding what words or terms your customers use when they talk about you or your product or service is a critical component of SEO. That's because these are likely the words customers will enter into the search engine to find products and services.

There are several free online tools that will provide you with statistics on what words or terms people most often use when searching certain topics. For example, an animal hospital might offer day care services for pets. In order to understand what customers are searching for, you can use the Google Adwords Keyword Tool (https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal) to search "doggy daycare" and find similar words and phrases and their frequency of use. In this case, you'd find that a significantly larger audience searches for "doggie daycare" vs. "doggy daycare."

Once you know what words and terms are common in your line of business, use them on your website, especially on your "About" page. Search engines will look for those terms and match them up to what people are searching for.

4. If you choose to invest in an SEO provider, shop around.

When selecting an SEO provider, you'll find there are a lot of them, but not all offer the same services nor provide the same results. Look for an SEO expert who fits your business model (maybe with a focus on small business or in your industry). Be sure you understand what services they will provide and what results you should expect. One key thing to understand is that you should not expect immediate results. SEO is a process that builds upon itself and can take time to show value. If someone promises you immediate results or guaranteed rankings, be concerned.

5. Look at your competition.

Look up your competition online. What are the results when you search their name? Their location? What words and terms are they using? Are they effective? Look them up on online directories. Are their profiles more comprehensive than yours? If you were a shopper and you came upon their profile and your profile, which looks more impressive? Why?

Take in all you learn from the competition and apply it to your web strategy.

Don't wait, do it now!

Your company is already on the Internet, whether you meant it to be or not. Take control of the situation and turn it into an opportunity. The worst thing you can do is nothing.

Written by Manta President and CEO Pamela Springer

Social Media is one of my favorite ways of generating interest around my own small business. But, there are some basic principles to keep in mind in order to make your marketing more effective and efficient.

Here are five important tips that will enhance your overall social media marketing experiences:

1) Create a landing page.

A landing page is a one-page website that offers your visitors a quick peek at you and your small business before they are “overwhelmed” by your business website. In addition, successful landing pages offer visitors a valuable free offer in exchange for their name and email address. Landing pages are crucial to business success because they allow prospects to connect with you on a more personal level, quickly highlight the benefits of doing business with you and give your prospects a small taste of what your small business is all about.

2) Set up complete profiles on your social networks.

If you want your marketing efforts to work, make sure that your social media profiles are complete. If prospects land on your profile page and it doesn’t have a picture and contains sparse information, they aren’t likely to feel any connection with you. You should provide as much information about yourself as possible. Remember, people want to get to know you, so give them what they’re looking for.

3) Participate; don’t push.

When marketing on social media platforms, always keep in mind the 80/20 rule. You should spend 80% of your time sharing, answering questions and interacting with others and only 20% of your time promoting your small business. If you stick to this rule, you’ll be viewed as a true participant as opposed to a pushy sales-person.

4) Be consistent.

Social media marketing is all about consistency. It’s extremely important that prospective clients see you on a regular basis. Exposure is the key to gaining your client’s trust and eventual business. So, get on those sites and interact on a daily basis.

5) Create a daily schedule.

If you don’t have a schedule, it won’t take long before you’re sucked into the “social media black hole.” Determine how much time you have to devote to your social media marketing and stick to it. If you only have 30-minutes each day, then only utilize three social networking sites and generate a strong presence on them. I like to use a timer (honestly!) to keep myself on track; when it beeps, I’m off to the next site.

Social Media marketing is extremely effective as long as you understand how to tap into its power. If you implement these five tips into your marketing efforts, you should quickly generate impressive results for your small business.

By Jessica Swanson, Manta Marketing Expert

2. Face Issues Directly

3. Apologize

4. Show Appreciation

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