How to Post a Video on Pinterest

When you hear Pinterest, the first thing that comes to mind is often pictures. But the content sharing service lends itself to all visual mediums and there are thousands of videos on Pinterest, too. With over 25 million users, brands recognize that engaging content can lead to purchases -- especially as 81% of U.S. consumers trust information from Pinterest.

While  you can share your video to Pinterest immediately after uploading it on Youtube, what happens if you created your Pinterest board some time after you uploaded your video?

Here's a step by step guide to solving that problem:

 1. Log into Pinterest, click, into Pinterest, click, the add button, and then scroll down to "Add from a website."

Image

2. Next you will need to copy the url of the video you want to use from YouTube and paste it into the "add a pin from a website" box that shows up.

Image

3. Pick your video thumbnail and the board you want to add your video

Image

 4. Fill out your description using hashtags and pin it! 

Screen shot 2013-06-18 at 3.42.27 PM

 

As you can see, the steps are relatively simple. For a free review of your social media efforts to date and a plan on how we can assist you in your online social media management, Contact us today.

 

 

3 Ways Brands are Using Vine for Father’s Day

Brands are becoming increasingly more active on the new social media app Vine and for good reason. Unruly Media, a video technology company, recently found that branded vines are shared 4x as often as other branded Internet videos. Branded vines were also 4% of the top 100 shared vines. This is almost unheard of as most viral videos are not connected to brands. The platform allows users to create six-second looping videos. The apps brevity, like Twitter,  encourages brands to get creative while appealing to consumers rapidly shrinking attention span.

With Father's Day around the corner, many brands are using Vine as a marketing tool. Here are three ways we've seen brands use Vine effectively:

1. Promote Products

Vines 6-second format changes the way advertisers approach video marketing. With limited time, companies have to spotlight their products in an interesting way and get their message across fast. Moonpig, a greeting card company that allows users to create unique cards online, created a vine to promote their Father's Day cups:

— Moonpig (@MoonpigUK) June 11, 2013

Cold Stone Creamery took product promotion a step further and explicitly suggested their icecream over traditional choices:

2. Give Insight into Products

Instead of presenting a finished product, Vine allows brands to show the process of creation. Cloak and Dapper, a gentleman's clothing store, used this method to spotlight individual products in a gift box:

3. Host Competitions

Hosting competitions is nothing new to marketers, but Vine does add a new spin on traditional methods. Vine is a fast way to drive engagement around their brands when used well. Remington Park, a racetrack and casino based in Oklahoma, are hosting a competition with an incentive big enough to convince people to visit them on Father's day:

There is nothing like the power of video for communication, and the Internet is a more effective vehicle for delivery than any other outlet available. iQuarius Media is an expert in every step of creating videos that deliver. To discuss how our  Web Video Production and Delivery team can help you, contact Shea Glenny at shea@iquariusmedia.com.

Does Your Business Need a Blog?

The answer is an unequivocal, YES! Blogging is the foundation to holistic content marketing campaigns and it provides a channel for developing thought leadership. Instead of being another faceless brand, you can distinguish your business by lending it your credibility and defining yourself as an authority in your industry. Our social-media driven culture is also placing new demands on brands. Customers expect higher levels of engagement with businesses because of the access that the online world provides them. If your website is static, you aren’t set apart from your competition and you’re not convincing potential clients that you are the best possible company to purchase from/work with.

Still not convinced? Here are some of the best reasons why your business needs a blog:

Blogs help raise your Internet visibility

Search engines prefer blogs over the millions upon millions of static websites out there because the content is updated regularly. As you have probably heard many times before: content is king.  You want to be featured on the first page of a Google search? A consistently updated and bustling blog is the best way to land there. Creating regular content on topics relevant to your industry increases the chance of a potential customer landing on your website.

Say you're a landscaper in Florida, creating a post about the top five ways to spend days or evenings in your garden not only advertises your services but helps those not specifically searching for a landscaper to find your company.

Blogs establish your authority

With the introduction of Google Authorship, establishing yourself (and your brand) as an authority in your industry has become obligatory. You want to be recognized as a trendsetter and thought leader among your competition, but you also want to show consumers why they should do business with you. Knowledgeable, original content proves your legitimacy while inspiring confidence in potential clients. This applies to all industries, as potential clients are more likely to do business with someone who has already established their authority.

For example, if you're a dentist, regular posts on good dental hygiene will be valuable to potential patients and lead them to believe that your knowledgeable advice leads to knowledgeable care. People directly associate your content with your abilities; you want to be in control of your image.

Blogs reflect the culture of your company & values of your brand

Gone are the days where you can just claim to offer great customer service and exceptional products. Consumers want to know specifics and they want your unique approach to business. Blogging is the perfect opportunity to infuse your personality into your company. By providing your opinions on relevant topics of interest in your industry, consumers get an understanding of the person (or people) behind your brand. This works on multiple levels.

For one, it helps consumers relate to and understand your brand. Blogging can also be a great starting point for building the reputation of your brand. For example, if you're a consultant and you have multiple articles offering free advice, you send the message that you are generous with your  expertise. Doing so also suggests that you possess such a wealth of information that there is plenty more of that same expert advice for clients who contract your services.

Blogs allow for interaction with consumers

If a potential consumer is visiting your website, you want to do everything you can to improve engagement. Static websites guarantee short visits whereas regularly updated blogs give visitors a reason to stick around. Chances are they'll comment on a post, you comment back and before you know it they're scheduling an appointment or placing an order.

Starbucks is an excellent example of increasing user engagement through blogging. While their posts are only tangentially related to coffee, Starbucks allows users to submit ideas for new drinks, food items, packages, and even store designs. They then blog about the ideas and encourage users to comment and rate the different items. This is a brilliant approach to blogging as it increases consumer engagement and creates original user-generated content.

While blogging doesn't have to be a huge undertaking, it does require some planning and commitment. The key is to post consistently. Ideally, you should post relevant content for your target audience 2-3 times a week. Not only does this keep your content fresh (and therefore more likely to appear on search engines) but also encourages a consistent following.

For more advice on successful social media marketing strategies, iQuarius Media is an expert on helping  your brand's online presence grow. Contact our Content Marketing Strategist, to discuss your blog and content marketing strategy.

Image Source: Lucy Catherine Photography

407-378-7817