I made a little infographic, well, call it an ad for my blog post, about the Long Tail Of Pinterest Referral Traffic post I did recently. I hope you share this on Pinterest 
Ps. Hey, don’t forget to…
21 Reasons Infographic
Selling Infographic
Pinterest Data Infographic
The Long Tail Of Pinterest Traffic Infographic
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on May 9, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/05/09/the-long-tail-of-pinterest-traffic-infographic/
Marketing On Pinterest Boot Camp Testimonial, “A Rock Solid Understanding Of What Works…”
I get testimonials back from participants in our Free Marketing On Pinterest Boot Camp almost daily, (sometimes a couple a day).
I’m saving them up for when I launch my killer Pinterest info product [due out later this year], [they'll make great credibility builders], but until then they are just sitting in my inbox. So I thought I’d share one, since it’s particularly good …
[You can Pin this image]
[Google Can Read This For SEO] …
Marketing On Pinterest Boot Camp Testimonial: “For anyone interested in learning the ins and outs of Pinterest Marketing I highly recommend Jason Miles’ Marketing On Pinterest Boot Camp. Jason has put together a great introduction to Pinterest gleamed from his own highly successful marketing campaigns. In lesson after lesson, he shares years of insight gained across multiple platforms and leads Pinterst-newbies to a rock-solid understanding of what works on Pinterst and why! With warmth, humor, and a genuine desire to see you succeed, Jason lays out Pinterst marketing tips and strategies that anyone can implement quickly and easily. Best of all, it’s FREE! What are you waiting for? Go sign up now! “
Ps. Hey, don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on May 9, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/05/09/marketing-on-pinterest-boot-camp-testimonial-a-rock-solid-understanding-of-what-works/
The Long Tail Of Pinterest Referral Links
Does Pinterest Traffic Have A Long Tail? “
Yes!
Why Does That Matter? “
Keep reading, I’ll share 4 reasons smart marketers need to know this…
The referral traffic coming out of Pinterest to our ecommerce site, (www.libertyjanepatterns.com), is a long tail distribution curve.
Let’s geek out on this for a minute…
The Long Tail concept was made popular by Chris Anderson‘s [awesome] book, “The Long Tail“. You can still find the original, [ground-breaking], article from Wired Magazine: The Long Tail here.
To see our Pinterest traffic distribution curve I plotted our Pinterest referral traffic, (from the last month), using Google Analytics data. Over the last 30 days 1,193 visits came from 484 Pinterest Pins. Some of those were from our corporate Pinterest Profile, many were not. If you chart that in Excel, using a column chart, then it looks like this:
Understanding the long tail of Pinterest
Now compare that to what the referral traffic from Facebook looks like for the same period. I received 1,125 visits from 4 referral links. Almost the same traffic, but from just 4 sources:
Maybe your boss will ask you tomorrow,
Why Are You So Excited About Pinterest?, (Get Back To Work On Facebook)…
What will you say? “I like Pinterest more” ? “I feel like Pinterest is better” ? No…you’ve gotta have a reason man. Here it is…
4 Reasons A Pinterest Traffic Long Tail Distribution Curve Is Good For Your Business:
- There is safety in numbers. I’d rather have traffic from the nearly 500 referral links in Pinterest than 4 referral links in Facebook. So as a marketer, I feel more comfortable, safe, and confident growing our Pinterest efforts than I do our Facebook efforts.
- The Pinterest links aren’t all on our company’s Pinterest profile. They are distributed over many user profiles, [our raving fans]. That’s a good thing. Again, safety in numbers. For example,
- If our company’s user profile got shut down by Pinterest, we would NOT be screwed. That’s awesome.
- The opportunity for virality is enhanced if you have more potential sources/opportunities for social sharing. There are popular pins, and some go viral. And the odds of a Pin going viral are greater when there are simply more ‘in the market’. Again, this is awesome.
What do you make of this data? Is it similar on your website? Tell us what you think…
Finally, If you want to totally geek out impress your boss over distribution curves, the Long-Tail, Bimodal Distribution, and related concepts, watch this Khan Academy video.
Ps. Hey, don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on May 8, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/05/08/the-long-tail-of-pinterest-referral-links/
Pinterest Traffic Tip: Pinwidget for WordPress Bloggers
WordPress blog owners might want to try Pinwidget, a new widget that streams your Pinterest comments. It seems to work nicely. Give it a spin at www.pinwidget.com.
Ps. Hey, don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on May 5, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/05/05/pinterest-traffic-tip-pinwidget-for-wordpress-bloggers/
How Professional Bloggers Can Leverage Pinterest
[infographic for you to Pin] …
There are professional bloggers, like Darren Rowse, [@Problogger.net], and Jeremy Schoemaker, [@Shoemoney.com], that have massive websites full of amazing content, but their impact on Pinterest is still relatively small.
See Darren Rowse’s Pinterest Profile. [Jeremy Schoemaker doesn't have one that I could find].
Additionally, you can see how many of their readers have taken the time to Pin one of their articles to Pinterest by looking at the ‘source’ date. [The Problogger.net source data] [The Shoemoney.com source data].
Even though, in Darren’s case, he has over 150,000 Unique Vistors a month, per comscore. You have to ask yourself the question,
Why isn’t his work being pulled into Pinterest as much as it should be?”
There are 3 reasons, and a simple solution. Let’s look at them:
Reason #1: The Blog Posts Don’t Have Images. You’ll notice in the problogger.net source data that his headshot gets pinned frequently in association with random articles being mentioned in the comment field. That’s an indication that people are on an article they like and are hitting “Pin It” and being presented with a limited selection of images, his headshot being one of them, and so they go with that out of necessity. But headshots aren’t viral.
Reason #2: The haven’t incorporated the Pinterest Social Media Sharing Buttons Yet. Lots of times big time bloggers, like big time companies are slower to adopt the social sharing icons for new social networks. That makes sense, and they have their reasons. But until they cross that bridge, they will be limiting their ability to get the easy wins.
Reason #3: They haven’t fully ‘set up shop’ in Pinterest yet. In the case of Darren Rowse, he does have a profile set up. In the case of Jeremy Schoemaker, he doesn’t have one yet. So it makes sense that they have a smaller overall impact in Pinterest. At Liberty Jane Clothing, we had our Pinterest referral traffic double in the month after we set up our Pinterest profile. So there is no doubt that when these types of Professionals decide to turn on the Pinterest spotlight, it’s gonna really work well for them.
The Solution To Under Performing Pinterest Impact: If you could do 1 thing to revolutionalize the overall impact on Pinterest, it would be to go back through your posts and create some type of graphic that corresponds to the post - and insert it into the post so that your readers have something easily pinnable. I call this Pinterest Image Optimization. It’s hard work, no doubt, but it’s the effort that will enable your fans & followers to begin doing all the hard work, (although Pinning isn’t hard work), for you. Make something like the graphic I made for this post.
So that’s it. Not rocket science, just adapting your amazing content to an amazing new social network.
Ps. Hey, don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on April 29, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/04/29/how-professional-bloggers-can-leverage-pinterest/
Pinterest Monetization Efforts – An Open Letter To Tim Kendall
Dear Tim,
Chances are, our paths will never cross. So I thought I’d write an open letter regarding your new job – Pinterest monetization. Maybe by some off chance, someone will point this out to you, which would be cool.
First, congratulations. Your time at Facebook created a stunning result, and that’s awesome. Now you’ve got a chance to create a Pinterest monetization system that changes ecommerce forever.
Let’s start with the obvious, (for those reading along). You and Ben have both been insiders in two of the Internet’s best examples of monetizing traffic via Display Ads. In Ben’s case, the Display Ad Team at Google. In your case the Facebook Advertising program, (I use and love both of them). Those two systems have created billions of dollars of value, helped small business owners, (such as my self), and countless other institutions, (like Northwest University – a place I love & work).
With your combined skills, it would be easy to envision a process of creating a Vickrey Auction driven Display Ad-esque monetization model on Pinterest. Wtih elegant engineering I’m sure you could even do it in a way that wouldn’t fundamentally alter the visual appeal of the site. It would certainly be accepted by Pinterest loyalists as, ‘the price of keeping Pinterest in business’, even if it wasn’t liked much by them.
But have you considered the other viable alternative? You could use an advertising model that has a Reverse Auction format at it’s heart, instead of a Vickrey Auction format.
Think about the back-end of Priceline.com, or better lastminute.com.
Granted, creating a reverse auction system might be frought with more engineering challenges, and it might take longer to unveil and perfect. But you could implement it on Pinterest without using ANY text or extra ad-focused visuals. Here is a diagram of how. I realize at this point, a Vickrey Auction system is a well worn path.
But let’s be honest, a Vickrey Auction is a model that has a prima facia appeal to (big) businesses trying to protect their brand & pricing power. A Reverse Auction has a prima facia appeal to consumers. Priceline is loved. Google Display Ads & Facebook Ads are tolerated.
If a Reverse Auction is even something you’d consider, then here is a full write up about how you could implement it, purely through a symbol system and be a consumer hero.
Regardless of what you do, I wish you all the luck in the world. Pinterest is insanely great.
All the best,
Jason Miles
Ps. Hey, don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on April 24, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/04/24/pinterest-monetization-efforts-an-open-letter-to-tim-kendall/
The Case For Using Pinterest As A Marketing Tool
1959 Ad for Cellophane. Shows the problem of an unclear use-case.
It’s 1959. You invent Cellophane. You say,
Hey, let’s wrap some babies in it to show it’s usefullness”
That seems reasonable, doesn’t it?
You say, “Ok … wait. NO!”
What now?
Here’s the thing…
The problem with new stuff, especially radically new stuff, is that the ‘use case’ isn’t clear. And as marketers we aren’t immediately clear on how people will use it. We have a limited (or wrong) vision of future use.
Act 2:
You’re a big time Venture Capitalist in Silicon Valley and some kid named Ben asks for a couple million bucks so he can build a site to… ‘Share what he loves’
You say, “Ok … Wait. NO! “
It’s easy for us to see those VC guys rejecting Ben’s idea as stupid because we’ve all seeen the ‘use case’. But they couldn’t see a reasonable use for it. But now that Pinterest is getting used by 19 million people, and growing at 50% per month, and slated to be at 180 million users by November, (per Techcrunch). And it is the fastest growing website in history, and we’re all addicted to it, …it’s easy to see the use case.
Act 3:
Imagine tomorrow, right after lunch, you walk into your bosses office. He’s hard core, 60, and not even on Facebook. And you say,
Hey, we need to be on Pinterest to grow our business”
What’s he gonna say?
Why?
He’s gonna say, “Ok…Wait. NO!”
Why?
Because he cannot easily envision how you could possibly grow your business on it. No use case.
Act 4:
You Forget trying to sell your boss on a future fantasy as a reason to jump into Pinterest. You just show the use case. Show it, and show it, and show it. Then wait for him to say,
Hey, we need to be on Pinterest to grow our business”
And you say,
“Yeah, I guess that sounds good”.
There’s just 1 question…
How do you show the Pinterest use case?”
Here are 4 ideas you might want to casually mention to hard core boss man:
1. Hey, did you hear Pinterest is the Fastest growing website in the history of the internet? (That’s per Techcrunch).
2. Hey, I guess that Pinterest site drives more visitors to company websites than Youtube, Twitter and Google+ combined, (per Share-A-Holic).
3. So, I guess that Pinterest site is being used effectively by smart companies like Nordstrom, Whole Foods and Liberty Jane Clothing, (shameless).
4. Did you know that Pinterest is already one of the largest social networks on the internet and still in invitation only mode? (Per Experian Hitwise).
Forget casting a vision for rah rah rah future growth of your business. Just share the facts that explain how people are using Pinterest. Then let them draw a conclusion.
Hey, don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on April 23, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/04/23/the-case-for-using-pinterest-as-a-marketing-tool/
Pinterest Contests That Change Your Business Forever (Part Two)
So how do we apply our 6 principles of effective social contests to Pinterest?”
I’ll tell you, but then I want to ask you a question, fair enough?!
- We’ll monitor the Pinterest Terms Of Service closely to ensure they continue to permit social contests on their platform. Facebook has basically banned contests and promotions on their platform. Although the wise folks at Inside Facebook walk through 6 tips in this good article. Google+ also banned promotions and contests. Rule #1 on any social network – follow the rules.
- We will NOT assume anything that we’ve done in Youtube will necessarily translate into the Pinterest social context. We’ll have to learn what works for Pinterest, just like we learned what works for Youtube.
- We’ll obsess over the prize, and figure out how to offer something that is insanely great.
- We’ll make entering easy.
- We’ll watch for negative user feedback. Several national brands, (that we won’t mention specifically) have recently done contests that ‘clog’ users Pinterest feeds with non-stop pins that are similar – because all their friends are fulfilling the social action requested to enter the contest by pinning things from the companies website. – and that call to action effectively ruins the Pinterest user experience for their extended network. People place the blame for that negative impact on the company first – and their friends second. That is how NOT to do a contest. We are brainstorming what a good (socially considerate) call to action looks like within the Pinterest system.
- We will ritualize what we do, itirate, and improve over time.
- We will learn from others, and work to discover best practices. Although in Youtube, to be honest, we feel like we never really found these. We just had to learn our own lessons.
That’s it. No rocket science. Good luck! But before you go…Tell Me What You Think!
Hey, don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on April 18, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/04/18/pinterest-contests-that-change-your-business-forever-part-two/
Pinterest Contests That Change Your Business Forever (Part One)
Pinterest Contests are getting exciting. And at Liberty Jane Clothing we are gearing up to conduct our first contest in Pinterest. It will be crazy. How do we know?
Let’s review.
The Date: It’s summer 2008, Miles home, we are sitting around the pool trying to figure out how to market our new little EBay business with NO Money. Our goal is to make $1,000 a month, and we’re doing it, but we need more marketing fast. The question:
Could A Social Media Contest Make A Difference?”
Back then we didn’t know the answer. Now we do. We are a thriving small business with sales in the six figures and growing at an annualized growth rate of 300% per year, (which we’ve achieved for the last several years in a row).
There is NO DOUBT Social Contests are an easy way to grow your online influence – if you do them right. How do we know? That year, 2008, we launched our first Youtube Design Contest. [You can see a collection of all our contest videos here.] Our latest contest in Youtube had 52,000 views, and over 2,400 video entries, (that number is now down to 1,400 as people tend to take their entries down after a contest in Youtube). You can see it here.
Fast forward 3 1/2 years later. We have a social media presence that is WAY bigger than most businesses our size, in fact, our social media influence is bigger than a lot of big businesses – even Fortune 500 businesses. Our numbers?
Our Facebook Fanpage: 13,752 Fans.
Our Youtube Channel: 7,500 Subscribers. Over 1.1 Million Video Views.
Our Pinterest Profile: 1,174 Followers
And these numbers mean, at a practical level with prospects, that they think we are bigger than we are – and treat us like a real business – which is awesome.Enough said about our credibility.
So what are our keys to general social media contest success?
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on April 18, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/04/18/pinterest-contests-that-change-your-business-forever-part-one/
Welcome Society Of American Florists Magazine Folks
Hi guys! Lots of you are flooding in because of the Society Of American Florists Magazine cover story that featured us. So welcome! We are happy to be a resource, (and thanks again Christy for interviewing us).
Let me give you a quick tour of the key parts of this website…
First, Here’s a blurb about who we are…and why we are blogging about Pinterest.
Second, YES! WE REALLY use Pinterest to market our small biz, check our Pinterest Profile here.
Third, we made a free 33 page ebook, The Ultimate Pinterest Marketing Guide. Just jump into our newsletter list & get it for free.
We also recently did a 10 part Marketing On Pinterest Video Boot Camp, (again free). You’ll receive the entire program after signing up for our newsletter.
So, thanks for stopping by, we hope you enjoy the visit, and of course…
Don’t forget to…
Posted by Jason & Cinnamon on April 14, 2012
http://marketingonpinterest.com/2012/04/14/welcome-society-of-american-florists-magazine-folks/
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