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How to Avoid Writing Bad Pinterest Headlines and Get Found

February 4, 2016 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

How to Avoid Writing Bad Pinterest Headlines and Get Found

This is one of those topics I’ve been meaning to write about for a while. Ok, here’s the deal. You need to think about what you write on your Pinterest pins as being searchable headlines. Because they are. Searchable, that is. After you read this post, you’ll have a clearer idea of how to write the text for your pins. I call it headline writing because it’s similar. For how to write other types of headlines, you might like this article, Headline Writing: 10 Reasons It’s a Pain in the Asterisk.

Pinterest is a Huge Search Engine

This is a thing that many marketers don’t get. Pinterest is a search engine. Pinterest does a lot of stuff that Google doesn’t. Here’s a fantastic article about Pinterest Search, by the way. So if you write “this is great,” or “hoo boy” on an otherwise great pin, nobody is going to find that pin. It could theoretically come across someone’s stream, but for the most part, it will be invisible.

How Do You Search?

Think about how you search. Get on Pinterest right now and do a search for “carnitas.” Now look at the guided search results. You can refine your search by adding the words “Mexican,” “Slow Cooker,” “Paleo,” etc. If your recipe includes all those terms already, why not include those words in your description?

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Here are some examples of bad, better, and best descriptions, using the carnitas example from the last paragraph:

Bad Headline: Yummy recipe!
Better Headline: Delicious Pork Carnitas Recipe!
Best: Mexican Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas – Super easy pulled pork recipe and an amazing way to get juicy, mouth-watering results!

You can see from your search on Carnitas that the top search results already have quite a few good search terms, plus a beautiful, vertical image.

Description Length

Don’t make the mistake a lot of people make and include only a character or a single word in your pin’s description. Add information that lets other pinners know what is behind the pin. Is there simply an image? Is there a full article about cruises to the Mediterranean? Some studies show that descriptions should be 200 characters long to be the most repinnable.

Best Words

Some words are better than other words for Pinterest. You may want to use your own keywords, if you know them, in your pinned blog posts. Take a look at Mashable’s article most popular searches, by country, for 2015. Can any of them be applied to what you pin? Your pin might not necessarily go viral, but you could get a few more repins by using better terms, even if those words aren’t about mason jars, cats, or DIY pallet projects!

Make Your Description Flow

Write in a concise, short sentence, if possible. If you must use a phrase, make sure it makes sense. For instance, if you’re pinning something from your own blog, describe what it’s about and why someone would want to click on the link.

Avoid Hashtags

When Pinterest first appeared on the scene, people used hashtags. Sometimes too many hashtags. Now Pinterest is moving away from hashtags, and if your post has too many hashtags, your pin could be labeled as spam.

Pinterest Image Sizes

No post about Pinterest would be complete without a discussion on pin size. You might have a fabulous description with keywords, but a lousy picture. Don’t do that! Here’s a good article on pin sizes. That said, the longer, skinnier pins do the best on Pinterest.

Study Your Own Pins! The pin above has been repinned nearly 7,000 times.

Study Your Own Pins

Which of your own pins has been popular? For instance, the pin above continues to be repinned one year after it was pinned! Can you tell why? Repeat what you did with that pin, if possible!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: descriptions, hashtags, headlines, pin length, pin size, Pinterest, search

Social Media Managers: 10 Secrets to Care for Yours

January 28, 2016 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Social Media Managers: 10 Secrets to Care for Yours

My friend Amy Donohue recently said it sucks that companies don’t see the value of professional social media. That definitely rings true! Although there is no ideal world, here are some real-world examples of positives and negatives.

For the purposes of this post, there are two different clients: Client A is grateful, sweet, and full of compliments. Client Z is, well, the exact opposite. By the way, you might like this other post, Why It’s Easier to Be Darth Vader Than a Social Media Manager.

Cheerfulness

If you need to send an email to your SMM, a cheerful message goes much farther than a grumpy one.

Client A: Hello, how are you today?
Client Z: Did you get that work done yet?

You Can Catch More Social Media Managers with Honey Than Vinegar!

Sweetness

You can catch more social media managers with honey than with vinegar! Does this even require examples? Sigh. Here’s the wiki on how to be sweet, by the way.

Apologize

If you screw up, say so. And I will do the same. See “Be honest.”

Give Us the Benefit of the Doubt

The Benefit of the Doubt

We really do want the best for you and your business. So please give us the benefit of the doubt. After all, if you win, we win. We would not try to hurt your business because that would be like cutting off our nose to spite our face.

Gratitude

Are you complimenting your SMM? Even a small pat on the back, such as “Great job!” “loved the image you chose for that post!” can spark your SMM to do more and better work! You’d like that, right?

Client A: I’m so grateful to you for setting us up with a righteous look across all SM platforms; thank you-thank you for making us hot!
Client Z: Nothing.

Honesty Goes a Long Way

Honesty

Recently, two clients did not pay on time. Most SMMs won’t be happy about this. Here’s how to handle it if this ever happens to you as a business owner. Be honest and tell us when to expect payment. And then follow through.

Client A: “I’m soo sorry for the delay!” Checks will go out on the 15th. (They did.)
Client Z: “It’s been so hectic around here…Court costs for $xxx are going to be a waste of money so just hang in there a few more days…”

Honor the Relationship

If the relationship is the most important thing, then treat your SMM like a human being. Tell the truth. Focus on the positive. Rinse and repeat.

Respect

This goes along with relationship. The Golden Rule applies! Not just treat others as you’d want to be treated, but treat others the way you want to be treated. Calum Curry wrote a great post: Always Respect Your Social Media Manager.

You Are One of Our Clients

We’d love to work on your account all day long and not sleep, but we do need sleep. We can’t always get back to you within 10 minutes as we are in meetings, doing research, and writing blog posts.

It’s Just Us

Often, we are solopreneurs (sole entrepreneurs), without a huge agency behind us. Though we know how to look big online, we don’t have an army standing behind us. That’s how we can customize your images, your posts, your tweets, etc. Not to be dramatic, but a stinging comment or late payments can really hurt.

Family

This one is a bonus, and goes along with relationship building. telling the truth and giving compliments. Although we don’t expect you to invite us over for Thanksgiving dinner, a little warmth and consideration is greatly appreciated.

What’s Your Gripe?

Are you a social media manager or consultant? How do you like to be treated? Or, if you’re on the other side and work with a consultant, what’s that like? Leave me a comment! And thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: SMM, Social Media, social media manager, value

Twitter Spotlight on locals: How to Connect Ten Ways

January 21, 2016 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

Twitter Spotlight on locals: How to Connect Ten Ways

If you have a brick-and-mortar store, such as a shop or a restaurant, what’s the best way to get people to your place? Although I’ve written a previous post, Social Media: 7 Ways Your Business Can Connect with Locals, there are other ways to get people in the door.

Follow Locals through Search

Now following locals might seem obvious–locals will be your best source of traffic–but how, you might ask? Search on a city, neighborhood, or county (or a hashtag). Find something you have in common with people, whether that’s tweeting about the weather, puppies, or beach photography. Follow locals, retweet their content, and talk to them.

Be Curious

I’ve said it a million times–talk to people. No matter which platform you’re on, that is the key. Ask questions, give compliments, and be generous. Say hello, say thank you, and be curious. Curiosity is your best friend on Twitter.

Tweet Specials

Give people a reason to come into your shop. Tell them what your specials are. What gives your place the edge? Tweet about that. Why did you start your business? Tweet about that. You can also “pin” a tweet to the top of your feed so it’s the first thing visitors see when visiting your Twitter stream. You can even “pin” that tweet on mobile.

Add High Quality Content

Look at the analytics on your Twitter. Who’s following you, and what do they like? If you want more of the same kind of followers, give your audience what they want. Do they like technical content? Art? Give them that.

Use Beautiful Images

There are so many images to choose from. If you’re a restaurant, tweet images of your food. If you’re a shop, tweet what you have for sale. And make the images beautiful! I see so many accounts with ugly images. Don’t be that business!

Use Maps

Tell people how to get to your shop! Go to Google Maps, and map a nearby location. Now take a screenshot of the route, add a caption, and pin it to the top of your feed.

Use the Heck out of Lists

Make lists, use them daily, and share them with others. They’re free and make you look pro. Also, if you don’t use lists, you will surely go insane. You Too Can Be A Guru’s Bridget Willard has some terrific examples of good lists here: Organize Your Twitter Stream–Use Lists. You can create lists by city, neighborhood, or county.

Join Chats Your Audience Would Like

Check your analytics and join chats that will draw in people who are your best audience. Are the people techies? Join a techie chat! Are they boomers? Join a Boomer Chat! A couple of my favorites are: #BufferChat (Wednesday mornings at 9 am Pacific) and #DigiBlogChat (my chat about all things digital/blogging Tuesdays at 1 pm Pacific). Twubs has a list of chats that may interest you.

Make Followers Feel Like Friends

Share what excites you. Share non-business content, too. Tips on things you have learned. Maybe a secret place nearby, a good venue in the area, or an app you really like. Put up posts from museums, or a little trick you learned.

Meet in Person

Of course, this is ultimately what you want. Make sure their visit is positive by giving the same great customer service and friendliness that they experience on your social media.

How Do You Get People in the Door?

Did I miss anything? I really do want to know! Leave me a comment! Thank you.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: audience, Engagement, images, Lists, local, Twitter

How to Resist Change: Confessions from a Curmudgeon

January 14, 2016 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

How to Resist Change: Confessions of a Curmudgeon

When I was a kid, I looked up to celebrities. There was something magical about their hair, their makeup, and their clothes. I remember being alone, dancing in my room to David Bowie. Sometimes, I would grab a hairbrush (for a mic) and sing along with the Rolling Stones. Sam, our cat, was a willing audience to these outbursts of song and dance. Imagine my dismay when the Beatles broke up. I still can’t believe it’s over!

Breaking Up is Hard to Watch

Miss Piggy and Kermit split up this past year, which was difficult to watch even though they are muppets. What happened to their love? And their ridiculously cute squabbling? Maybe it was never an act at all. And what about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner? Is nothing sacred? Well, Batman is sacred, but that’s another story, Ben Affleck!

Change is Intolerable!

When change happens, we should pull the blankets over our heads and go back to sleep. Like the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand, we can ignore changes and pretend they didn’t happen. It’s easy, right? Sure! So long as you don’t read your friends’ Facebook posts, or see anything trending on Twitter!

Get Off My Lawn!

Even though I don’t have a lawn, I’d like to get one just so I could yell that at kids. They don’t belong on my non-existent lawn! Not that there are tons of kids running around where the lawn would be, still it’s troubling to think that they could be. What were they thinking, those imaginary kids?

Ads, Throttling, and Spam

Facebook is doing more targeted ads and throttling who sees posts. Is that right? No! They should’ve kept it the way it was, where people could see everything. Not only that, but Facebook is terrible for you, says Salon. Twitter has become less about engagement and more about spewing ads. Again, it was way better before. Pinterest now has ads, too, whereas in the beginning it was only about pinning interesting pictures of kittens and flowers.

Deny Everything

One thing you can do to avoid change is to deny it exists. The earth is still flat, Elvis lives, and you don’t have to update that software. Then again, if you procrastinate long enough, you might not have to think about it at all.

Coping with Change

Of course, you could learn to cope with change, as this excellent article by Adam Dachis explains. But if you did that, you wouldn’t be able to gripe about it, would you?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: change, Facebook, Pinterest, Social Media, Twitter

Silent But Deadly: The Passion of The Authentic Pen

January 7, 2016 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Silent But Deadly: The Passion of The Authentic Pen

Some days we all struggle with writing. The words don’t flow, thoughts get stuck, and even our best efforts and tricks don’t create new ideas. Other days, writing is effortless. Words emerge in complete sentences, and all of them make sense. Why is this? More and more, I believe the answer lies in silence.

Escaping the Noise

I live in the middle of a forest. My little house is surrounded by redwood trees. I always thought it would be quiet here, but there is a lot of noise: chain saws, trucks, and leaf blowers are among the contraptions people use daily. And also: motorcycles.

Music

Loud music, or even music with words is distracting. People with their constant chatter is distracting. More and more, I hear both: people talking, loud music, which equals the inability to focus.

Habit Forming

So on those easy writing days when words flow, what happens? What is the difference? For me, writing is more effortless when I write every day, and when that writing is done in silence.

Silence

Sometimes white noise in the background works. But mostly silence. Maybe this has to do with being an introvert.

By the way, I’ve been reading a great book about noise and the lack of silence: One Square Inch of Silence. ”

“SILENCE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF SOMETHING,
BUT THE PRESENCE OF EVERYTHING.”

~Gordon Hempton

Bagpipes, Synchronicity

Gordon Hempton, author of One Square Inch, writes about Jay Salter, bagpipe player, who lives in Santa Cruz. The two of them hiked together and visited some quiet spots. The next time I went to the Homeless Garden Center (a local CSA in Santa Cruz), there happened to be a bagpipe player, playing in the fields. Although I did not stop his playing to ask his name, I’d never heard a bagpipe player there before, and suspect it was him. Coincidence?

Inspiration

Some of my sources of inspiration are:

CopyBlogger
Twitter (tweets about technology and art)
Nature
Reading
Silence, again

Fear or Silence?

Maybe it’s a generational thing, but I’ve noticed that many dislike silence and will fill it with any nearby noise. White noise generators, steady hip hop, or t.v. Have you noticed this, too, or is it just me?

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: blogging, inspiration, introversion, silence, writing

The Magic of Media: Joy in the New Year

December 31, 2015 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

The Magic of Media: Joy in the New Year

When the clock hits midnight on the last day of the year, enthusiasm is at its highest. Hope is in the air. Anticipation and excitement fill the streets and the champagne glasses overflow. This hope and enthusiasm fuel social media resolutions.

Happy Happy, Joy Joy

Everyone will tell you how easy it is to master social media. You can learn Pinterest in a weekend, take a seminar on Twitter, or watch YouTube videos on Facebook until the cows come home. And it’s that time of year when everyone wants to start their resolutions. Heck, you can certainly do your Social Media in 60 Minutes a Day if you really try. There are lots of reasons to be excited about this new year, with a few caveats.

RockStar Expectations

I’m not going to be a Debbie Downer and tell you that you’ll never be a rockstar, but be a little easy on yourself and set your expectations accordingly. Getting 1,000 followers a month sounds good on January 1, but by March you might give up and do nothing at all.

Startup Mentality and S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Having lofty goals is often a by-product of startups. Having S.M.A.R.T. goals, which equals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Responsible and Time (completion date) enables you to reach those goals. As Allan Hirsch explains “we need to set goals using strategic planning” in his article As New Year approaches, don’t just set goals, set ‘SMART’ goals.

Out of the Ballpark

If you’re an entrepreneur, you want to hit grand slams. And the way to achieve that is to set yourself up for success by overdelivering. Test the waters with your social media before committing to something so huge that you’ll feel overwhelmed.

Stretch Goals

Stretch goals are demotivating. To my mind, they are more about reaching a monetary goal than about reaching smaller goals while having fun and being creative. In his excellent article, The Folly of Stretch Goals, Daniel Markovitch outlines how stretch goals sap intrinsic motivation.

Going Viral

There are ways to make that post or tweet go viral. That is, you can be poised for the opportunity but it usually happens when you least expect it. What is that saying–success is the intersection of preparation and opportunity. And if you’re successfully poised, that post may spread like a virus in ways that make you look good.

Be Open to Surprises

What I’d like for myself for this new year is to be open to the fun and excitement of social media. Every day, it’s possible to talk to real people online, connect with them, and perhaps meet them in real life. And although that’s tough to put into a resolution, being open to surprises is my new year’s resolution.

What’s Your Resolution?

Tell me in the comments!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: going viral, New Year's Resolutions, SMART goals, Social Media, Startup, Startups

Why It’s Easier to Be Darth Vader Than a Social Media Manager

December 24, 2015 By Carol Stephen 8 Comments

Why It’s Easier to Be Darth Vader Than a Social Media Manager

Star Wars has been around for decades and people still love it. One of the iconic characters, Darth Vader, has to be nearly at the top of the Star Wars totem pole. You’d think that Darth Vader has a tough job. But it’s not as tough as being a social media manager!

Getting Dressed

Every day, Darth Vader gets up and puts on an all-black outfit. He gets a black helmet, a cool black cape, and humongous boots. Social Media Managers (SMMs) have to consider what to wear every single day. Although we own a lot of t-shirts, that’s not the best thing to wear all the time.

Put on a Happy Face

Does Darth Vader worry about putting on a happy face? Never! In fact, his smart phone doesn’t even have happy face emoticons!

LOL! @BlueSteeleTX I think we need a blog post #StarWars and social media. Why it's easier to be #DarthVader than social media manager.

— Robert Nissenbaum (@rnissenbaum) December 18, 2015

Backtracking

Backtracking is a good way to present a topic in the cinema sometimes. So here’s the backstory.

Recently, a couple of my friends singled me out as a good person to write about Darth Vader and being a social media manager (see the tweet above). So here you go, Robert Nissenbaum and Adam Fout!

Darth Vader gets full benefits

Benefits

SMMs have to buy their own benefits, while Darth Vader gets full medical benefits (including dental and vision) through the Star Wars Medical Trifecta!

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

You’d think people would respect social media managers more. However, people have changed their names to Darth Vader because of the aura of toughness that Darth Vader has. Do little kids want to be social media managers when they grow up? As if!

Profitability

Darth Vader, of all Star Wars characters, has been called the most profitable. You could probably not compare his profits to those of an SMM. Well, you could, but Darth Vader has a lot more zeroes in his paycheck.

Content Writing

Darth Vader has multiple scriptwriters. Social media managers have to write their own content, including headlines. And sometimes those headlines can be a real pain in the asterisk to write!

Stand-ins

Darth Vader has up to twelve people to help him out, including multiple people for his voice. And nine different actors played Darth Vader! Social media managers don’t have stand-ins, unless they have a team to assist, which is rare.

Grumpytosis

Darth Vader gets to be grumpy and gruff all the time. Social media managers need to have an upbeat, positive attitude. By the way, here’s my article Social Media Managers and Insomnia. Sometimes being upbeat all the time leads to insomnia.

Legend

Yes: That would be @DarthVader’s account on Twitter! 423,000 followers. Is there one for social media managers? I think not!

What’s Your Gripe?

Leave me a comment! Tell me if it’s easier to be Darth Vader or you!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Darth Vader, SMM, Social Media, social media manager, Star Wars

Insomnia: A Social Media Manager’s Battle

December 17, 2015 By Carol Stephen 2 Comments

Insomnia: A Social Media Manager’s Battle

Social media managers often get insomnia. I read about it one time on Mashable. I was sleepy, but I think that’s where it was. We worry about getting online traffic, clicks, and a whole host of other ridiculous things, such as the following.

The Ridonculous Headline

We worry about silly things like headlines. You’ve all heard that the headline is the most important part of writing an article or blog post. It needs to be catchy, but not linkbait. You want people to click on that link and then dive into the blog post. You might want to read about why headline writing is such a pain in the asterisk.

Forgetting

With social media, there’s always more to do. One more tweet to write, one more person to talk to, one more half-baked task to implement. So while you’re trying to sleep, there’s always a little voice saying “what did you forget to do?”

The Stupid Call to Action

As if writing a decent Facebook post isn’t hard enough, there’s always that stupid call to action. Sometimes it’s implied, but usually not. It can be a question, such as “tell me what you would do,” “do you agree?” “Tell us! Yes or No.” Sometimes it’s a button to subscribe or sign up for a newsletter. Hubspot has some terrific call to action examples, by the way.

The Ludicrous Return on Investment

If you track everything carefully and use your analytics, you can figure out where you’re getting the most return on investment (ROI). But with social media, it’s more like your audience gets warmed up before making a sale. Could you track where every single customer comes from?

The Image

The Compelling Image

Is the image captivating enough? Does it tell a story? Is it boring? Again, without sliding over into linkbait, the image has to ride that fine edge between captivating and linkbait. Will your audience lean in to see what’s happening in the image? Line, color, and texture all need to work together.

Timing

Timing is another preposterous thing to consider. If you post too early, no one will be awake (except the other insomniacs who haven’t been to bed yet. Post too late and only the zombies and creatures of the night will see it. Then again, you don’t want to do what everyone else does! That late night post just might get picked up and go viral! It could happen!

What if No One Shows up to the Twitter Chat?

What If There’s a Chat and No One Shows Up?

Akin to “if a tree falls in the forest and no one’s there…”. You tweet out carefully crafted questions and nobody answers. Tick-tock, Tick-tock, Tick-tock. Crickets. Getting those first few people to join your chat can take forever. Meantime, you have to keep plugging away, and whistling a happy tune.

Scheduling Versus Being Online Live

Do you wait around for someone to respond to your tweet? Or do you post, go away, and come back three days later? That’s the dilemma right there. Of course, the more you’re online, the better your chances are of making a good contact. And as my buddy, Bridget Willard says, “Relationships are long-term investments.”

What Dopey Things Keep You Up At Night?

Leave me a ridiculous comment!

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: call to action, headlines, images, Social Media, Social Media Managers, Twitter, Twitter Chat

Social Media: Icebreakers, Openings, and the Approach

December 10, 2015 By Carol Stephen 6 Comments

Social Media: Icebreakers, Openings, and “the Approach”

Now that you’ve got all your social media set up and you’re tweeting, posting, and pinning your heart out, what do you do next? Brands can learn a lot from interactions with potential customers, as this article from AdWeek, What Brands Can Learn from Social Conversations explains. Here’s a short primer on where to begin.

If You Say Hello, People Usually Say Hello Back!

Say Hello

Yes, it might sound overly simplistic, but it does work. Say hello. You could also say how are you, what’s up? how’s the weather? or any other number of things. Think about what you’d say to the checker at the grocery store.

Ask a Random Question

If you want to get people going, you could ask a random or “stupid” question. People may even respond so that they can correct you! The point is to get the ball rolling.

Make Personal Comments

Personal Comments

How personal would you want to be with comments you share? Sometimes you’ll find that you have a hobby in common with your new friend. Asking about their yoga class or favorite dog could make an ordinary relationship a little more special.

Holiday Posts

If you celebrate certain holidays (or even if you don’t), how about sharing pictures? If you’re an introvert like I am, you might even talk about how you don’t like to share. Surely someone else can relate to that! Here’s my Six Facts About Introverts and Social Media, by the way.

A9 A tip we heard: Comment on some piece of their content to start a conversation. Compliment or question. #digiblogchat @ToscaSac

— BusinessCoach.com (@CoachGaryHenson) December 8, 2015

Comment on Their Content

You could ask for clarification or ask a question, as @CoachGaryHenson suggests, above. And in person, the “What do you want to be when you grow up?” question works for @ToscaSac.

Ask About Their Website or Blog

If your new friend is in business, this one is a surefire winner! You can ask a million billion gazillion questions about their blog, how long they’ve been blogging, who their best customers are, but be prepared to listen. Most people in business can talk about this stuff for a looo (breath) ooooooong time!

Facebook or Twitter?

Give people an either or question that’s simple and they’re sure to answer!

Ask Where a Photo Was Taken

This could apply to a Twitter header, Facebook post, anything online. Even better if it’s a picture of them, and you can give a compliment.

Timing is Everything

Timing

Timing is one of the most important things in a conversation. For instance, don’t follow someone and immediately send a DM on Twitter! Take some time to get to know them. Here are a bunch of social media worst practices, by the way.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: conversation starters, Facebook, icebreakers, Social Media, Twitter

The Legend of Black Friday

December 3, 2015 By Carol Stephen Leave a Comment

The Legend of Black Friday

The Fear of Missing Out

Once upon a time, in a mall not so far away, there lived a monster known as Black Friday. Each year, the people did as the beast demanded, sacrificing precious time with their families and experiencing the Fear of Missing Out.

Initial Recon: First Infantry

The Fleeting Mutant

As elusive as Sasquatch, the beast could only be spotted once a year. To make matters more intriguing, everyone in every village across all the land knew the power of the mutant.

Outrunning the Beast

Opt To Be Outside

People across the great nation followed the monster, thinking that the monster would lead them to a treasure trove. How were they to know that #OptOutside was trending, and they should be outdoors to improve their productivity? Outdoors away from the mall, that is.

The Early Martyrs

The early martyrs, unaware of the coming forces, would be unable to deter what would eventually overwhelm the country. They would stand in line for hours, braving the elements, sometimes in tents, cots, and sleeping bags.

The Monster Enchanted Its Unwary Victims

Striking on Thanksgiving Eve at 6 pm, the monster would enchant its unwary victims. The luckiest of the victims would barely make it to their cars to get to the mall–while still holding a forkful of pumpkin pie.

Mesmerized by “Sale” Signs

In other villages, the beast would not appear until midnight or sometimes 5 am the following morning. Shoppers would find themselves in the crosshairs of the behemoth, not even able to take their eyes off the “Special Sale” signs.

In any event, many were abandoned by their families that day.

Thanksgiving Holiday Online Shopping, via Graphiq.

People Began to Wake Up

Gradually, people began to realize that they would rather surf online in their bathrobes than camp outside in the cold. Retailers were happy that they could still sell their wares online.

The End of the Beast?

The beast turned out to be an adorable labrador retriever. He was adopted by a childless couple from Poughkeepsie, and spoiled rotten. And they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: black Friday, Christmas, Cyber Monday, mutant, Thanksgiving

Pinterest is a Huge Search Engine

How Do You Search?

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Description Length

Best Words

Make Your Description Flow

Avoid Hashtags

Pinterest Image Sizes

Study Your Own Pins

Social Media Managers: 10 Secrets to Care for Yours

Cheerfulness

Sweetness

Apologize

The Benefit of the Doubt

Gratitude

Honesty

Honor the Relationship

Respect

You Are One of Our Clients

It’s Just Us

Family

What’s Your Gripe?

Follow Locals through Search

Be Curious

Tweet Specials

Add High Quality Content

Use Beautiful Images

Use Maps

Use the Heck out of Lists

Join Chats Your Audience Would Like

Make Followers Feel Like Friends

Meet in Person

How Do You Get People in the Door?

Breaking Up is Hard to Watch

Change is Intolerable!

Get Off My Lawn!

Ads, Throttling, and Spam

Deny Everything

Coping with Change

Escaping the Noise

Music

Habit Forming

Silence

“SILENCE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF SOMETHING, BUT THE PRESENCE OF EVERYTHING.”

Bagpipes, Synchronicity

Inspiration

Fear or Silence?

Happy Happy, Joy Joy

RockStar Expectations

Startup Mentality and S.M.A.R.T. Goals

Out of the Ballpark

Stretch Goals

Going Viral

Be Open to Surprises

What’s Your Resolution?

Getting Dressed

Put on a Happy Face

Backtracking

Benefits

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Profitability

Content Writing

Stand-ins

Grumpytosis

Legend

What’s Your Gripe?

The Ridonculous Headline

Forgetting

The Stupid Call to Action

The Ludicrous Return on Investment

The Compelling Image

Timing

What If There’s a Chat and No One Shows Up?

Scheduling Versus Being Online Live

What Dopey Things Keep You Up At Night?

Say Hello

Ask a Random Question

Personal Comments

Holiday Posts

Comment on Their Content

“SILENCE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF SOMETHING,
BUT THE PRESENCE OF EVERYTHING.”