Category: Blog

Trick Out Your Pinterest Board

Dana PhelpsBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , 2 Comments on Trick Out Your Pinterest Board

This More Monday post brought to you by Clairemont intern, Margot Horgan. As an early adopter and prolific user of Pinterest, today Margot tells us what more we can do with our Pinterest boards. Fun stuff!

As more uses for Pinterest emerge, Mashable recently gave its readers a quick tutorial on how Pinterest users can trick out their boards. By taking a photo and cutting it up into nine different squares, users can create a mosaic-like effect on their boards. For more instructions on how to “hack” your boards, check out this article. Below, we have posted some of our favorite Pinterest hacks from business and social users that were uploaded to Mashable.

User Tyler Cheese hacked his boards to create a Pinterest resume, with different boards for his education, experience and portfolio. What does everyone think? Would you create a Pinterest resume?

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Social Suit? Think Before You Post (and before you sue…)

Dana PhelpsBlog, Free Advice, 3 Comments on Social Suit? Think Before You Post (and before you sue…)
Junior High Margot rockin' the side ponytail.

Despite the fabulous advice of Ashley Huteau in her blog post a few weeks ago, Facebook mishaps happen to everyone. As today’s Free Advice Friday post, Clairemont intern, Margot Horgan asks the question: would you sue over a Facebook photo? Read Margot’s advice below for an alternative course of action that is likely less stressful and certainly less expensive than filing a lawsuit…

Whether you are in the background of a picture acting in a less than socially acceptable behavior, or, cringe, are photographed with not one, but two chins, as Forrest Gump says, “S***t happens.” We can untag these photos or beg a friend to take them offline, but would you sue a friend or family member to get an undesirable photo off Facebook?

Well, that’s exactly what Aaron Olson of Chisago City, Minn. did when his uncle refused to remove an embarrassing childhood photo of Olson from Facebook. After his uncle told him that if he didn’t like the photos he “should stay off Facebook,” Olson sued his dear old Uncle Randall for harassment.

However, Judge Natalie Hudson from the Minnesota district court ruled that, “To constitute harassment, words must have a substantial adverse effect of the safety, security or privacy of another. Comments that are mean and disrespectful, couple with innocuous family photos, do not affect a person’s safety, security or privacy—and certainly not substantially so.”

So after this ruling, we are all forced to accept that family-teasing and ridicule is fair game at the dinner table—and on Facebook. Our advice? Take it in stride. If you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at? If someone posts an obscenely embarrassing photo, be the first to make a joke about it, and that picture won’t be nearly as bad.

Besides if you wage war against a friend or a family member, you might end up being described like this in that person’s obituary.

What do you do when an embarrassing photo is posted on Facebook? Untag it and beg for it to be taken offline, or make fun of yourself? If your sense of humor allows for the latter, let’s see those links to G-rated embarrassing photos in our comments section… after all, I’ve already shared mine!

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Green Thought Thursday: Reuse, Redecorate, Revive!

Josephine ButlerBlog, Sustainability, , , , , 1 Comment on Green Thought Thursday: Reuse, Redecorate, Revive!
We love this idea from Country Living!

Our intern Ashely Hurteau was inspired to write this week’s Green Thought Thursday after finding this article from Country Living.

As I flipped through Country Living last weekend, something extra special caught my attention, 5 Ways to Transform Ordinary Objects. If you have read some of my previous Green Thought Thurdays, you know that I have shared New Uses for Old Vices and More Uses for Old Vices. I cannot stress enough how important reuse is for a sustainable environment so why not have fun during the process?

Ever crossed paths with a wooden cable spool in an old parking lot? While you may see junk, I see great potential for a “bookmobile.” A coat of paint and a few dowels is all you need to take a wooden cable spool and turn it into a lazy Susan for books!

These picture holders from Country Living rock!

Have an old pillow or two that you think would look better on the curb than on your sofa? Think again! Take a dinner plate and use chalk to trace the outline onto an old pillow. Go over the chalk with a fabric pen. Once you have your circle drawn, draw a few smaller circles inside. Run a needle through the middle of each smaller circle and knot it tightly. By doing so, you have taken a boring pillow and turned it into a “button cute cushion.”

Don’t throw those dull cloth headbands out! They are the perfect easel for standout headpieces! With some hot glue and a few embellishments (we suggest flowers, feathers or jewels), you’ll wow the crowd with your brand new accessories.

Have a backyard filled with stones? Use them! By tying floral wire around the rocks you can coil them upright and then attach pictures. This earthy chic way to decorate will spruce up any room!

For more ideas, check out  5 Ways to Transform Ordinary Objects, and in the meantime, share some of your own ideas. We would love to hear!

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Free Advice Friday: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

Josephine ButlerBlog, Free Advice, In Our Community, , , , , , 2 Comments on Free Advice Friday: Valentine’s Day Gift Guide

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, our intern Ashely Hurteau encourages you to shop local!

As Cupid prepares his arrows, it is time to think about the perfect gift for that special someone. With Valentine’s Day less than two weeks away, allow me to share our favorite (and local) gift ideas. Whether it’s for him or her, these gifts are guaranteed to leave your significant other love-struck.

Procrastination on Valentine’s Day always means one thing: a quick trip to Rite Aid. This year, plan ahead and stop by Escazu, one of our favorite local chocolate shops. From bean to delicacy, the chocolatiers at Escazu are passionate about making their melt-in-your-mouth chocolates with “care, attention and love.” A gift made with love exudes love, and that makes for a magical February 14th.

 

Does your leading lady long for a new purse, clutch or wallet? Don’t just make the right decision – make the best decision and support local designers. In our opinon, you can never have too many bags by Holly Aiken, a local Raleigh designer whose pieces are anything but ordinary. Your Valentine will carry your love not only in her heart, but also on her arm with a fabulous tote!

Become the envy of all your man’s friends by giving him the ultimate gift – a gift certificate to Tyler’s Taproom. With over 80 craft and specialty beers, Tyler’s Taproom is a man’s sanctuary. A simple gift card goes a long way because everyone knows, the way to a man’s heart if through his stomach!

Now it’s your turn. What local gifts are a must-have for you this Valentine’s Day season?

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More Monday: 40 Useful Updates for Your Brand’s Facebook Page

Josephine ButlerBlog, Social Media + Influencer Engagement, , , , , , 2 Comments on More Monday: 40 Useful Updates for Your Brand’s Facebook Page

Our intern and social media queen Margot Horgan stumbled upon an excellent article from PR Daily and just had to share!

One of our favorite updates: "Remember, congratulate, acknowledge"

Facebook and other social media outlets are a prime place for brands to connect with and engage its customers and biggest fans. We recently read this article from PR Daily suggesting new ways to connect with your audience on your brand’s Facebook page and wanted to share some of our favorites with you.

  • Highlight special offers and competition to your community. Often another Facebook page will stage a competition with some great prizes on offers relevant to your niche. No harm in re-sharing the link.
  • Stage a live Q&A on your wall with an industry expert. Giving people access to knowledge is always received well.
  • Aggregate fan posts. If you keep your wall “open,” you might want to republish comments and content shared by your community. This will not only make the publisher feel special, but also encourage more engagement.
  • Highlight relevant research. Sometimes, a research report may contain a couple of great nuggets of information for your community. Identify them and share them. This is a great example of adding value by making the access to content easier.
  • Caption contests. Find a funny/odd/weird picture that represents your industry and look for the next caption queen or king. People love to show off their creativity, and by crowning a weekly caption champion, you’ll get the community’s creative juices flowing.
  • Let your audience peek behind the curtain. Facebook pages are all about showing your company’s personality. Share staff pictures or a funny update. Don’t worry, there’s no harm in making your community laugh.
  • Share a simple solution to a problem. People are always interested in things that make their lives easier. It’s a winner, trust me.
  • Remember, congratulate, acknowledge. The world is an ever-changing place. Positive and negative events happen every day. If an event has a particular impact on you and your business, or even if it doesn’t but you are simply touched, post an update. It will show your human side.
  • Fill in the gap posts. Here’s an example. “In 2012, I’d like to _________.” Let the members of the community share their plans, thoughts comments and ideas with you. (We’ve had a lot of success with these on our own clients’ Facebook pages!)
  • Welcome new staff members or say goodbye to people leaving. In doing so, you let your audience peek behind the curtain. It also shows your appreciation for new and old team members.

What do you think? Have more suggestions to add to the list? We’re always looking for new and creative ways to engage with audiences via social media!

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