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Beginning Tips on How to Use Pinterest for Business

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So you have created your business Pinterest page, now what?

Below are some great tips from ClickLabs to get you started.

Pinterest Infographic

Pinterest Infographic infographic

Additional Pinterest Tips to Kick-start your Page

Import your contacts

  • Currently Pinterest no longer allows you to invite people to your page via e-mail, but you can find friends instantly by connecting your Twitter account.
  • In the meantime, you can send out an e-mail to your customers and contacts letting them know that you now have a Pinterest page. This will help stimulate some following. If you do this, it is IMPORTANT that you have spent some time building your page so when they come to see your new page, you have content for them to see. Otherwise, they will likely not follow you.

Do Your Research

  • Here is a guerrilla marketing tactic for you to seek out what your competition is doing. Take a look and see if they have a Pinterest page and if they do, take a look at who is following their page. It is likely that if those people are following that company, that they will follow your page as well, as long as you are producing relevant content.
  • Look at companies that have complimentary products/services to yours and begin following some of their followers.
  • A good example would be, you are a local gym and a complementary product would be workout clothes. Therefore if I were the gym, I would begin following local workout clothing stores, for those that wear workout clothes from a local store, likely workout within the area.

Using these tactics your business Pinterest page will be up and running in no time. If you would like some advice on growing your page more, send me an e-mail at Kersten at Speakeasy Market Strategies dot com.

I may not be able to take you out for that drink, but I am here to help get your marketing on the right track. If you are business owner that feels like they are struggling in today’s digital marketing, then look no further. We are here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and we can handle the rest.

Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate for you, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company. Even if you are not in Tulsa, I also do have consulting available for you to purchase to get one-on-one help from me to kick-start your next project, company, idea…the skies the limit. Click here for more info on those services.

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Should You Add Pinterest to Your Social Media Strategy?

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Should You Add Pinterest to Your Social Media Strategy?

One of the big questions I get asked as a social media strategist is, "Should I have a business Pinterest account?" Most clients question the ROI of Pinterest and whether it is worth their time. Below are a few keys to help you decide if being on Pinterest is right for you and your company.

Do you already have traffic coming from Pinterest?

The key benefit to companies being on Pinterest is increasing the traffic to their website. If you have appealing content that people like they will "pin" it on Pinterest. From there if the content is good and a product or service they want, people will "repin" the pin. Once your content is circulating on Pinterest, some customers may decide they would like the product or service that they pinned. When people click on the pin, they are redirected back to your website and potentially buy from your site.

It see if you should be on Pinterest, you need to look at your current website traffic. This can be done either through Google Analytics or the back-end of your website. These tools tell you where your traffic is coming from and you may already have traffic coming from Pinterest. If you see a decent amount of traffic is coming from Pinterest, then you would likely benefit from having a business account.

Do you have continuous high quality visual content?

Screen Shot 2013-03-25 at 11.27.27 PM
Screen Shot 2013-03-25 at 11.27.27 PM

The successful content on Pinterest are the pins that are visually appealing. Whether you are in a B2C industry or B2B, those that have content that is appealing and relevant will see a ROI from Pinterest. Your visual content cannot just be promotional, but the content must be items that your customers would want to share and expresses them. This content can be photography, graphic design, or even videos.  If you do have content that is visually appealing and you can continue to produce high quality content, then Pinterest may be for you.

Do you have time for Pinterest?

For the most part, all social media is labor-intensive. If you are running your own social media, you can either have a presence in all of the networks and burn yourself out or pick a few and do them well. All social media is not created equally and not all companies will see success in it; which is why it is important to understand who is using each network and pick the ones that best fits your company and customers. I always say if you cannot make the time for social media, it is best to stay out. Nothing looks worse to a customer than having a social media platform that has not been updated in months, let alone years. It is my opinion that if you do not have the time, then do not mess with it. But ifyou do not have the time, but know it is right for your customers and you answered "yes" to the 2 previous questions, then perhaps it is time to think about hiring someone to manage it for you (insert self promotion here ;).

Time to make a decision...

Pinterest is a great tool for driving traffic and creating and displaying your brand, company culture, and products. If you already have social media traffic, have strong and continuous visual content, and have time or cash to devote to this platform, then Pinterest is a good choice for your company. If you need help getting started or are looking for someone to help teach or manage your social media, take a look at my social media services. If you don't find what you are looking for, shoot me an e-mail at Kersten at Speakeasy Market Strategies.com.

I may not be able to take you out for that drink, but I am here to help get your marketing on the right track. If you are business owner that feels like they are struggling in today’s digital marketing, then look no further. We are here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and we can handle the rest.

Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate for you, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company. I also do have consulting available for you to purchase to get one-on-one help from me to kickstart your next, project, company, idea…the skies the limit. Click here for more info on those services.

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What is the Future of the Marketing Agency?

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Welcome to Speakeasy's Social Sunday!

Each week I will be featuring tips and information on social media. Being that my agency has just started, this week's infographic from Marketo fits this week perfectly. Earlier in the week I explained what brought me to start a new agency, what the name Speakeasy Market Strategies means, and today I will give you some insight into the future. To start, let's take a look at what the experts are saying is the future of the Marketing Agency.

What is the Future of the Marketing Agency?

(Click the Infographic below to see it in its original non-smushed form ;)

Agency-of-the-Future

Where does Speakeasy range in what the experts are predicting for the future of the agency?

I have always been a proponent of staying ahead of the curve and picking technologies that my needs and those of my clients. But on one hand, you do not want to be constantly moving from one automation company to the next. There is a learning curve on any new technology or service you are using; therefore time and consistency must become a factor in the decision process.

One of the core's of my business is the be able to meet the needs to my customers.

If my customer wants certain services that I am not proficient in, I will find the information to help them make the best decision to help them. In the end, if my customers grow and thrive based on the services and advice I provide, I consider my job well done. It is almost like the philosophy from the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" when the department store promised customers if they did not have the toy they were looking for, they would find it for them. In the end this strategy won them satisfied and loyal customers.

Another aspect of my company is to keep my clients up-to-date and relevant to their customers in today's world.

This means that I choose designers and contractors that understand branding for the current culture; as well as placing my clients on platforms that their customers frequent. Many businesses today have the philosophy that because they have been in business for years that they do not have to market themselves and can continue to utilize the same marketing strategy they have since day 1. This may work for a little while longer, but if companies are to stay in business they must adapt to the times in some form or another.

It is my job to figure out which platforms will work best for each client and then execute the plan.

It is still to be determined what other agencies in Tulsa and in the US will do, but Speakeasy will continue to innovate and meet the needs of our clients.

I may not be able to take you out for that drink, but I am here to help get your marketing on the right track. If you are business owner that feels like they are struggling in today’s digital marketing, then look no further. We are here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and we can handle the rest.

Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate for you, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company. I also do have consulting available for you to purchase to get one-on-one help from me to kickstart your next, project, company, idea…the skies the limit. Click here for more info on those services.

Why Create Another Tulsa Agency?

Why Create Another Tulsa Agency?

Many of you may be asking, Kersten there are thousands of marketing consultants and agencies in the U.S. and around the world, why start another one? Even living in Tulsa, it seems the market is saturated. In my opinion, there are many saturated industries, but those that give optimal services and customer satisfaction are able to make a way in their market. Back in college we read the book, Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant, which is what I intend to do.

The Road to Speakeasy

Obtaining the Education

From a young age I knew that one day I would own my own company. Of course at the time I had no idea what type of business, but little did I know that helping out in my parents real estate business would train me the early lessons of marketing. It was the sparks of my marketing childhood that drove me to pursue studying business in college. After completing my marketing degree at Oral Roberts University, I figured I might as well continue on and get an MBA as well since the job market was very difficult then.

It was during my time working on my MBA that I transformed the theory I learned from my marketing degree into applicable knowledge that would be the building blocks of this business. Unfortunately, when I was in school there was little career placement or opportunities for employment. I had spent to many years in school to help businesses with marketing, so I refused to simply take a job to pay the bills. I began networking on LinkedIn and obtained internships that would lead me to learn the lessons that would push me to branch out on my own.

The Life of an Intern

Dreams come true - Hubbard
Dreams come true - Hubbard

While in my years of transition I had 3 internships and multiple part-time jobs to keep me afloat, as I learned the lessons I needed to learn in order to build this business. During my job hunting search I interviewed and networked with almost every medium/large marketing agency in Tulsa and interned for one for over 6 months.

This time showed me that many of the agencies were more out to get the large paycheck then really help their customer. Even their clients paid the extremely high prices simply because of the agency name, even if the work done was sub par. For many of these agencies the most important customer was the one that paid the highest price in their agency. This lesson has become a core in my business, no customer is greater than the other. Whether they have a small account or large with me, each is a priority.

Most of these places only served the large businesses, but for me I loved interacting with owners of small businesses and giving advice that would help them grow on a budget they could afford. Now don't get me wrong, I am here to support myself and family as well, but one can do that without taking advantage of people.

The Dip

It seemed my life of the intern and part-time employee had ended last year when I landed a job doing marketing for a hotel in town. It seemed like the perfect job for me since I had a long history of open houses with my parents, so showing people around a hotel and explaining design and structural details came naturally. The honeymoon period for this position quickly ended and the job became unbearable as people quit and I assumed more responsibility with little hope of help from upper management. But for all of the frustration, this job is what led me to create this company. It taught me many lessons on how to treat employees and manage people properly. Someday Speakeasy will bring on employees and these lessons learned will come in handy.

In May of 2012 I had reached my breaking point of job frustration. Of course it was early in my career and I was unsure if i should stick it out or begin pursuing something else. The book The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth Godin sealed the deal for me. This short book in essence made you ask yourself the question of is it worth sticking in a job if there is real opportunity to grow or are the possibilities of finding something better than being miserable. After spending time thinking and praying (yes I do that occasionally, I am an ORU grad), I gave my 2 weeks notice and began searching for a new job. After a few weeks of hunting, I was presented with 2 choices: take another job or create my own.

Working for the hotel presented me with networking opportunities and it was from them that I met one of my current mentors, Clay Clark. It was Clay who spoke to me directly and said,

Kersten, you have a little obligations right now as you ever will, so if you are going to start your own business, now is the BEST time.

With the encouragement of Clay and another mentor Bruce Riggs, I had the confidence to go out on my own and it was then that the spark of hope was ignited within me. For the first time in a long time I was excited for my future and for the opportunities of my career.....and thus the birth of Speakeasy.

Speakeasy Today

The official creation of Speakeasy Market Strategies was in July 2013 and today I am continually working with new businesses and creating strategies to help them see success. The future holds great things in store for this company and I am excited to share all that is Speakeasy with you here.

I may not be able to take you out for that drink, but I am here to help get your marketing on the right track. If you are business owner that feels like they are struggling in today’s digital marketing, then look no further. We are here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and we can handle the rest.

Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate for you, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company.

Tulsa Talk: The City is Booming

Welcome to Tulsa Talk!

In light of my new site launch, I will be occasionally posting about the city that I call home, Tulsa, Oklahoma. This booming city is not only seeing new economic developments, but it also has a rich history.

I recently came back from a visit from my hometown San Jose, California and was continuously asked why in the world I would choose to stay in Tulsa instead of moving back to Silicon Valley. For me the answer is quite simple, I love the city and it's people. I have visited cities around the world and find that Tulsa has a great atmosphere for families, young people, economic growth, and has a big city atmosphere with lots of culture to offer its residences.

Top 3 Things I Love About Tulsa:

1. The City is home to my alma mater Oral Roberts University.

2. The people of Tulsa have the kindness of the southern hospitality and a genuine love for the well-being of its citizens.

3. The economic and career opportunities are large and the people of this city are willing to help young professionals grow and thrive.

4. The development of downtown Tulsa provides nightlife and culture for the city.

5. Tulsans are passionate to see its city thrive and are willing to give back.

Booming City

Take a look at this video produced by the City of Tulsa, showcasing the recent developments of downtown and what it means for the city.

On top of the economic booming of downtown Tulsa, South Tulsa also has many changes happening in the near future. It seems the Creek Nation will be expanding its casino on the river as well. One can only pray the rest of the Arkansas River will see development. Until then, the Tulsa World tells us:

The 500-room hotel tower will finish in early 2015 and will accompany a new casino, restaurant, pool-bar area, theater and more — all bearing Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville brand, according to Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos officials.

I would love to hear from you and your opinions on Tulsa or your own city.  What do you love about Tulsa or your own city? What changes in your city have you seen that have positively affected your business? Leave a comment below or send us and e-mail and your response could be featured on our site!

I may not be able to take you out for that drink, but I am here to help get your marketing on the right track. If you are business owner that feels like they are struggling in today’s digital marketing, then look no further. We are here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and we can handle the rest. Click the “Contact Us Now” button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate for you, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom-made for your company.

Why Speakeasy?

Learn about our Owner and how Speakeasy came to be.
Learn about our Owner and how Speakeasy came to be.

Why Speakeasy?

It has been many months in the making and we are nowlive! Now many of you first coming to this site may be wondering, Speakeasy Market Strategies....what does it mean and why are there drinks all over the site? What kind of marketing agency features drinking in their business?

What's in a name?

Let's first start with the basics. When I was first brainstorming names for my company, I wanted it to have a deeper meaning than just a regular marketing agency. After all, this agency is what I am pursuing for my career, it has to be named something powerful, memorable, and something that people can understand. So many agencies today have names that must be explained in depth or that only aliens can pronounce. Marketing is meant to be understood and encourage people to act, so they must be able to understand who they are working with.

Now, I have always been fascinated with history and after hitting writer's block I took some time to define what marketing meant to me. All I could get in my head was "word of mouth." Marketing has progressed over the centuries, but at its core, people talk about the experiences they have with companies, the ads they see, and of course the opinions of their friends.  Ultimately people purchase based on many factors, but "word of mouth" has always been one of the MOST powerful tools for sales.

I then took the concept of "word of mouth" and began to ponder on powerful "word of mouth" campaigns from the past. It was then that the concept of the 1920's Speakeasy came to mind. During a time of prohibition, the selling of alcohol was outlawed, yet people sold it underground simply through "word of mouth." I am not condoning breaking the law in the least, but the strategy of "word of mouth" for the Speakeasy worked! In today's world we are consumed with tweeting, posting on Facebook, checking-in on Foursquare and such. Social media has created an opportunity for digital "word of mouth" marketing and companies leverage the world of social media for sales and brand awareness.

With the connection of the Speakeasy and marketing strategies, Speakeasy Marketing Strategies was born. My goal with my company is to build strategies that allow business owners to take time to enjoy life and be able to enjoy Happy Hour.

So take some time, look around the site. It is filled with free resources to help give you inspiration and information about the digital marketing world. I will be blogging about the basics of social media, marketing strategy, and advice for small business owners.

I may not be able to take you out for that drink, but I am here to help get your marketing on the right track. If you are business owner that feels like they are struggling in today's digital marketing, then look no further. We are here to help you be able to get back to what you do best and we can handle the rest. Click the "Contact Us Now" button to get started. If you would like a sample of the ideas we could generate for you, click here for a free digital marketing report, custom made for your company.

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