Maybe you use Pinterest for business: for social media marketing, as a way to build greater product awareness, and to help build your brand. And maybe you use Pinterest to increase sales, generate more revenue, and make more money for your business.
Or maybe you think Twitter is sufficient.
Twitter should be a key component in your social media marketing strategy… butPinterest drives significantly more content to publishers than Twitter.
So if you’re not using Pinterest for business, you should be.
Yet you also might not be particularly excited by the thought of adding another social network to your social media marketing duties. Fortunately that’s a problem the folks at Buffer tackled with their Buffer for Pinterest integration. (Buffer’s tool lets you schedule, analyze, and share pins — in short, think Buffer for Pinterest.) So Inc Magazine asked Buffer co-founder Leo Widrich for practical ways to use Pinterest for business.
Here are several tips from Leo to make the most of your social media marketing strategy, especially using the help that Pinterest can provide:
1. Schedule pins.
The most important new feature now available for Pinterest is that you can schedule all your Pinterest pins with Buffer from one dashboard. As with Buffer for Twitter, now you can schedule pins to post consistently throughout the day.
You can share content to Pinterest from the Buffer dashboard or from the Buffer browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
2. Take advantage of smart weekly posting strategies.
When it comes to timing, there’s not a bad day to post on Pinterest. But different topics definitely perform at varying levels on different days of the week.
Pinterest shared some great info on these correlations last year. Here’s a look at what people are most like to focus on and pin on different days of the week:
- Monday: Good intentions spark interest in fitness and health
- Tuesday: Gadgets and technology tend to be all the rage
- Wednesday: When people look for a little something to get through the week, like inspirational quotes
- Thursday: Fashion, fashion, and more fashion
- Friday: Funny GIFs bring comic relief to the end of the week
- Saturday: Vacations and travel are top of mind
- Sunday: Food and craft ideas
Additionally, a bit.ly study found that Saturday is a great overall day for pinning.Maybe that’s when users have extra time for projects, or just for dreaming.
3. Measure the performance of your pins.
Another most important feature for all businesses is the ability to effectively measure how well you’re doing on Pinterest. Buffer’s Pinterest integration lets you measure the performance of your pins to understand how your audience is growing and how your followers are engaging with your content.
You can also filter, export, and sort your data so you can make smarter decisions with your social media campaigns.
4. Take advantage of smart posting frequency strategies.
Visual marketing service Piqora interviewed 200 big-time brands like Whole Foods, Lowes, and LL Bean, and discovered that many had experienced the most consistent Pinterest growth somewhere between “a few pins a week” and “3 to 10 pins per day.” (Note that this survey was pre-Smart Feed.)
On the higher end of the spectrum, the folks behind Ahalogy, a Pinterest marketing platform, say the sky is the limit when it comes to pins per day. Pinterest is different than other social media networks, says Ahalogy founder Bob Gilbreath, and requires re-thinking the “social media rules.”
Ahalogy says its clients have seen the best results when they pin 15 to 30 items per day, with pins spread throughout the day.
Our best advice? Pin as much quality content as you have time for. You’re unlikely to overwhelm your followers thanks to the Pinterest Smart Feed algorithm, and each pin is a chance to grow your exposure and audience.
5. Manage all your social media accounts from one dashboard.
Pinterest now lets marketers connect all their social accounts, including Pinterest, to their Buffer dashboard so they can post everywhere from one tool.
Save time by connecting as many Pinterest accounts as you like and you can easily publish content to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn as well.
6. Schedule pins directly from Pinterest.com.
With most of the sharing buttons all over the web, it’s important for business to be able to schedule their pins not just from a dashboard, but from wherever they are. TheBuffer browser extension makes it easy to schedule anything on Pinterest.com directly as a repin to your boards.
7. Take advantage of smart hourly timing strategies.
With so many different audiences and categories of content, Pinterest provides an interesting challenge when it comes to pinning down (ahem) the best times of day to post.
According to a study of nearly 10 million pins by Digitas and Curalate, the best times to pin vary by topic/industry.
For example:
- Friday at 3 p.m. ET is prime time for fashion pinning
- Electronics pins do best Mondays at 10 p.m. ET
- Automotive pins do well Fridays at 12 p.m. ET
Ahalogy found that between 8 p.m. E T and midnight any day is peak time for pinningrecipes about chocolate, and discovered that food brands could see the highest repin potential at 8 a.m. and the highest traffic potential from 10 to 11 p.m.
8. Schedule any image you find on the web to Pinterest.
Now you can also schedule any image you find on the way directly as a pin for your Pinterest account.
If you install the Buffer browser extension you can instantly schedule any image you find as a pin by right-clicking it and hitting “share as image” or hitting the blue “share as image button.”
9. Create a consistent sharing experience.
Like with other social media networks, a consistent sharing strategy is important on Pinterest to build your following.
Most marketing experts agree that spreading your pins throughout the day is a handy thing to do. Varying your timing exposes you to different segments of the Pinterest population and can lead to more exposure, repins, and followers.
And with Pinterest’s recent change to a Smart Feed that personalizes what users see in their accounts, you can pin basically anytime, without overwhelming your audience.
VIP Magazine July Chamber Article: Who Are You Gonna Call?
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle10 Steps to Start Your Own Small Business
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle10 Steps to Starting a Business
Starting a business involves planning, making key financial decisions and completing a series of legal activities. These 10 easy steps can help you plan, prepare and manage your business.
Step 1: Write a Business Plan
Use available SBA tools and resources to create a business plan. A written guide will help you map out how you will start and run your business successfully.
Step 2: Get Business Assistance and Training
Take advantage of free training and counseling services, from preparing a business plan and securing financing, to expanding or relocating a business.
Step 3: Choose a Business Location
Get advice on how to select a customer-friendly location and comply with zoning laws.
Step 4: Finance Your Business
Find government backed loans, venture capital and research grants to help you get started.
Step 5: Determine the Legal Structure of Your Business
Decide which form of ownership is best for you: sole proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Company (LLC), corporation, S corporation, nonprofit or cooperative.
Step 6: Register a Business Name (“Doing Business As”)
Register your business name with your state government.
Learn which tax identification number you’ll need to obtain from the IRS and your state revenue agency.
Step 7: Register for State and Local Taxes
Register with your state to obtain a tax identification number, workers’ compensation, unemployment and disability insurance.
Step 8: Obtain Business Licenses and Permits
Get a list of federal, state and local licenses and permits required for your business.
Step 9: Understand Employer Responsibilities
Learn the legal steps you need to take to hire employees.
Step 10: Find Local Assistance
Contact your local SBA office to learn more about how SBA can help.
Startup Resources
There are a number of available programs to assist startups, micro businesses, and underserved or disadvantaged groups. The following resources provide information to help specialized audiences start their own businesses.
You can save money when starting or expanding your business by using government surplus. From commercial real estate and cars, to furniture, computers and office equipment, find what you need for your business in one place.
Florence RedWolves Baseball and Fireworks Set for Saturday Evening
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle(image courtesy: Florence RedWolves)
Join the Florence RedWolves THIS Saturday evening for a fun night of patriotic baseball and fireworks!
Gates for fans will open at 5:00 P.M. and first pitch between the Wolves and Petersburg is set for 7:00 P.M.
There will be a pre-game concert for fans with Mid-Life Crisis performing, courtesy of Dedicated Community Bank.
There will also be a Carbis Solutions’ Kids Zone!
Get all the details by clicking below:
Florence RedWolves Baseball and Fireworks
Roche Carolina to Close by End of 2019; Buyer Still Sought for Facility
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle(image courtesy:enviroags.com)
Roche Carolina officials have now given a date as to when the plant will close- 2019.
Business and production will continue until that point and company workers and area economic development officials say the process of trying to find a buyer for the facility will continue.
Read more in this article from the Morning News:
SCnow.com web article- Roche Carolina
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Cast Iron Waffles
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Ribbon Cuttings, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle(image courtesy: Joe Perry/ Morning News)
The Florence Chamber held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday morning for one of its newest members, Cast Iron Waffles.
The ceremony not only officially welcomed Cast Iron into the Chamber family, but also celebrated the one year anniversary of the business.
Cast Iron Waffles is located at 2151 W. Evans St. in Florence and is open from 7 am to 6 pm.
To view the complete gallery of images from today’s event, click on the link below:
SCnow.com Media Gallery- Cast Iron Waffles Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Junior Golf Coming Back to the Florence Country Club
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle(image courtesy: florencecc.com)
From the State Newspaper
By: Bob Spear
“On his way to membership in multiple halls of fame, teaching professional Grant Bennett turned Florence Country Club into the Mecca of junior golf in the 1950s and ’60s. No facility could match the parade of champions who learned the game there and piled up records to envy.
South Carolina’s golf community knows the names: U.S. junior champion Buddy Baker, Billy Womack, Jack Lewis Jr. and Randy and Russell Glover, to name a few.
All these years later, thanks to efforts by Ben Zeigler and John Orr, Florence CC is striving to regain its lofty station in junior golf. The combination of head pro Steve Behr and teaching pro Paul Woodbury, along with the membership’s backing, the club’s program for youngsters is flourishing. The rejuvenated Grant Bennett Florence Junior Invitational tournament represents the cherry atop the banana split.
The combination of focusing on the Bennett legacy and the South Carolina Junior Golf Association’s taking over the operation makes the tournament a must-play on the top juniors’ calendars. Overwhelming demand forced SCJGA head Chris Miller to turn down 49 entries for this year’s event.
“They’re trying to recapture the magic that Grant Bennett created, and they’re going gangbusters,” said Happ Lathrop, executive director of the South Carolina Golf Association and a driving force behind junior golf’s growth in the state. “They’re looking to build a teaching facility and a junior clubhouse. The possibilities are enormous in terms of helping golf grow among younger players.”
Before the state organization became involved four years ago, the tournament struggled to attract a quality field. Upon a recommendation from Fort Jackson GC and SCGA board member Jeff Connell, Zeigler came to Lathrop for direction.
Told the SCGA’s involvement would require raising funds, Zeigler replied, “That won’t be a problem,” and the tournament netted more than $30,000 the first year. This year’s program contains a lengthy list of sponsors – both corporate and individuals such as PGA Tour pro Tommy Gainey and wife Erin.
“Honoring former champions is important for a couple of reasons,” Lathrop said. “First, the young players learn about the legacy of Mr. Bennett. Second, they get to meet and hear from players who had some outstanding accomplishments in golf.”
The tournament honored Columbian Bobby Foster, the 1963 champion, this year. He followed Baker, Randy Glover and Lewis to be saluted for their successes.
“Some other clubs are doing what Florence is in focusing on junior golf, and that’s great to see,” Lathrop said. “Greenville Country Club has a program growing and the Country Club of Spartanburg just hired a junior-specific professional. Of course, everywhere (Hall of Fame pro) Jackie Seawell has been really worked on junior golf development.”
One young player bolted from the Wednesday afternoon reception to honor Foster saying, “I’ve got to go practice some more.”
He found the practice tee full of players with dreams of following Foster or Lewis or even U.S. Open champions Dustin Johnson and Lucas Glover, the latter’s credentials include winning the 1994 Grant Bennett Florence Junior Invitational.
“That’s a great sight,” said Lathrop, taking in the scene that included players both in the tournament field and those who hope to be there one day. “It’s spreading.”
Chip shots
Jacob Bridgeman (Inman) eagled the par-5 18th hole twice, the first time to pull even and the second time on the third playoff hole to edge Grant Sellers (McBee) for the title in the Grant Bennett Florence Junior Invitational. The pair tied at 135, two strokes better than Jack Parrott (Columbia) and Nick Willis (Cowpens). … Walter and Walt Todd (Laurens) won their second SCGA Dudley-Sullivan Father-Son Championship, edging Rusty and Brooks Massey(Lexington) by two strokes at Green Valley CC in Greenville. … Winners in the GolfweekAmateur Golf Tour tourney at Windermere: Paul Ponder (championship flight), Jason Breedlove (A flight), Chris Moore (B flight), Bryan Wilkerson (C flight) and Jimmy Mathias (D flight). Players compete in flights according to handicaps. To participate, call John Livoti(864-982-0876). … Connor Bruns (Duncan/Furman) defeated Johnson Holliday (Aynor/USC Aiken) 4 and 2 to win the SCGA’s South Carolina Match-Play title at Bear Creek GC on Hilton Head Island. … USC and Clemson players continue to reap All-America honors, including USC women Katelyn Dambaugh and Sarah Schmelzel, USC men Matt Nesmithand Will Starke, and Clemson men Stephen Behr and Austin Langdale. … It’s not how, but how many, which is a round-about way to report this correspondent made one of the less artistic holes-in-one on record on No. 7 at Florence CC.”
State Newspaper Article
SC Chamber Alerts Businesses to New Department of Labor Rule
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle(Image courtesy: SC Chamber of Commerce)
From the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce: State Chamber President Ted Pitts released an Action Alert to Chamber members urging them to contact their labor attorneys to discuss the new Department of Labor Persuader Rule before July 1, 2016.
The proposed Department of Labor rule would impact businesses’ client-attorney privilege and would also potentially change how businesses defend themselves in union situations.
Many in the business community are concerned that the rule could most negatively impact small businesses who do not have in-house legal departments to turn to for advice on labor relations issues.
Click below to read the statement in full from the SC Chamber of Commerce and for more information on how the rule could impact your business:
SC Chamber Action Alert
10 Tips to Protect Your Business From a Data Breach
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy HowleIs your business protected from a data breach? Here are 10 quick tips that you can use to make sure your information and your customers’ data is safe, from Inc Magazine:
The largest data theft in history:
So here’s what you can do to make sure you’re not a victim:
1. Secure sensitive customer, employee or patient data.
2. Properly dispose of sensitive data.
Shred documents containing sensitive data prior to recycling. Remove all data from computers and electronic storage devices before disposing of them.
3. Use password protection.
Password protect your business computers – including laptops and smartphones – and access to your network and accounts. Require employees to have a unique user name and a strong password that is changed at least quarterly.
4. Control physical access to your business computers.
Create user accounts for each employee to prevent unauthorized use of your business computers. Laptops can be easy targets; make sure they’re locked in place when unattended. Also limit network access on computer stations located in public spaces, such as the reception area.
5. Encrypt data.
Encryption helps protect the security and privacy of files as they are transmitted or while on the computer. Install encryption on all laptops, mobile devices, flash drives and backup tapes, and encrypt emails that contain sensitive information.
6. Protect against viruses and malicious code (“malware”).
Install and use antivirus and antispyware software on all of your business computers. Don’t open email attachments or other downloads unless you’re sure they’re from a trusted source.
7. Keep your software and operating systems up to date.
Install updates to security, web browser, operating system and antivirus software as soon as they become available. They contain “patches” that address security vulnerabilities within the software and are your first line of defense against online threats.
8. Secure access to your network.
9. Verify the security controls of third parties.
Before working with third parties that have access to your data or computer systems or manage your security functions, be sure their data protection practices meet your minimum requirements and that you have the right to audit them. Not only do you want to ensure that your customer and business data is secure, but if a breach occurs on their watch, you could still be held liable and may be required to take all the necessary steps toward recovery – including notifying customers, monitoring credit, paying penalties or fines, etc.
10. Train your employees.
Last but not least, make sure your employees understand your data protection practices and their importance. Document your policies and practices and distribute them to your team. Review your practices regularly and update them as required. Be sure to retrain your staff as updates are made.
McLeod Health, Physicians Recognized for Outstanding Service
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy Howle(image courtesy: SCnow.com/McLeod Health)
The Chamber wants to congratulate McLeod Health and Dr. James C. H. Smith, a McLeod Oncologist, and Dr. Gavin Leask, a McLeod Cardiologist, as well as several other McLeod physicians.
The hospital and several doctors were recently recognized as Top Performers for Overall Quality of Physician Care by national healthcare research leader, Professional Research Consultants.
Congrats to these members of our community who make the Florence region a safer and healthier place to call home!
You can read the full article about the recognition and view the complete list of those honored, by clicking on the link below and reading the article from the Morning News:
Morning News article on McLeod Health and Physicians Recognition
9 Smart Ways to Use Pinterest to Boost Your Small Business
/in Frontpage Article, Images, News, Uncategorized /by Mandy HowleMaybe you use Pinterest for business: for social media marketing, as a way to build greater product awareness, and to help build your brand. And maybe you use Pinterest to increase sales, generate more revenue, and make more money for your business.
Or maybe you think Twitter is sufficient.
Twitter should be a key component in your social media marketing strategy… butPinterest drives significantly more content to publishers than Twitter.
So if you’re not using Pinterest for business, you should be.
Yet you also might not be particularly excited by the thought of adding another social network to your social media marketing duties. Fortunately that’s a problem the folks at Buffer tackled with their Buffer for Pinterest integration. (Buffer’s tool lets you schedule, analyze, and share pins — in short, think Buffer for Pinterest.) So Inc Magazine asked Buffer co-founder Leo Widrich for practical ways to use Pinterest for business.
Here are several tips from Leo to make the most of your social media marketing strategy, especially using the help that Pinterest can provide:
1. Schedule pins.
The most important new feature now available for Pinterest is that you can schedule all your Pinterest pins with Buffer from one dashboard. As with Buffer for Twitter, now you can schedule pins to post consistently throughout the day.
You can share content to Pinterest from the Buffer dashboard or from the Buffer browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
2. Take advantage of smart weekly posting strategies.
When it comes to timing, there’s not a bad day to post on Pinterest. But different topics definitely perform at varying levels on different days of the week.
Pinterest shared some great info on these correlations last year. Here’s a look at what people are most like to focus on and pin on different days of the week:
Additionally, a bit.ly study found that Saturday is a great overall day for pinning.Maybe that’s when users have extra time for projects, or just for dreaming.
3. Measure the performance of your pins.
Another most important feature for all businesses is the ability to effectively measure how well you’re doing on Pinterest. Buffer’s Pinterest integration lets you measure the performance of your pins to understand how your audience is growing and how your followers are engaging with your content.
You can also filter, export, and sort your data so you can make smarter decisions with your social media campaigns.
4. Take advantage of smart posting frequency strategies.
Visual marketing service Piqora interviewed 200 big-time brands like Whole Foods, Lowes, and LL Bean, and discovered that many had experienced the most consistent Pinterest growth somewhere between “a few pins a week” and “3 to 10 pins per day.” (Note that this survey was pre-Smart Feed.)
On the higher end of the spectrum, the folks behind Ahalogy, a Pinterest marketing platform, say the sky is the limit when it comes to pins per day. Pinterest is different than other social media networks, says Ahalogy founder Bob Gilbreath, and requires re-thinking the “social media rules.”
Ahalogy says its clients have seen the best results when they pin 15 to 30 items per day, with pins spread throughout the day.
Our best advice? Pin as much quality content as you have time for. You’re unlikely to overwhelm your followers thanks to the Pinterest Smart Feed algorithm, and each pin is a chance to grow your exposure and audience.
5. Manage all your social media accounts from one dashboard.
Pinterest now lets marketers connect all their social accounts, including Pinterest, to their Buffer dashboard so they can post everywhere from one tool.
Save time by connecting as many Pinterest accounts as you like and you can easily publish content to Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn as well.
6. Schedule pins directly from Pinterest.com.
With most of the sharing buttons all over the web, it’s important for business to be able to schedule their pins not just from a dashboard, but from wherever they are. TheBuffer browser extension makes it easy to schedule anything on Pinterest.com directly as a repin to your boards.
7. Take advantage of smart hourly timing strategies.
With so many different audiences and categories of content, Pinterest provides an interesting challenge when it comes to pinning down (ahem) the best times of day to post.
According to a study of nearly 10 million pins by Digitas and Curalate, the best times to pin vary by topic/industry.
For example:
Ahalogy found that between 8 p.m. E T and midnight any day is peak time for pinningrecipes about chocolate, and discovered that food brands could see the highest repin potential at 8 a.m. and the highest traffic potential from 10 to 11 p.m.
8. Schedule any image you find on the web to Pinterest.
Now you can also schedule any image you find on the way directly as a pin for your Pinterest account.
If you install the Buffer browser extension you can instantly schedule any image you find as a pin by right-clicking it and hitting “share as image” or hitting the blue “share as image button.”
9. Create a consistent sharing experience.
Like with other social media networks, a consistent sharing strategy is important on Pinterest to build your following.
Most marketing experts agree that spreading your pins throughout the day is a handy thing to do. Varying your timing exposes you to different segments of the Pinterest population and can lead to more exposure, repins, and followers.
And with Pinterest’s recent change to a Smart Feed that personalizes what users see in their accounts, you can pin basically anytime, without overwhelming your audience.