Career Archives - Page 2 of 4

May 20, 2020

Why Pinterest Is An Important Tool For Your Business

As of March 2020, there are 335 million users on Pinterest and that number is continuing to grow! If you didn’t already know, Pinterest is the fourth largest social network in the United States, that’s right behind Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. It is a highly profitable platform with over $1.14 billion in revenue in 2019. Luckily for you, Pinterest users are both in and outside of the United States. That’s millions of opportunities to market to women and men around the world who are looking for inspiration, information, products, guides, services, crafts, and tutorials.

In my latest post I explain in detail what Pinterest is. Pinterest is a visual search tool and social-networking platform which allows you to search through images for anything from home decorating ideas to travel guides. You can add pins to different boards and save them for later which is you and your target audiences’ advantage. One thing you should know is that Pinterest users come to this platform to shop. Users on this platform know that anything they look for can lead to a potential sale of some sort. For example, your bakery may create pins to promote a project related to decorating a wedding cake. This could lead to a sale for your wedding cake services, custom aprons, decorating tools, edible springs, or baking kits for sale on your website. It’s imperative that you think outside the box when using Pinterest for your business. I promise you, Pinterest can work for any business when used correctly. It’s a great way to grow your email list, increase your website traffic, promote your services, promote your blog, and market your brand for free. If you haven’t already created a business account, now is the perfect time to do so! Let’s walk through some of the important steps for pinning for your business while building your brand’s presence.

Make sure your business market or industry is defined

If you are working in the beauty industry, make sure the majority of your posts are reflecting that. For example, your boards may include hair, makeup, and beauty tips or products. Let your audience know who you are, what you sell, and how to get it. Your end result may be a sale, referral, email list subscriber, or even just inspiration for your followers.

Identify a niche and expand

A great example of this is a travel agent or agency. This individual or group is responsible for marketing and selling vacations and all of the trimmings that come with it. Additional services may include concierge, booking rental cars, making reservations, and excursion planning. So your Pinterest boards may include packing lists, travel guides, tourists’ videos, and vacation fashion for the entire family. You definitely want to include links that direct users to your website, blog, or affiliate link.

Know your audience

Knowing your target audience is so crucial especially when there are so many users on a social medial platform. If you’re a travel agent for Disney Resorts, you’re looking for families in a certain income range. Let’s face it, Disney is costly for just one person, imagine how much it would cost for a family for four to fly to Florida, rent an SUV, stay in a resort for five days, and pay for Disney passes, food, meal plans, and souvenirs. Let’s not forget families who buy matching t-shirts for five days to wear, new summer clothes, pay for pictures, and eat out too. Some families may need a year in advance to plan and save, while some families may need two years. With all of this considered, you’re looking at families or individuals who have at least $5000 and up to spend on one vacation. An alternative perspective is marketing to groups of people like church youth groups, traveling dance/cheer teams, sporting groups, and other organized groups that tend to spend more money on travel.

Create a Pinterest Business account

Having a business account gives you the advantage of having analytics to see what pins are getting the most interest or views from other users. Tracking your traffic is important especially when you have your website, blog, or shopping platform link connected to your page. It’s important to see where your top visitors are and capitalize on that.

Make sure you have pin-worthy images

Pinterest is one of the most popular search engine platforms based strictly on images.

Creating beautiful boards and pins will only increase the possibility of your pins being repined. If your pins are cut off, showing half the images or texts, users aren’t going to re-pin them to their boards. Make sure that your pins are the recommended size and that you’re pinning something that you wouldn’t mind to be downloaded, screenshot, or re-pinned.

Use Scheduling Apps

Scheduling apps like Tailwind can help you get the traffic and visibility that you need to gain a larger audience. A larger audience increases your email and social media subscribers, followers, and sales. Tailwind can cut down on the hours you spend on manual pinning. It also provides the opportunity to loop your pins to gain more exposure for your content.

Hire a Virtual Assistant

Pinterest can be overwhelming for first-time users as there is a lot to set up and maintain. Being a super bust entrepreneur takes up a lot of your day and the thought of creating social media platforms can seem daunting. I have two options for you that benefit your business. I am in the process of creating a Pinterest course that can help you from start to finish. Another option is hiring a virtual assistant who can do all of this for you and maintain your Pinterest Business Account remotely. If you are interested in this service, feel free to email me at aluxuriantlife@gmail.com

Don’t forget to sign up for my Face Book Group , International Blogger’s Society which is a new platform that will allow bloggers around the world to collaborate and network!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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May 5, 2020

Staying Motivated When Working From Home

Working remotely or, working from home can be challenging especially if you’re juggling many different roles like being a mom, wife, caregiver, or even a dog mom! Between phone calls, webinars, video conferences, letting the dogs out, cooking, cleaning, texts and emails, the day can seem overwhelming. I feel for you mommas that also have to include other chores like homework via online learning, bathing the kids, and maintaining your sanity. I hope you are indulging in some cocktails or some other type of therapy that helps you maintain a sense of normalcy.

I think many of us are struggling with this new way of life, and I’ve been quarantined since the beginning of March, so I’m going on almost two months. I can’t even name all the distractions let alone the lack of motivation or enthusiasm I feel often. It’s definitely a struggle to be productive. On my best days, I organized my closets, cabinets, and drawers. I’ve done extensive cleaning and binged watched all of my favorite shows like Keeping up With The Kardashians and The Handmaid’s Tale. In the past few days I looked at a ton of articles online at places like Business Insider, Forbes, and Entrepreneur.com about the various ways that we can stay motivated while working remotely.

Set an alarm, do as you would normally do on a usual workday.

I have an automatic alarm that goes off every day at 6:00. I do this for several reasons. One, I am actually in the process of potty training my two rescue puppies and I am trying to keep them on a schedule. Two, I am working from home, so this allows me enough time to get up, shower, and start my day. I always eat breakfast, so this gives me time to cook something good and enjoy a hot cup of coffee before I start my day. Lately, I have been outside in the mornings with the dogs and watching the sun rise which is always relaxing.

Get dressed and get out of those pajamas!

It’s tempting, and I’ll admit, I have had a few days here and there where I have stayed in my pajamas and comfy clothes. It’s nice to not have to leave your house once in a while, but it’s bad for productivity. When you wear pjs all day, it signals to your brain that you should stay in a relaxed state or mood when you should really be dressing to be productive. Get or stay in the habit of wearing actual clothes when working on the computer, it really makes all the difference. If I don’t want to wear slacks, I’ll wear a comfy dress and slides. I do have participate in video webinars so it’s best to look put together. I really like wearing jewelry that I wouldn’t normally wear to work. I may throw on some bigger hoops and rings or wear an eyeshadow that is more intense than my daily shades. Our clothing reflects our personalities, mood, and purpose for the day.

Groom and glam!

To expand on getting out of your pajamas, it’s important to keep up with your grooming habits too. I mean, we should continue to shave at least lol! There are some days where Ill put on some basic makeup and lipstick and comb my hair. I don’t always curl it but at least it’s tamed. Putting on makeup really makes all the difference in how I feel. Usual grooming habits like showering and brushing your teeth should be a part of your routine still. Don’t let it go to the wayside.

Create a daily schedule and to do list!

This is a great time to get those tasks done as you now spend less time with your commute. School is pretty much over and traffic isn’t so bad right now. When I looked back, I realized that I spent at least two hours each day in traffic! That’s 10 more hours in my week that I have to spend on personal goals like blogging, organizing, cleaning, and working on my goals. I also have more time to finish tasks on my to-do list so that when I return to work, my free time didn’t pass by without me handling some important things! I also used my time to work on my vision board and write down some of my business, personal, and financial goals.

Create a menu!

OMG! Has anyone noticed their grocery bill increasing? Have you noticed that you now spend more time in your kitchen more than ever slaving over the stove and oven? With restaurants being closed and the lack of enthusiasm for drive through food, I started cooking a lot more. I honestly don’t even want to think about the rounds of dishwashing and kitchen cleaning I’ve done in the last two months. Creating a menu has made it easier for me to know what I need from the store, prepare multiple means, and it cuts down (a little) on the questions like “whats for breakfast/lunch/dinner?”.

Don’t work in your bedroom and definitely not the living room couch!

I learned this the hard way in undergrad and grad school. Doing any type of work from the bed or couch is a recipe for low productivity. You’re more likely to goof off watching television reruns, news (major eyeroll), and engage in social media more. If I even think about working on my laptop in bed, I know it will result in an unexpected snooze fest.

Limit social media and device screen time.

Reducing the time you spend on social media can have positive effects on your overall wellbeing. It’s a weird time in society right now as COVID-19 has made us more paranoid, anxious, and this can effect our mental, emotional, and physical state. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in watching the news for hours a day which only makes us more nervous. Watching endless TikTok videos doesn’t add to your productivity and decrease the amount of laundry you have to do. Instagram, Facebook, and all the other social media platforms will be there. Two or three hours can pass you by as it’s easy to get lost in recipes, latest gossip, and fashion. This can be a major distraction to your working routine.

Keep moving and stay active. Get away from the workstation.

A change of scenery is always nice and it can also be inspiring. Taking a break from your desk or work space is healthy especially if you’ve created a space in your home where you can get some peace. Don’t feel guilty for taking a break from emails, phone calls, texts, and the television. I love going outside and letting the dogs stretch their legs for a little. We have been so fortunate to have great weather during this time and I intend to enjoy the sun and cool breezes.

I hope you found some of these tips to be beneficial to you. You can always save this post and come back to it later. I hope everyone in your household and family is doing well. This is our new normal and each day is truly a blessing. Stay home, stay safe, and stay well.

Xo, Ree

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April 8, 2020

Elevate Your Business with Pinterest!

Pinterest is the secret weapon you’ve been missing with your business. Whether you run an online boutique or operate a brick and mortar store, you need Pinterest as part of your marketing tool. This guide is shortened version of what I offer in my upcoming online course and it can give you an idea of the various ways that Pinterest can benefit your business if you follow the steps detailed below.

Quick Overview About Me:

My name is Reahna “Rihanna” and I am blogger and businesswoman! I love to blog about anything related to fashion, décor, travel, books, and beauty. I run my lifestyle blog, online courses, and several other family businesses. One of the unique things about me is that I completed my undergraduate studies in psychology and received my MBA with honors in both programs. I’ve had many opportunities to work for other companies and also build my own from the ground up. I wanted to take my experience and education and provide something for other entrepreneurs to utilize for their business. One of the things I love to do, is perform all the research analyzing what REALLY works! I’ve done all of the footwork for you to make your life easier and to get you going faster! I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by today and giving me the opportunity to help you and your business. Let’s dive in!

Pinterest Basics

What is Pinterest??

Pinterest is an online search engine where “pinners” can search for inspiration, ideas, projects, and solutions for problems. Pinners can search for recipes, crafts, business tips, fashion, home décor, and travel tips. Another aspect I like about Pinterest is that it is a platform that provides a lot of educational tips from experts in any industry around the world.

Who are Pinners??

Pinners are users who can search for any idea, create boards, create pins, and save other people’s pins (content). Ultimately, pinners are consumers who are located anywhere around the world. One of the beautiful things about Pinterest is that it can be used globally so pinners are using this platform 24 hours a day! Global platforms can benefit your business in many ways as you can get visitors to your website at any time. Essentially, there are “pinners” and “content creators” online. Our jobs as content creators is to create eye-catching pins that make pinners want to save your pin to one of their boards. Another job that content creators have is creating inviting content or pins that entice other users to click on the pin that ultimately leads to your website, online shop, email list, or another platform.

What is an algorithm??

Algorithms are used on all social media platforms and search engines. Algorithms can be described as a process or set of rules that should be followed in order to have your content recognized and ranked in terms of popularity and relevance. The higher your popularity or ranking, you’ll have the increased chance of your content being seen.

Set Up Your Pinterest Account

Setting up your account correctly from the beginning can save you a lot of frustration in the future. You may already have a Pinterest account and you’ll need to determine if your account is appropriate to convert into a business account. You do have the option of changing it from a personal account to a business account. You can still save any irrelevant personal boards and change them to secret boards so that you don’t lose your personal pins. You may be asking why you need a business account and there are many reasons for this listed below:

Track your growth, engagement, and impressions
Track popular pins
Analyze which pins aren’t working or gaining traction
Track the number of clicks that lead to your website

Lay the Foundation with Pinterest Boards

Create Pinterest Boards that relate to your business (products & services), niche, affiliations, or organization. Start small, don’t feel as if you should have 30 boards with thousands of pins. Creating and curating your boards takes time and little planning. Fortunately for all new and existing business owners I am creating an online course that offers a more in-depth tutorial for creating boards, sections, and board covers. My tips can give your Pinterest boards a more professional look and feel. The aesthetics of your Pinterest page does matter and makes a difference amongst competitors.

Start Pinning!

Once you have your boards set up, you can start pinning immediately. This is where you need to think like a content creator. Think about marketing and sales when you create and save pins to your boards. Ultimately, your goal is to lead pinners or potential consumers to your website to buy a product or service that you offer. Pinned images should be of high quality and appealing to your target audience. For example, if you are a travel agent for Disney World, your pinners want to see things related to Florida travel, resort hotels, best restaurants, gift shop items, money-saving tips, fast-passes, family t-shirt ideas, park guides, and more! If you are using your account for business purposes and you are a travel agent and posting images of cars, hair ideas, recipes, and shoes, how is this related your business? How will this get pinners who are precisely looking for Disney-related content to your site? If pinners are clicking on the links of the aforementioned pins, it probably won’t lead them back to your site if they are strictly searching for Disney inspiration and trustworthy information. My online course will explain in great detail about how you can create more images and pins that attract viewers and clients.

Have a Pinning (and winning) Strategy

It’s important to pin often, consistently, and meaningfully. Avoid the habit of pinning just because. Have a real strategy and purpose behind what you’re doing because if you lack purpose, it will come across in your business. Understand that your audience may vary. Pinterest users come in all shapes, sizes, economic backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses. Pinners may save your pins to share with their coworkers, family members, business associates, and friends who may or may not have Pinterest. Think of Pinterest as a marketing platform which allows you to promote your business professional content to millions of users around the world. Pinterest also allows you to create paid promotions for your pins to reach a larger audience.

Remember, you’re creating new opportunities for sales leads for new clients, consumers, and repeat visitors to your site.
Don’t be afraid to post your content. A lot of business owners feel strange about marketing their business for many different reasons. If you are uncomfortable with this process, consider getting a marketing team to help you with relevant strategies.
If you’re curious to know how much of your content you should pin, consider the 90/10 or 80/20 rule where you pin a majority of your own content.
The number of pins you create each day may vary based on your business industry or niche. Focus on the quality over the quantity of pins.

Algorithms, Keywords, and Optimization

At this point you might be interested as to how people find your content whether it be your pinned images, boards, or website. Pinners can find your content through several means:

Organic searches
Visual searches
Keyword Searches
Hashtag searches
Promoted (advertised) pins
General web browser searches

You may be wondering how you can make it easier for content to be seen by others. The honest answer is that your results will only be as good as the effort you put into it. It’s important to pin often, use keywords, hashtags, and descriptions for pins while focusing on quality. Not pinning at all can have the adverse effect in addition to unorganized boards with unrelated images and descriptions. Another frustration for users is clicking on images and the links are broken and lead to random websites.

Pinterest Tools

There are so many tools out there that can make your life easier on Pinterest. Photo editing tools like PicMonkey, Canva, Pixlr, and Fotor, can be extremely helpful which can be accessible from your computer, tablet, and smartphone. I go more into depth creating more eye-catching images and pins on my upcoming course which is actually one way to showcase your creativity and branding.

Keep Your Audience Wanting More

It’s imperative that you entice your viewers to come back for upcoming content which is an important strategy to use for marketing on any platform. Giving your followers high-quality pins and great content is a sure way to create long-term relationships.

Thank you so much for stopping by today and checking out this informative post! Be sure to sign up for my emails so that you get first dibs on new information and my online course that I’m creating for entrepreneurs.

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