Frame to Finish Expo – Monday, November 4th

We are excited to announce that our CEO, Lowell Brown, will be speaking at the Frame to Finish Expo Sponsored by Canon Canada on Monday, November 4th. Lowell will be leading a session called “Social Media Marketing: How to Stand Out From The Crowd”.

If you are a photographer or videographer and shoot for the wedding industry this is an event not to miss.

Here are some details about the event:

Take your wedding photography and videography business to the next level by registering for the Frame to Finish Expo. This yearly expo includes a wide variety of presenters who will be speaking about topics including: the fundamentals of success in the wedding industry, effective social media marketing, solid contracts for wedding professionals, film-making tips for weddings, creating stand-out portraits, wedding videography tips, and insider tricks on photo finishing & video editing.

The event takes place at the Grand Victorian Convention Centre from 9:00AM to 6:00PM When you register for the event you will receive a free Tamrac gear bag (while supplies last), 6 months of free Pro services from 4ormat, door prizes, and a coupon for pro camera bodies and lenses.

Use the code “SHOWSPECIAL” for $60 off your ticket price!

For more information about the event visit http://frametofinishexpo.ca/toronto/.

To register for the event go to http://www.eventbrite.com/event/7667536809/eorg.

We hope to see you there!

How to Create a Pinterest Account for Your Business

Pinterest is a photo-sharing platform that allows users to create and manage photos on virtual bulletin boards. It provides a place where users can search for, discover, and store other people’s content. Unlike other photo sharing websites, Pinterest functions solely by the use of visuals. A user cannot share something on Pinterest unless an image or a video is involved. When something is shared on Pinterest, each bookmark is called a pin. When a user shares someone else’s pin on Pinterest, this is called a repin. Multiple boards are created to organize a user’s pins by topic.

According to Social Media Today, Pinterest is the top converting social media site for “Top of the Funnel” advertising. Pinterest buyers spend more money, more often, on more items than any of the top five social media websites. It is also worth noting that 80% of Pinterest pins are repins, which means the chances of your images being repinned are high.

Pinterest has been named as one of the fastest growing websites in history. It is now one of the hottest new social media websites for small businesses and non-profits. If you’re a business owner who has yet to venture into the Pinterest world, you should highly consider creating a business account to showcase your products and/or services. To set up your Pinterest company page, follow these simple steps below:

Step 1: Go to https://pinterest.com/business/create/

You will be directed to the homescreen, which is a form that you will need to fill out.

profileinfo

profilecontinued

 

Step 2: Read the “Terms & Conditions” and check off “Accept Terms” and press “Create Account”

Screen Shot 2013-02-01 at 11.25.59 AM

 

Step 3: To get started, you need to follow a minimum of five people. On the left, choose what you are interested in and then look for people you are interested in following.

Screen Shot 2013-02-01 at 11.26.14 AM

Step 4: Once that is complete, you will need to verify your website.

Screen Shot 2013-02-01 at 11.27.18 AM

 

You will be redirected to this page. Click “Download the HTML verification file.” Once downloaded, you will need to login in the back-end of your website and ensure that this file has been uploaded. Once you have uploaded it, press “Click here” under the third steps of instructions.

verification

startpinning

If your website was successfully verified, the above message will appear and your Pinterest is officially set up!

finishedprofileStep 5: Start following people, setting up boards, pinning and liking pictures!

———————————————————————————————————-

Check out Social Influence Academy’s 6 part video series for Pinterest business marketing success:

Do you want to learn how to drive leads and web site traffic using Pinterest?

Do you want to learn the most strategic way to build followers on Pinterest and expand your marketing reach?

Social Influence Academy brings you a 6 part video series that will provide you with how-to demos for Pinterest business marketing success. These online video training programs will walk you through setting up your own company Pinterest page and you’ll learn techniques for profile success strategies along the way. After completing the training programs, you will understand exactly how Pinterest works and why having a Pinterest business page will benefit your company. Register today to learn how to become a Pinterest marketing expert!

pinterestvideo

For more information and to sign up today visit:

http://socialinfluenceacademy.com/online-video-training-programs/

How to Create a Company Page on LinkedIn

With over 225 million users, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking website. LinkedIn connects students and business professionals to a world with endless opportunities. Members can network with professionals, find jobs, and search for potential clients.

LinkedIn members have the option to create a personal profile and a company page. In order to create a company page, users must first have a personal profile. Personal profiles showcase a member’s work experience and professional skills, which can be viewed by individuals within their network. Company pages serve the purpose of building a business’s professional identity online. As LinkedIn is primarily a business-centered platform, it is the ideal place for individuals to go to seek out company pages, to get industry updates, research product and services, and search for job opportunities.

So how do you create a company page on LinkedIn? Follow the steps below and you’ll find the process rather simple.

If you do not already have a personal LinkedIn page, you will need to create one. (Skip to step 5 if you already have a personal account).

Step 1: Sign up at http://www.linkedin.com/

Fill out the initial contact form.

linkedinlogin

Step 2: Once you’ve joined LinkedIn, you will need to fill out your personal information. Click on “Create my profile” and you will have the option to grow your network in LinkedIn by authorizing access to your email contacts. You next have the option to share your LinkedIn profile on Facebook and Twitter, however I recommend doing this after your profile is fully setup.

linkedincreateprofile

Step 3: Select account type. I recommend starting with a basic account and upgrading to a premium account once you have grown your LinkedIn network.

accttype

Step 4: Take the time to make your personal page as detailed as
possible. LinkedIn will walk you through the profile completion process.

step4

Creating Your Company Page

As a business, it’s important to be where your customers are. LinkedIn is the ideal platform for scouting prospective clients and building your business contacts.

Step 5: To create a company page, move your cursor over the “Interests” tab at the top of your homepage and select “Companies.” Click the “Add a Company” link in the upper right area of the page.

step5

Step 6: Enter your official company name and work e-mail address. Click “Continue” to enter your company information.

step6

*Make yourself a “Designated Admin”

admin

Step 7: Optimize company name and description.

step7

Step 8: Add photos & specialties. It’s important to upload your company logo. For a “standard logo”, the dimensions should be 100 pixels wide by 60 pixels tall. If you have a square logo, the dimensions should be 50 px by 50 px. Try to include as much detail as possible. You can also include a cover photo for your company page (646 pixels wide by 220 pixels tall).

The “Company Specialties” section enables your business to appear in searches within the site. Fill out this section by including a few keywords that are relevant to your business.

step8

Step 9: Complete “Overview”. To attract visitors to your website, direct them to a landing page, rather than your homepage.

step9

Step 10: Once your company overview is complete, you will need
to fill out your product/service information which is located under the
“Products” or “Services” tab. This page will allow you to
highlight all that your company has to offer. You can do this by adding images,
descriptions and videos.

step10

Step 11: After you have filled in your company information, you will want to ask for product and/or service reviews.

Step 12: Once your page is completely optimized, you will want to start posting updates at least once per day.

Your completed profile should look a little something like this: logo, company name, cover photo, updates, about, etc.

step11

step12

Now that you’ve created a company page for your business it’s time to start networking! You should start making connections, requesting recommendations from previous clients, joining and creating groups, and uploading content 2-3 times a week. If you remain fairly active on LinkedIn I am confident that overtime you can build a dedicated following of LinkedIn users.

Good luck!