Pinterest and Audioboo

I'm going to talk about your company's marketing strategy and how I think these 2 new kids on the block should now be part of it!

I hope you do do marketing and I hope it's geographical ie location specific and I hope you are embracing social media.

If your not, don't sweat it, lots of people hate it.  If its not for you or your business carry on, but I was at a meeting on Friday where the magazine (unnamed until I land the gig!!) had been approached by a local radio company wanting 3-4 grand for a run of ads.

Its a lot of cash and local newspapers aren't exactly cheap either but that's not to say they don't work for certain demographics.

So if you do like all these things then go for it, please do, social networking is no silver bullet and that comes from someone trying to make a living from it.  I love radio and papers but for this company it was too much.

However at Scatter the Patter we do like content and the message - we love the patter, the pitch, the blarney.  Doing it with humour is also our speciality, no corporate greyness for us.

If you want to be serious and business-like on most social networks (Linkedin excluded) then be our guest.
It's like being a policeman in the Wicker Man movie, you'll never get off the island.

I have been championing Facebook and Twitter  - Facebook good for community and for me Twitter good for b2b though that can be a matter of opinion.

However I love the 2 new networks.

Pinterest is a social network of photo images which can link back to where the photos are being hosted ie your site.  It's a phenomena and you'll be seeing this logo over here very soon.  In America the growth is exponential and one of the reason's why the new facebook Timeline is so photo-centric - indeed in the last few days, Facebook's mobile app has improved their picture viewing experience as they realise how popular image sharing and viewing is on social networks.

If you have a business that could generate good images be it a vet, a restaurant or outdoor activity organisation, I would urge you to get on Pinterest - your posts can link and update Facebook and Twitter so your not going to double work-loads.

Also, as a radio person who was on 5Live last Tuesday and who runs a podcast app business I am totally and utterly bowled over by...

...it's like audio tweeting - they are called boos and you can record your boo on your phone and have it upload then and there to an audio sharing interface akin to a Twitter wall...people can follow your boos, you can follow theirs.  For podcasters, bands, and anyone who communicates  via sound its marvellous.
I love it...did I say that?  The free version has a 3 min limit but to me that's big enough for a boo though I will be taking out the £60 yearly pro version....no questions.    And like Pinterest, these boos also link to your Facebook and Twitter walls so you are not doubling your work - in fact your adding enriched bespoke content, the stuff that I think ONLY works for businesses on social network outwith giveaways and competitions....please no more sales messages and bland self-promotion it's not for social media...it never was - create something worthwhile to look at or to listen to and in the meanwhile build community and loyalty from existing clients by talking to them individually....

....then you just might leverage a bit of business your way from the social networks but remember it is only part of your overall marketing strategy.

.....let me know if you do Pinterest or AudioBoo (say in kevein Keegan voice)...I'd love it, I'd love it if you did that!

yours

gordon d