Monthly Archives: January 2012

Why your Company Should be on Pinterest

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Most companies are a bit timid to jump into the world of social networking, which I can understand (after all, I do have parents born in the stone age…ones that still think if you upload a picture to your desktop the entire world will see it…but I digress).  If you want to get ahead of the game, increase your sales numbers, and create better costumer relations; then it’s important to be open-minded to what the free world of social networking can offer.

A great way to slowly inch your way into Gen Y’s heart is by joining Pinterest. For those of you who are severely lagging behind, Pinterest is an online scrapbook where users can share DIY projects, different products they like, or favorite quotes/pictures. I know most companies would say “this isn’t for me,” but hear me out.

Within six months,”total same store referral traffic from Pinterest to five speciality apparel retailers rose 389%.” I know you’re thinking…great five stores, what about mine?

The best way for companies to use Pinterest is by first showing interest in costumers, it takes a few minutes to go through and like a users pin. By liking pins that they posted, preferably ones that relate back to your company/product, you’ll start to create a name for yourself.

Also, most users are more likely to find a company not by searching for them, but by having some type of contact with them. Once you make that initial contact, the potential costumers are more likely to check out your pins.

Having a separate board for products is a great way to introduce them, also note that the picture automatically links back to the page where it came from- making it easier for a costumer to buy that product.

In this current economy any type of networking is good- especially when it’s free and has the potential to go viral. Why not try it out, see what you like about it and make it work for your company. Every industry uses social media in a different way in order to benefit their needs, hopefully these tips will help you on that path.

Stay tuned for the next two articles in this series: “Making Facebook Work for You” and “Not Every Tweet is a Good Tweet.”

Nanny Diaries: Fart Sounds

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When you are a baby very weird things will make you laugh. Maybe someone falling causes a laugh attack, a sip of water gone bad, or the occasional fart sound.

I’m talking about the ones coming from your mouth people.

It all started on a strange day, the clouds were hanging low in the sky…the baby was screaming. Okay, so it was a normal day for me.

The parents had recently discovered that my baby was laughing, laughing a lot in fact. However, he was not laughing a lot for me..and as I’m sure you all will agree… I am hysterical.

This whole crying and not laughing wasn’t really working for me.

So I decided to test out a few of my better known comedy acts. I played peek-a-boo..nothing, walked down imaginary stairs…not even a smile, I dove up and down, swung back and forth…still not so much as a peep. My heart was breaking.

Then, in an act of defeat, I stuck out my tongue and blew a raspberry (a childish taunting, yes, but it was deserved after all of my attempts).

He lost his mind, not only did he literally pee himself laughing (okay maybe it was from eating or because he pees every three seconds) but he tried to copy me. It was genius!

I should’ve known from the start, he is a boy after all. Of course making fart sounds would get his attention!

The only issue was the actual mother of my baby was against teaching him how to make fart sounds…the father however encouraged it.

Yes, the father and I are now plotting on how we can drive the mother insane with baby fart sounds.

I’m having a midlife crisis

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Before you start in, I realize I’m only 23 so technically this might not be the normal midlife crisis stage (unless I only live to be 46, in which case I’m right on target). 

I woke up the other day feeling like someone had piled stones on top of me. I couldn’t catch my breath, so I hit snooze.

Since September I’ve been hitting the snooze button on my life. I became a nanny because I wanted something easy, I didn’t want to think about a career or my future. I wanted money to pay the rent, and work I couldn’t take home.

Both of which I got.

After four months of 12 hour days with a baby who cries more than Jenna Burke I’m finally quitting. My excitement of being done was quickly forgotten once I realized I have no idea what I want to do next.

Remember when people used to ask you “What do you want to be when you grow up?” My answer was always a princess, a singer, an actress…basically all the things a little girl was expected say.

Well, princess as a career isn’t looking too hot right now, and my stifling fear of being in front of an audience doesn’t make singer or actress seem too appealing anymore. So what’s a girl to do? After trying on so many different “career hats” (yes I will let you borrow that cheesy term) I have no idea which one fits best.

Usually it hasn’t been a problem to find what was next. I’ve always been lucky enough to be thrown into some new big adventure, either with a job offer or literally stumbling over something fun, none of which I was ever qualified for but somehow seemed to land.  But since graduating I feel like I’m losing my network, and that horrible sense of aloneness is taking over. That feeling of fighting unemployment by yourself; the fictional princess trying to tackle a great big dragon without her army of knights.

I realize I’m not the only one in this predicament, I know at least 10,000 other college graduates are wishing they had gone for their masters instead of a real job. But I still can’t shake this feeling of fighting an uphill battle all alone.

Where are my troops? and shouldn’t there be a number I can call for some backup?