Author: Brian Lee

How AEC Marketers Can Use Pinterest

Posted on by Brian Lee

pinterestPinterest is one of the fastest growing social media sites. In January 2012, Pinterest became the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark. The following month it broke into the top 30 websites in the country.

An increasing number of companies are turning to Pinterest to engage with their fans and ultimately drive traffic to their sites. Pinterest allows companies to create a visual representation of their brand by “pinning” content from around the web while integrating pins of their own products as well.

So how can AEC marketers use Pinterest? Here are some of the tips we came up with:

  • Pin photos of your firm’s buildings, designs, projects, etc.
  • Make sure to balance your firm’s photos with photos from other websites and blogs. Your pinboards are not supposed to be used solely for self-promotion.
  • If your company has a blog, make sure to pin any relevant images from the blog onto your pinboards. When users click on these images, they’ll be redirected straight to your blog.
  • Create other pinboards to keep track of inspirational photos, products you use and like, products you’d like to check out, materials, etc.
  • Add a full description of your company to the top of your page and include links to your other social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
  • Most importantly, make your pinboards fun and visually appealing!

Rowland Broughton-Architecture in Aspen, Colo., has a great Pinterest account to check out: http://pinterest.com/rowlandb/. Notice the ample categories, the stunning, high-quality photos and the lack of (obvious) self-promotion.

For a good example of what NOT to do, take a look at Hammers Construction’s account: http://pinterest.com/tuknov/hammers-construction/. Notice how the company has only pinned photos of buildings it has made without integrating any outside media sources into its site, plus it didn’t categorize the photos.

For AEC marketers, Pinterest also has the opportunity to change the way you exchange ideas with your clients. The site is rumored to be adding private pinboards that are not available for the public to see in the very near future. This will allow you and your client to create private pinboards to exchange ideas and inspiration for current projects.

With a little bit of creativity and planning, Pinterest can be a great tool for promoting your company. Get out there and start pinning!

— This post was also published on the SMPS Wisconsin website.

Standing up for Beef Products, Inc.

Posted on by Brian Lee

Dear Eldon Roth, Regina Roth, Jeff Carlson and others at Beef Products, Inc.:

This is not a battle you have to fight by yourself. Let us be your partner in helping to educate the public that your product is 100 percent beef and most importantly, safe.

We’ll roll up our sleeves and work with you on messaging strategy and crisis communications through media relations and social media efforts. The tide is against you now, and you’ll drown unless you act soon.

Together, we’ll regain the public’s trust and restore the image of Beef Products, Inc. Give us a call.

Sincerely,

Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media

Capital Campaign Will Help FEED Kitchens Break Ground This Year

Posted on by Brian Lee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2012

Contact: Ellen Barnard
(608) 576-3734

Capital Campaign Will Help FEED Kitchens Break Ground This Year

(MADISON, Wis.) – The Northside Planning Council is seeking to raise the remaining $775,000 needed to construct and open its Food Enterprise and Economic Development (FEED) Kitchens project later this year.

Funds already committed for the food business incubator to be located on the north side could be lost if new commitments are not raised by August 1, according to FEED Kitchens Chair Ellen Barnard.

“For FEED Kitchens to help people grow their businesses and gain job skills, we need to clear this last hurdle,” Barnard said. “All donations go into helping our local economy.”

The facility is a self-sustaining commercial kitchen for non-profit and for-profit use. Madison College, REAP Food Group, local caterers and food cart vendors are among the groups already signed up to use FEED Kitchens.

In addition to helping individuals gain job skills, FEED Kitchens anticipates 25-35 full-time food-related jobs will be created each year that the facility is open.

The Madison Community Foundation, Madison Gas & Electric, A Woman’s Touch, Webcrafters Inc., City of Madison Community Development Block Grants and Buy Local-Buy Wisconsin have already made financial commitments.

The Food Enterprise and Economic Development (FEED) Kitchens will provide tools to help youth and adults who are disadvantaged, unemployed or underemployed develop skills that move them toward self-sufficiency. FEED will reduce hunger and increase the availability of healthy local food by providing organizations serving the hungry, gardeners and farmers a place to process excess produce that would otherwise end up in a landfill or compost pile. For more information, please visit www.feedkitchens.org.

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