Scott is Chief Storyteller for 123Print UK, an online print company who are determined to help British Businesses grow. He regularly writes content on social media, branding and public relations and has achieved coverage in many publications.
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Well, today is the day that our good old monarch Queen Elizabeth II celebrates overtaking Queen Victoria as the longest serving monarch in British history. This truly is a time of patriotic reflection and we should all be showing our respect to the Queen by eating as much breakfast cereal as possible.
No, you haven’t mis-read and no, I haven’t had a funny turn. Kelloggs, in all their patriotic glory, have brought out some new, limited edition ‘Queen Flakes’ to honour Queen Elizabeth’s reign. This really is a stroke of marketing genius that we all wish we’d thought of first (well, a printing company bringing out a limited edition breakfast cereal would be a bit odd but you get the picture).
A spoonful of this regal brekkie would treat you to some fabulous gold leafed cornflakes with edible diamonds and pearls. Also: as if that wasn’t enough, it also includes macadamia nuts (a favourite of the Queen!). YUM!
However, before you grab your coat (or robe!) and head out in your carriage to your nearest supermarket to buy these royal delicacies, don’t! They’re only available at Manchester’s Black Milk Cereal Bar and can be yours for a cool £6.30 per bowl.
Think you’re a movie buff? Each of these posters is for a movie from the 80’s, guess them correctly and you could be in with a chance to win a 30″ x 40″ canvas of your choice from The Creative Canvas Company website.
Do you have any film images that you think would be good as a canvas or poster? Let us know in the comments.
Since starting up in 2010, Pinterest has gone from strength to strength. Nowadays, many businesses both small and large are choosing to venture in the world of Pinterest, using the social platform for both personal and business use.
When I first started to use Pinterest from a business perspective, I will admit I was more than a little sceptical. How can Pinterest, a platform that allows its users to pin images to a virtual pin board, be any better at driving website traffic than its older cousins Facebook and Twitter?
Well, in a nutshell, Pinterest allows you to open up your business to a whole new range of potential clients and customers. Not only can customers re-pin what you have pinned to one of your boards, but you can also add your company website to each pin so that potential customers can access it, no matter where the original pin ends up!
That’s great but… is there anything I need to remember when I’m using Pinterest?
As with all social media platforms, Pinterest has it’s very own quirks and differences that make it stand out from the rest. Don’t worry, however, because with these facts and tips you’ll be well on your way to Pinterest greatness!
To give you a little taste of the world of Pinterest, here are some statistics to get you started:
Know Pinterest’s Image Requirements
Before you begin to pin, you need to double check that your image fits with the Pinterest requirements. The standard requirements for a large thumbnail on a board is 222 x 150 pixels. For the smaller thumbnails this is reduced to 50 x 55 pixels.
Add your company website to your description.
Make sure that your customers can get to your website easily by adding a link to your description at the top of your Pinterest page.
It is also essential that you add your website link in each pin description too, this makes it easier for Pinterest users to find your website even if they don’t have time to visit your main Pinterest page.
Add a hover ‘Pin It’ button to your images.
Adding a hover ‘Pin It’ button to your images allows your customers to add images from your website to their own Pinterest boards, which is a great way to get your content out there! Click here for Pinterest’s very own easy to follow instructions on setting up your own hover ‘Pin It’ button.
Want your image to be clicked on more? Use a skinny pin!
‘Skinny pins’ are long, skinny images that require the user to click on them to see the full picture. Using these types of pins piques the user’s curiosity, so don’t be afraid to add a long, thin infographic to your board every now and again!
Take note of the best times to pin.
Like any other social media platform, Pinterest has optimum times to post. Adhering to these times as best you can gives you are higher chance of getting noticed!
Add a watermark to your images.
Adding a watermark or logo to your original images not only makes them look more professional, it also means that the image can always be linked back to your brand and website.
Explore Rich Pins.
Rich pins enable you to add topic-specific descriptions to the pin itself, making it quicker and easier for your target audience to get the information that they need. Rich pins currently come in five categories: film, recipe, article, product and place and are a great way to really connect with any potential customers by understanding their needs. For more information on rich pins, click here.
Remember that the majority of Pinterest users click on blogs & articles rather than retail sites.
Pinterest is, primarily, a place where people can go to look at things that interest and excite them. It is important to remember this when you are deciding what to pin from your website. Pinterest users want content that is going to inspire them and, yes, this could be your latest product. However, the most clicked on pins are content based ones such as blog posts or articles so it is worth keeping this in mind.
Invite others to a group board.
A group board does exactly what it says on the tin. It is a board that anyone (you can choose if they have to be invited or not) can pin to. This is an especially useful tool for business that want to connect more with potential customers over Pinterest. Here is an example of a group board:
When creating a group board, think about what your customers would be interested in that you can create a (not so) little Pinterest community around!
Create appealing content that you can pin.
Content on Pinterest should be a good combination of original and found content. Above all you should be looking to pin content that you think will be useful to your customers. So if you are a wedding business, for example, creating a pin board for bridal hair & make-up tips is something that your customer base would find useful and interesting.
Keep in mind how long Pinterest users spend pinning.
The average Pinterest user spends just 14.2 minutes pinning content that they think is useful to them. Make sure that your pins have impact so that you can make the best impression in such a short space of time!
Pinterest as a business is going from strength to strength, so don’t be afraid of using it to enhance and expand your potential customer base! If you have any questions regarding Pinterest, or you have some Pinterest tips of your own that you would like to share, let us know in the comments!
Have you ever wanted to know what your favourite movie characters are up to these days? Well, it’s lucky for you that a few of them have popped into our office and dropped off their business cards! (Note: Your favourite movie characters did not actually pop into our office and drop off their business cards, but for the sake of this post…)
Elsa
Do you wanna build a snowman? Well, actually Elsa has put her icy powers to practical use and can build you pretty much anything! Just give her a call from this handy business card (we cannot be held liable if you find yourself with a frozen heart, however).
Mr. L. Tramp
Fun, lovable and more than a little bit cheeky, and that’s just his business card! Charlie Chaplin’s ‘The Tramp’ character warmed the hearts of many in the early twentieth century with his mischievous grin and disastrous adventures. You may not trust the little tramp to do your odd jobs, but with a business card like this you’d have a hard time saying no – even if his trousers are a bit too big for him!
Miss T. Bell
A little sprinkle of fairydust helped to create this teeny tiny business card! Hire Miss T.Bell and all of your wishes will come true… (Maybe).
Mr. O.W. Kenobi
Worry not; Obi Wan Kenobi is here to take care of all of your jedi master needs. Are you having a pesky droid invasion? That’s one of his specialities! Or you could just take his business card and call him if anything comes up. This is the business card you’re looking for!
Mr. H. Potter
Mr H. Potter may solemnly swear to you that he is up to no good, but it has not stopped him from becoming the Managing Director of Wizards Inc! What they do we are not 100% sure, but we bet his office is a bit nicer than the cupboard under the stairs!
Mr. R. Dolph
Why use a boring delivery van when you can get your parcels delivered from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! No-one will be laughing or calling you names with this quick and speedy delivery service coming to town!
Shaun
Take car. Go to Mum’s. Kill Phil. Grab Liz. Go to the Winchester. Have a nice cold pint and wait for all of this to blow over. Or you could just take Shaun’s business card and give him a call if you need any assistance with the upcoming zombie apocalypse.
Edward S. Hands
What better way to make use of your creator dying before he had chance to finish off your hands than to become a hairdresser/gardener/ice-sculptor. He’s certainly putting those horrific deformities to use these days and with his business card, you will be able to get a terrific hair cut whenever you like! (Just don’t ask for a massage…)
Mr. Leon
Do you have a sensitive issue with your neighbour that requires the services of a professional ‘cleaner’? Or are your plants just in need of some love and attention? Well…just give Mr. Leon (second name mysteriously unknown) a call and he will cater to your needs – he promises to be discrete, just make sure you have plenty of milk in the fridge.
Photo credit: Black Milk Cereal Bar.
