bizcoachdawn :: Small Business Success Coach | Pinterest Strategist | Pinterest Consultations & Pins - Success when you want it NOW, knowing exactly how

I’m not mobile yet. Sorry about that. But my competition is. Here’s their link.

May 7th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

Mobile is the way of the future, and business owners are starting to catch on. Smartphone sales have been going through the roof, and, as of a few weeks ago, they outnumbered sales of other types of mobile phones for the very 1^st time (Computerworld)

If you read my last blog post, you already know that by 2014 (at the outside) the use of mobile devices to access the internet will surpass the number of desktop systems being used to jump online. You also learned that 93% of consumers now use their smartphones at home, and not just when they’re on the go.

What that means for business is very clear – if you don’t establish a mobile presence soon, you might as well put a giant graphic on your homepage that says ‘I’m not mobile yet. Sorry about that. But my competition is. Here’s their link‘. Not exactly what you had in mind? Good. It shouldn’t be.

So then the real question is how will you take your business mobile? You owe it to yourself to do enough research to find out what’s involved and what’s required: Do you just duplicate your current website and put it on a mobile platform? Do you need something entirely new that will take a long time and a lot of money to build? Is it necessary to buy a mobile domain and pay for mobile hosting? What’s your next move exactly? The list goes on.

Getting the Right Perspective on Mobile Websites

Mobile websites are designed for rapid response, because mobile visitors expect immediate access to important information about your business – like who you are, what you do, where you’re located, and how to reach you. The focus is on ‘just the facts, thanks’ as opposed to ‘I want to know everything about you’.

Think about a mobile website in the same way you experience a new book on Amazon, where you ‘click to look inside’ to get enough of a feel for the content, to decide whether you want to buy it or not. Or like watching the trailer for a movie, compared to seeing the whole film in a theater.

Remember that the screen on a mobile device is small, and that your mobile visitors have a different objective from your desktop or tablet users. Content is minimal compared to a standard site or blog, and it’s intentionally different.

The goal of a mobile site is to create easy and instant engagement with mobile customers. Its value is in its ability to market your business in very direct ways, so that people understand what you have to offer as soon as they land on your mobile homepage.

What can you do with a mobile website?

The simple answer is guarantee that your business gets seen by any potential customer with a mobile device, including those in your local area. You can run text–to-win campaigns, featured promotions, mobile sales, giveaways and push notifications, just to name a few opportunities.

And you can do it all without interfering with your regular desktop site, having to buy a .Mobi domain, paying for additional mobile hosting, or (in most cases) worrying about plugin conflicts affecting your blog. Depending on your level of skill and time availability, you can put a mobile site together yourself, or pay someone to do it for you.

The features you’ll have available will vary, depending on the site creation tool being used , and whether it is a standalone mobile site, or one designed for a specific platform like WordPress.

Minimally, a mobile site will be smartphone/iPad/iPod touch compatible, have a choice of themes, backgrounds and colors, offer multiple menus, pages and social connection options, handle different forms of media (like videos and animations), allow for tap-to-call and tap-to-email, and provide multi-language support.

More robust mobile marketing websites offer additional features like interactive maps and directions, social calls to action (Like us on Facebook), opt-in and lead capture forms, image galleries, discount coupons, support for custom backgrounds, logos and images, slideshows, Google Analytics integration, and SEO optimization.

Dedicated mobile marketing websites also lend themselves to customized apps specifically created for business. These include things like mobile text messaging, food ordering, mobile shopping carts, loyalty programs, mobile reservations, QR codes, advanced social network and mailing list integrations, campaign monitoring and so on.

In other words, you can do a lot to create and engage more customers than you have now.

The most important thing you need to consider when taking your business mobile

This may sound like a contradiction, but when you’ve heard and read enough about why your business should go mobile, hit the PAUSE button, because the next decision you make will have a direct impact on how well and how easily you’ll be able to connect with your mobile audience in the future. When it comes to mobile, you have to think in terms of ‘down the road‘.

Down the road, you’ll want the flexibility to pump up the volume with mobile customers, so they are enticed to buy what you’re selling right away, and eager to become part of your community. To put it another way, you want to build a mobile site that’s scalable to your growing needs, so you’re not paying through the nose later on to add more bells and whistles.

Like many other situations in life, it’s better to have and not need, than to need and not have. Do your homework, be prepared with information you need to make an informed decision, and get started. There’s precious little time to waste, if you plan to get the edge on your competition. And believe me, they’re thinking about mobile right now, just like you are .

Did you find this post helpful? Please share it on Twitter or any of the other social platforms below. Of course, your comments and feedback are always welcome.

Until next time!

Brought to you by Dawn Lanier

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Small Screen, Big Benefits: 8 Great Reasons to Have a Mobile Marketing Website

April 30th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

If the thought of having a mobile marketing website to promote your business has crossed your mind lately, there’s a good reason. Actually, quite a few of them.

First, in case you hadn’t noticed, mobile devices are everywhere. We see them in the hands of people on the streets, in cars and buses and trains and planes.

They’re portable and fun and hip and engaging. And every single person who owns one has searched, shared, bookmarked or purchased something from their mobile device.

The people who benefit the most are the savvy business owners who have a mobile marketing website in addition to their regular site or blog. One that minimally:

Is formatted for smaller screens so the information is easy to see and read
Has a simple layout and effortless navigation
Gives you the ‘quick view’ of the business’ most valuable information
Features specials, deals and promotions on the opening page
Offers one-touch ways for immediate contact by phone and email
Makes a map and directions available (as appropriate)
Allows for social media connecting and
Keeps it short, sweet and to the point

Think having a mobile marketing website is just for household name brands? They’d love it if you kept thinking that way, so they can have all the fun and keep raking in the profits.

The real truth is that the mobile market is open territory for any business that’s smart enough to act on the opportunity to reach more customers. Those that get ahead of the curve early will be in the best position to attract a broader audience, and make more money.

8 Compelling Reasons Your Business Needs a Mobile Marketing Website

By 2014, more people will access the Internet from a mobile device than from a desktop computer (Microsoft Tag). For all intents and purposes, that’s right now.
Mobile phones are no longer just for people on the go – 93% of consumers use their smartphone at home (dudamobile). 93% is a huge amount, making it clear this is trending.
Mobile search increased by a whopping 500% in the two years between 2010 and 2012. (Econsultancy). Sooner or later your site will be accessed by a mobile device, if it hasn’t been already.
70% of desktop searches lead to an action within 1 month while 70% of mobile searches lead to an action within 1 hour. (Social Media Today). Think about that. One hour. How often do your marketing efforts net results that quickly?
Mobile sites produce an average 75% higher rate of engagement (revenue, page views, etc.) per visit for mobile users. (dudamobile)
Mobile devices generated over $750 million in sales over the five-day Thanksgiving 2012 holiday. (Marketingland). There’s a reason to give thanks!
Roughly a third of all web searches have local intent. 95% of smartphone users have searched for local information. Of these, 61% called a business after searching, 59% visited in person and 90% acted within 24 hours. (Google, themobileplaybook.com). This is good news, since all business is local, including yours.
In 2012, over 2/3 of Facebook and Twitter traffic came from mobile devices. Mobil promotions are no longer optional (Google, 2012). Of course, Google would know.

What’s Wrong with My Regular Website or Blog?

Nothing – unless you ignore the fact that the standard site isn’t formatted for mobile, and you fail to make yours mobile friendly. What you can see and easily navigate on a desktop computer with a 17″ screen is NOT going to offer the same experience on a smartphone or tablet where the screen is significantly smaller.

If you think I’m kidding, just visit your site from a smartphone or use this tool to see what your customer sees. The difference is striking compared to the desktop version. Sure you can see it, but you’re going to spend a lot of time scrolling, and zooming in and out.

You’re going to have to wait a while for pages to load. Some images may be missing. Flash widgets and scripts won’t work. Navigation becomes a chore. Not a pretty picture. How long does it take for someone to get frustrated with all that, and decide it’s not worth the energy?

And then there’s this:

57% of users say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly-designed mobile site, and 40% have turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience (Google, themobileplaybook.com)

The thought leader Peter F. Drucker once said:

The purpose of a business is to create a customer. The two things most crucial to its survival are marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results. Everything else is a cost.

A mobile marketing website makes your business accessible to an enormous audience you wouldn’t reach otherwise, and gives you a leg up on the competition who didn’t get the memo. It’s an important investment in your future success.

Once your mobile marketing website is in place, you can add apps, text messaging and promotional campaigns to the mix, further extending your brand. It makes good business sense because, after all, your customers are mobile. Shouldn’t you be too?

Share your thoughts. Do you have a mobile marketing website? Are you thinking about getting one? What would make you decide to get one for your business?

If you found this helpful, share a tweet about it.

Another small business tip brought to you by Dawn Lanier

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5 Free Engagement Apps and Plugins to Rock Your Blog

April 11th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

Good Finds that Will Make your Blog Stand Out from the Crowd

Stand out from the Crowd: 5 Great Apps & Plugins to Rock your Blog

Listen to this post

WPtouch mobile plugins

There’s no doubt in my mind that every WordPress blog needs mobile capabilities. WPtouch comes to the rescue by solving that sticky little matter of not being able to see and appreciate your blog while looking at it from a mobile device.

If you haven’t given any thought to reaching your mobile audience, now is probably a good time to get with the program. Look at it like this – most of your customers have a cell phone or mobile device that lets them read email. You’re sending out newsletters, special promotions and upcoming event notices to your list all the time. And every last one of them has links to your site, social networks and other online resources.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that your current non-mobile ready blog looks like total crap (comparatively) on a cell phone compared to your desktop, because it’s hard to read. Best case scenario, your customer will wait until ‘later‘ to read your message. Worst case scenario, they get back to it in a few days, maybe.

The WordPress plugin WPtouch formats your blog posts so they can be seen perfectly on a mobile device like an iPhone, iPod touch, Blackberry OS6 or Android phone. You can customize the appearance with different themes, put post summaries on your front page, add your site navigation, have twitter integration, and let people message you without needing any technical knowledge to put it all together.

Using the plugin does not interfere with the look, feel or functionality of your regular blog. When your customers see your blog is mobile ready, they won’t wait until ‘later’ to read that great post that was in your email. Engagement is immediate, commenting is easy and everyone wins.

Tint provides a cool new way to add a little flair to your blog by pulling in the ‘social’ you.. The app creates the equivalent of a social feed where you can feature your latest activities on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and/or your RSS ticker.

Tints are mobile optimized so they’re easily viewable from a mobile device. Anyone viewing your tint can click on what’s featured, and share it on whatever platforms you have included in your tint.

There are several plan options. The free version allows you to connect 2 social platforms. The ‘Plus’ version for $10/mo gives you 5 and the ‘Pro’ for $39/mo gives you 10 tints. Of course, the better your plan, the more bells and whistles you get. All come with analytics so you can track what’s trending with your visitors.

Note: You have to register on Tint first to set up your networks. The ‘embed’ option will explain the simple setup for your blog or website. To use it with WordPress, you will need the plugin, which can be found here. You can put your tint in a sidebar or use it on any page of your blog.

If you’re adding great content to the social networks you connect and creating engaging blog posts, you’ll have a captive audience when you put the two together. It practically guarantees more engagement, more prospects and ultimately, more customers. The best part is that all this will be happening on your site, which is exactly what you want. You can take a look at mine here.

SoundGecko is a ‘change of pace’ app that allows your blog visitors to listen to your posts instead of reading them. Using text –to-speech technology, male and female voices ‘speak’ your content, so all one has to do is focus on what’s being said. The app can actually be used to echo several things, including news, websites, and other forms of long text documents

SoundGecko lets you multitask everywhere – while you drive to work, ride public transportation or exercise at the gym. All that’s necessary is to copy and paste the URL to the site you want to hear and within a few moments, you’ll get the soundtrack played back to you.

Site owners just need to add the widget code, customize what you want your ‘listen’ button to say, place the code in your post and you’re good to go. FYI: You have to publish your post before you can listen to your post. While not perfect, the voice quality is better than most text-to-speech applications I’ve tried, which was a pleasant surprise you can download the WordPress plugin here

Give it a try – just click on my ‘listen to this post‘ button above and judge for yourself. There are free and pro versions ($ 2.45/mo for the pro). The only difference between the two is that the free one allows you to have one station and hear 30 articles per day, while the pro offers unlimited recordings and 100 custom stations. Can’t beat it for price or convenience, and your visitors will think you’re pretty cool =)

nRelate is designed to both increase your site traffic and make you money. Their unique system combines internal links, partner links and sponsored content links to keep your customers engaged.

Their most popular posts widget displays what’s hot on your site and offers flexible, detailed customization, and revenue sharing for sites of any size. You can use it as long as you have a self-hosted WordPress site. The plugin can be installed directly from their site.

Most of the time you’ll put the widget directly below your latest post, in the ‘no miss’ position to encourage visitors to stay on your site longer to read what else you have to say. It’s a great opportunity for them to get comfortable with you, trust you, and think about getting more involved with you and your business.

vCita app vCita offers a suite of tools that help you get your customer’s attention, including a customized contact form, self-service online scheduling and basic invoicing in their free version. Paid versions have more extensive capabilities, and range between $16 and $24/mo.

There are ~ lots ~ of additional features, even in the free version, such as a ‘Let’s Talk’ plugin,, customized fields, colors and labels, email notification of every request, unlimited requests, calendar view, easy reschedules, client reminders and a bunch of others.

This tool easily boosts client engagement, management and retention. It not only makes ‘reach out and touch’ much easier, it does it in a slick trendy interface that will make you smile.

Now it’s your turn to pump up the volume on your blog engagement. I’ve already added Tint and the Listen widget to mine. So go ahead – browse through my posts on Tint and/or listen to this one while you’re here. Of course, your comments and shares are always welcome too!

I’m Dawn Lanier and I wrote this post with you in mind.

Do you use any of these? Could you see yourself adding any of them to your site? Tell me what you think. BTW: If you found this post useful, would you share the love?

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The Pinterest Blog Hop

April 2nd, 2013

Dawn Lanier

Grow your Pinterest Followers from Your Blog

Pin photo credit: © Alex12345 | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

If you’re using Pinterest for business, then you already know it ‘takes a village’ to really grow your niche following.

You can link to a specific pin in a post on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+ until the cows come home, but you’re more likely to get likes and repins, than people who actually follow all of your boards.

However, when you write a blog post related to Pinterest and put that on your social networks, your fans, followers and connections are likely to read and share what you have to say.

People are still learning how to use Pinterest, so any information you can offer that helps the cause, gets a fair amount of attention.

To grow your brand on Pinterest, you need lots of people to follow you, and you need to be following lots of people. Chances are whoever reads your blog post about Pinterest is already using the platform themselves.

Like you, they’re looking for new people to follow, and to get followed back. If you could give them that opportunity while they’re on your site, you’d be providing a ton of value.

How to Join the Pinterest Blog Hop

I’ve found a way to make it easier for all of us to discover new people to follow, and for them to discover us. It’s something you can add directly to your blog, which will also boost your on-site engagement.

The steps are as easy as 1, 2, 3. To join in this Pinterest Blog Hop, just:

Go to the end of this post where it says ‘You’re next. Click here to enter’ You’ll be able to add your Pinterest profile information on the next page, which will open in a new window.

To also share the Pinterest Blog Hop on your site:

After you’re done, follow the link to ‘grab the code’, which you can then embed in your own blog. Save the code in Notepad or some other text editor for future use.
When you write your next Pinterest post, add the code in your blog’s HTML editor where you want it to appear.

That’s it. Once you publish your post with the code, everyone who adds their info to this site’s linky list, will also show up on your blog. As your visitors add their Pinterest info, the list updates on your blog, my blog, and other blogs sharing the same code. I’ve made the list random, so we all get equal exposure.

Two quick notes:

On the submission form, link it to your Pinterest URL – http://pinterest.com/YourPinterestUsername/
It’s best to upload the same image you use for your Pinterest profile directly from your computer. It should not be larger than 120 x 120 pixels. Choose the option ‘let me crop my own image’ and ‘from file’

So welcome to the Blog Hop! Get more visibility for your brand by entering your information below. Hope you’ll get to meet lots of new people, visit great boards and gain a bunch of new followers as the Hop gets shared across our networks. Be sure to pass the word, and of course, have fun! Oh – Don’t forget to follow all my boards on Pinterest too – I’m at pinterest.com/bizcoachdawn

FYI: Adding the Blog Hop code to your site is optional. My primary goal here is for us to connect on Pinterest. That said, feel free to add your profile information – it only takes a few minutes.

Do you have friends or fans on Facebook who can benefit from the Pinterest Blog Hop?

Are you active on Twitter? I’d appreciate it if you’d Tweet This

Do you like this idea? Let me know what you think. Thanks for visiting!

Written By Dawn Lanier

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Daily Abundance: Remember How it Felt?

March 19th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

Photo Credit: Waves of Gratitude

Ever notice how easy it is for kids to show their abundance? The toddler that crawls closer to you from across the room, then stops and flashes the biggest smile you ever did see. The Little Leaguer who slides onto home plate for the first time who jumps up and yells ‘YES!’ The excitement in the eyes of the little girl who sees the bike she’s wanted forever sitting outside her door.

You’ve seen it before – that wonderful mix of surprise, glee and gratitude that’s all rolled into one small face. If you’re watching, you can almost taste their joy, and your soul is uplifted by the abundance you’ve just witnessed. And in that moment, everything is just perfect, and you couldn’t ask for anything more.

Abundance can Also Be Found in What You Remember

When I saw this graphic today, it took me back to the times I had SO much fun swinging, and all was definitely right in my world. I loved swinging, mostly because I could do it by myself, even if none of my friends were outside. I’d start out slow, and then rock myself back and forth, going higher, then higher, and higher still.

I felt completely free, like anything was possible. There were no limits, no troubles, nothing blocking my way. I could even be Super Woman if I wanted to! And of course I did, if only for a little while. I could barely hear the everyday sounds of people talking, cars passing by or sneakers fighting it out with the asphalt while the older boys played basketball not far away.

Yup, I was living in abundance alright – happy, receptive and fully satisfied. That is until the next day, when I could recreate the feeling all over again .

Remember how it felt to swing as high as you could. How from there, you thought maybe you could reach the sky. That part of you still exists within you.

Knock, knock. Who’s there? It’s me – your abundance. Just like old times.

#dailyabundance is a series of thoughts on the path to Plenty. If you’re trying to attract more, and a daily dose of inspiration will help, follow #dailyabundance here and on Pinterest.

Did this post resonate with you? Then Tweet This to your friends.

What do you remember that brings back your feeling of abundance? Share your thoughts below.

Written By Dawn Lanier

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Who Should you Follow on Pinterest? Check your Email

March 13th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

Photo Credit: © Ronfromyork | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Pinterest is no different from other social media platforms – you have to follow to be followed.

The good news is you may not have to look much further than your inbox to get off to a good start. It could be that you’re sitting on a mini goldmine of potential customers that are literally right under your nose.

Assuming you’ve set your Pinterest email notifications to ‘ON’ when someone likes your pin(s), repins your pin(s) or starts to follow you (or your individual boards), then Pinterest will send you a message whenever someone takes an interest in your content. Just go to Settings and click on ‘email settings’ next to your email address to make sure you have these features turned on.

As a savvy business owner, you’re creating Pinterest boards and adding pins that specifically target your niche. In fact most of your boards and pins will be focused on reaching your target audience (you ARE doing that right?).

The point of the exercise, of course, is to reach your ideal customer by providing valuable information in the form of pins on a regular basis. He or she will notice you, like what you offer and follow you. One good turn deserves another, so you follow back and then find ways to start a conversation.

Finding People to Follow in Your Pinterest Email

If your content is truly resonating with people who can use your product or service, then it stands to reason you’ll find a potential customer or great contact somewhere in the group of folks who took an interest in you. Or maybe you’ll discover a bunch of them. Either way, it’s worth further investigation.

Further investigation is not complicated, especially if you set aside time at the end of the day to review your notifications. The idea is to quickly scan through each message to identify people who might be in your niche, and who are active on Pinterest.

Look to see what pins or boards are grabbing their attention. If it’s something niche specific, take it as a good sign. In the case of someone who repined several of your pins, you’ll be able to see their profile picture and the number of pins and boards they have.

If their numbers look promising (preferably thousands of pins), be sure to check out their profile, boards and other social media platforms. Are you impressed? Follow them, like and/or repin their content, and carry the connection over to Facebook or Twitter. That puts you on the path to building a good relationship.

Do the same for people who have followed all or some of your boards, and those who’ve liked multiple pins. At the very least, like, repin or comment on something of theirs, to show appreciation for their acknowledgement of you.

Play nice with others and remember that ‘thank you’ goes a long way. Make the extra effort. Say hello sooner rather than later. People like that, remember that, and respond to that.

Are there other ways to find followers on Pinterest? Sure there are. Should you explore those options too? Absolutely. But why overlook email, the one destination you’re guaranteed to check several times a day, where pre-qualified leads ‘show up’ for free? When you think about it, it’s a no-brainer.

I’ve gained hundreds of Pinterest followers who have also connected with me on other social media platforms using this simple strategy. In fact, I’m meeting with someone who found me on Pinterest (and then Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) in the next few days.

You can do the same thing, and you should. A few extra minutes of your time could lead to your next perfect customer. Since I know you’re ‘in it to win it’, don’t mind me if I just smile when you share your good news. I’ll be waiting

Did you find this post useful? Tweet This to your tribe.

Need to know more about how to use Pinterest or have a need for quality niche pins? Let me help – it would be my pleasure.

So tell me, do email notifications help you find new people to follow on Pinterest? Share your thoughts below.

Written By Dawn Lanier

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Daily Abundance: Cause There’s A Spark in You

February 28th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

Cause there's a spark in you #dailyabundance

Photo Credit: Inspirational-Images on Tumblr

Abundance isn’t always automatic, even if you fill your day with gratitude. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, a big yellow post-it that says STOP, from out of the blue. It can dampen your spirits, slow you down, and even make you feel defeated.

You know that experience – the one where all of a sudden the flying monkeys show up out of no where and try to ruin your day.

You may stumble, start to topple over, maybe even fall, but at ANY point you can decide to say ‘You know what? This is NOT my path today or any other day. I am outta here!’

The logic is simple – you know your abundance isn’t in that space. Feeling defeated and feeling abundance are mutually exclusive. You can’t mentally stand in both places at the same time. You have to choose ONE. You might as well make it the one that’s best for you.

So the hell with the curve ball. Look that puppy dead in the eye, decide what you’re going to do with it, then throw it in the direction away from where you’re headed. You’ve got a date with your abundance today, and better plans. End of story.

Your Abundance is Always There

… Cause there’s a spark in you. You just gotta ignite the light. And let it shine.

#dailyabundance is a series of thoughts on the path to Plenty. If you’re trying to attract more, and a daily dose of inspiration will help, follow #dailyabundance here and on Pinterest.

Did this post resonate with you? Then Tweet This and share it!

How do you hold onto your abundance when life throws you a curve ball? Share your thoughts below.

Written By Dawn Lanier

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Daily Abundance: Thoughts on the Path to Plenty

February 27th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

Quiet as it’s kept, we’re all looking to attract or create abundance in our lives; that place where everything we want or need is plentiful, and there is no lack.

Many things are on our abundance wish list – happiness, love, health, wisdom, money, friendship, fun, laughter and success, just to name a few. Of course there’s more on the list, plenty more, if we let our imaginations run free.

The quest for abundance is about following a path. It is choosing to live in, and appreciate the fullness of your life. Replacing ‘if’ with ‘when’, expecting the rainbow, and knowing what could be already IS, but for the limiting beliefs you hold deep in your heart that no longer serve you.

And that’s the rub – all those ‘Yeah, but’ thoughts that interfere with getting to abundance. We think about having it all, and we can even see the end result in our heads. But its like we’re in a daydream, and often the feeling doesn’t last. The reason why is because we question, if not doubt, whether we really deserve to have abundance in our lives.

Abundance is all about Giving

And do we? I guess that depends – on our mindset and our behavior. Do we ‘do unto others’, look for the good, live in harmony, help because we can, respect the Planet, or pay it forward? Do we nurture, show compassion or live with an attitude of gratitude?

The questions fit because to receive abundance, you have to give; not to yourself, but of yourself. To receive abundance you have to accept you were born to be great, and you are here to contribute your best. And you have to know that your best is enough, even if you can improve on it.

Abundance is a feeling in the moment that says ‘I am full. I have plenty. And there is more’. To attract abundance, picture that feeling. Create that vision clearly in your mind, and know it is yours to claim. See it today, now, this minute, in the present tense; not off in the distant future.

Then go walk the path of that person who is happy and blessed and thankful. It doesn’t matter whether you take baby steps, first for a minute, then an hour, then a day. What matters is that you carry the feeling with you everywhere, and spread your joy. Abundance will find you when you trust it is there.

#dailyabundance is a series of thoughts on the path to Plenty. This entry is the very first. If you’re trying to attract more, and a daily dose of inspiration will help, follow #dailyabundance here and on Pinterest.

Did this post resonate with you? Then Tweet This and share it!

What are your thoughts on finding abundance? How do you create it in your life? I welcome your comments.

Written By Dawn Lanier

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Are you Pin Savvy? 6 Steps to Get You There on Pinterest

February 13th, 2013

Dawn Lanier

When you pin something from your blog to Pinterest, you want it to be perfect. After all, your pin represents you and your business, so you have to show.

You have to show because that perfect pin has a big job to do. What am I talking about? Your pin has to:

Catch the eye (be visually appealing, as in pin-teresting)
Be relevant (because you do want people in you niche to value it)
Send a message (it’s important for me to read this because …)
Define itself (the short version is …)
Be searchable (just in case somebody is looking for your topic) and
Leave a trail (back to your blog where visitors will find more awesome content)

The value of the Perfect Pin is that it helps establish you as an authority in your niche. Just like on other social media platforms, the more you feed the beast by sharing quality, informative content, the more influence you’ll gain. For most of us on Pinterest, slow and steady wins the race.

Just to be clear though, the Perfect Pin is all about presentation. It is the frame that holds the picture of your stellar content. Everything needs to be in its rightful place to make the best first impression.

The 6 Easy Steps to the Perfect Pin

Great content. It goes without saying that whatever you’re saying needs to resonate with your target audience. To have value, it should be something they need/want to know, will be glad they discovered, and worthy of their time. It should ‘speak’ to them, show an understanding of the questions or challenges they face, and provide an easy solution. Then the reader will be more inclined to share it with their network, which is your end goal.

A cool image. One that’s different, calls positive attention to itself, and hints at the story inside. Something that will make the visitor say ‘that looks interesting’ (or more appropriately (pin)teresting, because you want people to pin your content to their boards). Since we all make snap judgments (like ‘in a snap’) based solely on visual appeal on Pinterest, it’s important to make your graphics count.

A Catchy Title. Grab their attention with an intriguing title – whether that turns out to be a new twist on an old reality, a thought provoking statement, a really good question, a challenge or a dare. When you say the ordinary in an extraordinary way, people notice, and look closer.

A well written Description. Bring out your inner journalist. Give the nutshell version, selling the sizzle, not the steak. Tune into my channel WIIFM (what’s in it for me), so I get it right away. If you write your descriptions like a mini review, you’ll generate more (pin)terest.

Hashtags. Remember that Pinterest is also an enormous self contained search engine. People can, and do look for all kinds of information 24/7, hoping to find the Perfect Pin. A Perfect Pin will always define itself with a #hashtag. So if your post has to do with #socialmedia #branding #fashion #desserts #DIY or anything else, say so. If you don’t, your otherwise Perfect Pin won’t even show up when people search for your #topic.

Branding. Once you pin something to a board, it could literally end up just about anywhere. When it does that, you want your name or brand to be there too. Be sure to add your name or website URL to the graphic (skip the big bold letters – make your content the main draw). Also, add the direct link to your post (not your primary domain) to the tail end of your description. Most people will leave your original description in place when they repin.

That’s all there is to it. Now you can create a Perfect Pin every time!

By the way, if you have a Pinterest question or you need niche pins for your boards, let me know – I can help.

Is there something else you’d include in this list for the Perfect Pin? Share your thoughts below.

Written By Dawn Lanier

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Just a Thought
Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself.
James Allen