When Abbie Fink asked me how it went, I said, “It’s really fun talking Pinterest with 30 PR girls (and three guys).”

Because, as we all know, I LOVE PINTEREST!

Rather than talk to the room from slides, I had written down 16 ways to use Pinterest for PR and I walked around the room asking for examples for each.

I began the discussion by reminding everyone that using Pinterest is not a strategy. So I remind you of the same. These are fun ideas for using Pinterest at work (and feeding the addiction), but they should be used as part of a larger marketing or communication strategy.

I now give you those 16 tips.

1. Think visually first. Duh. It’s a site full of images. So, while I really do love Pinterest, if you can’t tell your story visually, it’s not the right place for you to spend time. An example we discussed yesterday is the Department of Transportation. While the group did come up with a few ideas their communication pro could use, all-in-all there isn’t much exciting about photos of asphalt.
2. No blatant promotion. We like to see a nice balance between your own boards and boards that highlight others. For instance, for our client Frank and Eileen, we have boards for their women’s and men’s shirts, but we also have inspiration boards.
3. Provide visual customer stories. We’re storytellers, which means we also need to know how to tell our story visually. The Chicago Bears do a nice job of this because they not only give you things to buy (clothes, merchandise), they tell a story of their history through photos.
4. Pin interesting things happening in your industry. And also invite others to contribute to that board. I am a contributor to a social media board and also to Meta Pinterest – Insights & Resources. This allows you to keep up on trends, statistics, and resources without doing all of the work yourself.
5. Think about your events, publicity stunts, and news conferences. About 10 years ago, I was in New Orleans for the first time. We were launching Over ‘n Out Fire Ant Killer. In order to tell a story and drive interest from TV stations, we created a New Orleans style funeral, complete with a singing minister and mourners, for the fire ant. I did a search and found some images so I may still pin them…10 years later!
6. You can pin videos. Most people do not know this, but you can pin videos. I started a Facebook question of the week board, just to see what would happen to views if I did. Turns out, a good number of people (in the top 10) come to our YouTube channel from Pinterest.
7. Put the “pin it” button on all of your web properties. I need to take this advice myself. I use Chrome so I have the “pin it” bookmarklet in my toolbar. Because it’s so easily accessible for me, I forget not everyone has the same. Just do it.
8. Articles, stories, and blog posts. Even though it’s a little bit self-serving, pinning articles, stories, and blog posts about your company also helps out the person who wrote it. You get to highlight some of the stuff others are saying about you and they get the benefit of increased traffic. Whole Foods does a nice job with this with their Favorite Books board.
9. Ask employees to create boards. Just like you want employees involved in your other social networks, ask them to create boards on the business page that showcase their talents, hobbies, and families (if they’re so inclined). Just make sure you have a couple of sentences in your social media policy about what’s cool and what’s not on Pinterest.
10. Blogs and websites you admire. I’m going to use Frank and Eileen as the example here again because I think my team does a nice job with this. They’ve pinned bloggers they love, based on the industry. So, for instance, they don’t have technology or social media bloggers pinned. They’ve pinned only fashion and clothing bloggers.
11. Best practices. I do this for my speaking engagements. Anytime I read something, or hear someone speak, and think, “Ah ha! I need to include that in a presentation,” I pin it. You can do the same for best practices you’d like to incorporate into your business world.
12. Key journalist’s stuff. This really goes hand-in-hand with tips eight and 10, but you can separate bloggers from journalists. The nice thing about pinning the work the reporters in your industry do, they can see who is driving traffic to their sites and so begins a relationship.
13. Trade shows and conferences. Just back from Counselor’s Academy, Martin Waxman introduced Sharypic to the group, which is a photo sharing site for conferences. I’d like to see a mash-up of Sharypic and Pinterest for PR pros. The conference will use Sharypic to combine all of the photos everyone at the conference tweets and you’ll pin the ones important to your boards.
14. Change descriptions with SEO in mind. This one drives me crazy. How often do you see a photo on Pinterest with the caption, “This is so cool!” What the heck is it?! People don’t search, “This is so cool!” They search, “Extra kitchen storage.” It’s easy to change the description. Make sure you do it so what you’re pinning is easily found.
15. Make sure links work. There is nothing more frustrating (on Pinterest, at least) than clicking on an image to buy it or a to make it and not finding the URL that has more information. If you’re pinning things that are going to drive back to your website or blog, make sure the links work!
16. MEASURE your efforts. It wouldn’t be a Spin Sucks blog post without measurement, now would it? One more example out of Frank and Eileen, because I have easy access to their analytics. In April, Pinterest was their number eight driver of traffic, which represents three percent new visitors. Of that three percent, 83 percent bought a shirt, representing $2,670 in revenue. Not too shabby for a few images on a cool new social network!

So there you have it. A nice big list of things you can do on Pinterest.

What else would you add?

Today’s guest post is written by Lisa Gerber.

I’ll never forget the day the Counselors Academy brochure arrived in the mail.

It was Jan 2009, and my PR business was almost five years old. I had been growing it every year in double digits and had added an employee in 2008.

And then it all hit the fan, and I lost about 40 percent of my business in one fell swoop, and let my one employee go.

It felt like I was back to square one.

I realized at the time, I knew a lot about PR, but I didn’t have a clue on running a PR business.

That’s when I opened the Counselors Academy brochure – a conference for agency CEOs and leaders about the business side of the agency.  I thought long and hard about it. At a time when I was to be implementing austerity measures, I was contemplating a fairly significant expense.

There are two reasons for this post:

1. I have drunk the Kool-Aid that is Counselors Academy and want to pass the glass around; and
2. Whether Counselors is for you or not, the idea of taking a risk, and investing in yourself and/or your business is an important one.

I carried that brochure around for four months before I finally registered. I knew it was exactly what I needed to do to bring my business to the next level but I was deeply concerned about seeing a return on the expense.

Well, it ended up being the smartest professional decision in my life.

Suddenly, I had access to agency leaders like I couldn’t imagine. I met smart PR pros who were more than happy to open their books, so to speak, and show me how to run a financially healthy firm. They shared percentage of billable hours, revenue per employee, and other things I was never exposed to.

And you know what? That’s outside of the actual sessions.

Agency coaches, attorneys in the creative industries, and other agency leaders all come to present and share expertise on stuff such as contracts, human resources, and how they grew their agency.

Here’s what really made a difference. I went in to this thinking everyone would wonder what little old me was doing there with my solo practice based in a small town in the mountains.

It turned out, people really loved what I was doing. You may not think you’re interesting or that you have a good story to tell, but you do. Sometimes you just need to pull yourself out of your element to find it.

Back to my points:

1. If you have an agency of one, 10, or 500, I can’t recommend Counselors Academy enough. I’ve met my closest friends and trusted advisors here, and can’t wait to return year after year. Registration is open now. It’s May 6-8 in New Orleans. In fact, Gini Dietrich and Jay Baer are co-keynoting the opening session. And…I get no benefit from sharing this with you, other than your eventual adulation.
2. Maybe Counselors isn’t for you, but something else is: Something you’ve been wanting to do and have held back. I wanted to raise the bar, and you can’t do that when you’re too focused on austerity measures.

The funny thing is, I met Gini on the first day of the first year I attended. She wrote about that here. I was very jealous because she had planned ahead and had had a road bike delivered to her hotel room.

A few years later, here I am, working with her as chief content officer. My long-range plan didn’t go as intended, but I got a better offer along the way – one I could not refuse.

And that is why, sometimes, you just have to go for it.

So? What are you sitting on? How do you want to raise the bar?

But this week I have a different video for you.

Johna Burke and I had a little chat about ethics at Counselors Academy in Las Vegas (well, really Lake Las Vegas, which is nowhere near the Strip) in May.

I know that was months ago, but she just posted it. Talk to her about it!

If you don’t know Johna, she works for Burrelles Luce and is one of the most hysterical people I’ve ever met. She’s witty, she’s smart, and she can flip words at you so fast you wonder if you heard her correctly (you did).

The Burson-Marsteller/Facebook imbroglio happened while we were at the conference this year. So we were all talking about ethics: Ethics in the clients we work with, ethics in handling issues and crises, ethics in our industry, and whether or not our trade organization is responsible for holding us accountable.

Imagine 200 leaders of PR firms in one room talking about what we each would have done differently had Facebook hired one of us to smear Google.

It won’t come as a surprise to you that I was pretty vocal about how unethical I thought the whole thing was so Johna asked me for 60 seconds on ethics.

She asked:

There’s a lot of talk about ethics with some of the current news events going on, and I would just like to get your perspective on how you educate and work with your clients and with your staff on how to be ethical in all of their activities.

My very short answer is below. See what you think…and see what you think about what I say when asked where people can find me. Apparently there is no such thing as an edit button.

We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week…so head over to Facebook and leave a question for me on our wall there.

We were there for Counselors Academy and I had flown down a day early to help my co-chair Ben Wheatley with whatever committee we were working on at the time. But, that first night, he had an executive committee dinner and I was stuck, alone, in the hotel.

He suggested I call Abbie to see if she wanted to have dinner with me.

Now, for those of you who know me, you know I’m an introvert. So for me to call a stranger, in her hotel room, and ask her to dinner was HUGE for me.

I am so glad I did.

Abbie quickly became one of my closest friends. She has a way about her that you’re immediately drawn to and a character that makes you want to do your very best.

She is vice president and general partner at HMA, a public relations firm in Phoenix. She is really active in her community, serving on the boards of Scottsdale Leadership, the Boys & Girls Club, and the Phoenix chapter of PRSA. She was this year’s Counselors Academy spring conference co-chair and she is the Phoenix champion for HAPPO.

I’m tired just typing all of that out…I’m going back to bed!

While HMA Time, the company’s blog, is written by everyone on staff, it has some definite themes. On Mondays they highlight a reporter, producer, editor, or blogger who is doing great work. On Tuesdays they provide a tip. On Wednesday they do a “what is” series (I wrote What Is Leadership a couple of months ago). And Thursdays and Fridays are free for alls.

You’ll be doing yourself a huge favor if you get to know one of my in real life BFFs. There is something for everyone!

You can follow her on Twitter, connect with her on LinkedIn, subscribe to and read their blog, like their company page on Facebook, or subscribe to their YouTube channel. YWRI.

The photo is of Abbie, Lisa Gerber, and me at this year’s Counselors Academy in Lake Las Vegas. You can tell which one is Abbie by the nametag.

Back then, I was intimidated as hell to go. As a small PR practitioner based in Sandpoint, Idaho, I assumed everyone would wonder what I was doing there.

I was there because, when I started my business, I had no idea what I was doing. I needed to learn the business side of running an agency. I arrived and discovered that everyone was excited I was there. I have since met and made some of my closest friends and confidants (Gini Dietrich as one perfect example). I learned a ton about the business, and in general, simply raised the bar in my professional life.

This year, as always, I packed my brain with thoughts and ideas in the almost three days full of breakout sessions, keynotes and round tables.

One overarching theme I wanted to share with you is this: Take money out of the equation. By doing what you love, with a staff  with whom  you enjoy working, and clients you enjoy, in a field that you enjoy, you will become a prosperous agency.

Some additional takeaways:

1. Hire people you want to work with and who fit the culture: Jen Prosek, of CJP Communications, and author of Army of Entrepreneurs, said you can find plenty of people with the right experience and resume, but discussed the importance of hiring for culture. Hiring those with an entrepreneurial spirit and nurturing a culture of ideas and growth helped her firm reach its goals.
2. Work with clients that make you an exceptional agency: Elise Mitchell of Mitchell Communications Group in Fayetteville, Ark., recently won PR Week 2011 Small Agency of the Year. Elise stressed the importance of selecting clients that fit your organization’s culture.  Don’t think about growth, think about being an exceptional agency. In order to become one, you need clients that will help get you there; clients with whom you make a cultural fit and treat with mutual respect. Those who allow you to do good work for them and get them the results they need.
3. Choose a niche that is something you are passionate about: In the same vein, Bret Werner of Catalyst Public Relations emphasized the importance of choosing your area of expertise. If you become a specialist at one thing, and “own that niche,” you can command top dollar. This becomes more efficient for you and your firm. Be selective in your new business pursuits. Only go after business you know you can win. Leave the time and energy to put into getting big ideas for the clients you love. Get rid of the clients that are a drag on your time, energy, and morale.

Of course, the end game here is growth, but I was enlightened to hear many of these leaders talk about concepts that don’t focus too heavily on the financials. The idea of doing good work, with good people, for good people can translate into a healthy bottom line was a refreshing thought.

Oh, and I won second place in the grammar, pronunciation, and usage contest. I did not get nearly enough pomp and circumstance for that, nor have I had enough validation in the past week.

To learn more about the discussions and sessions, follow #CAPRSA for tweets and other wrap-up blog posts.

Today’s question comes from Bob Reed, co-founder of Element-R, author of No Silver Bullet, and fellow Counselors Academy member

Is it permissible to post content to an open association Facebook page that is helpful, yet slightly promotional, without clearing it first? I have a client video that features one of its members using the client’s IT solution.

Bob, you may get other responses from the Spin Sucks community, but my advice is always to err on the side of caution. If you don’t know whether or not to get permission, get it.

I know we live in a real-time world where we don’t often take the time to get permission, but I’d rather see you take the time to get it and not be banned from their page than not get it and really make them angry. Just posting it on their page feels really douchecanoey to me.

Of course, the flip side of that is you have the client post it to their Facebook page and tag the association. That’s more comfortable and doesn’t require your having to get permission to do it that way.

Remember the social platforms are just that – social. So if it feels sales-y or douchey, you probably shouldn’t do it. That said, if you can figure out a way to highlight the software and the association without it being a sales opportunity, that’s where the magic begins. Providing value to the community should always be your number one goal. If this video does that both for your client’s and the association’s communities then do it. Otherwise proceed with caution.

What say you?

P.S. Don’t forget! If you have a question for us or want to pick my brain, head over to the Arment Dietrich Facebook wall and leave it there!

I created quite the stir on Saturday when I tweeted that “celibate” means “unmarried” and “forte” is actually pronounced “fort.” But my favorite is how do you pronounce “ghoti?” The answer is “fish.” You take the gh from enough (F), the o from women (I), and the ti from option (sh).  Rather tongue in cheek, but it’s a great representation of our language.

For our weekly Inside PR podcast, Martin Waxman and I took a few minutes to talk to Darryl and I got the interview on film, with me behind the camera. Watch here for insights on the English language, as well as a couple of resources you can read and/or listen to in order to better understand the mistakes we make daily.

Between riding the Blue Ridge Parkway, hitting mecca at Mast General (see photo), playing Sorry on a Saturday night with seven other PR pros, Club 461, dueling pianos, a 60s party, and crashing prom, we actually did quite a bit of work. The sessions that were of most interest were on social media, client engagement, business growth in a new economy, and creating a vision for your business.

Following are some nuggets of wisdom I found during my trip:

1. Agency leaders should create a vision that brings in all the senses to engage positive (anabolic) energy (Alan Cohen).

2. The easiest way to get a book published is to ask your peers to write one chapter each and compile them into something people want to read (Henry DeVries).

3. Culture, communication, and coaching should drive your business (Randy Hall).

4. You should sell social media ingredients instead of entrees (Jay Baer).

5. It’s important to hire for talent AND growth potential (Elise Mitchell).

6. Measure your social media efforts – work backward from what you are trying to make happen (Brian Solis).

7. Canadians are smarter than Americans at the English language as Dan Tisch proved when he beat all of us at Darryl Salerno’s English as a First Language.

If you have a few minutes to spare, read the tweet stream at #CAPRSA to find some additional nuggets.

If you run a PR agency and you don’t attend this conference, it’s a must. Mark your calendars for May 13-15, 20 2011 and we’ll see you in Vegas!

I wasn’t able to make it that first year, but I’ve been faithfully attending ever since and I have to say it’s one of the best things I’ve done in PR.

There are superb keynote speakers like psychologist Dr. Robert Cialdini or Robert Scoble. I first learned about social media at CA from Giovanni Rodriguez, who piqued my interest in the blogosphere and started my head swimming.

Whenever I leave a spring conference, I’m filled with fresh ideas, energized by the people and excited about our industry. It’s the highlight of my year.

Hope to see you there.

Gini’s Note: Ben Wheatley and I coordinated the breakout sessions for this year’s conference. We focused on finding the best of the best to discuss profitability, people, and potential, including other communicators, but also leaders from other industries.

See you in Palm Springs May 31-June 2!