Pinning is Winning!

Pinterest...it's the NEW craze that is sweeping the nation!

Started in 2010 by ColdBrewLabs.com, Pinterest is a collection of online vision board of sorts.  You can "pin" photos of inspiration to share with the world or just to keep your projects organized.  ColdBrew's motto is simply: "Cold Brew Labs builds products that inspire people to pursue their passions."  I agree! I fell in LOVE with Pinterest from the time I started using it and I am now an avid pinner along with my business partners.

In less than two years, Pinterest has quickly joined the ranks of the top 10 social media sites, boasting an impressive *11 million hits per week!  The company prides itself on offering a mobile app. via iPhones and also has a mobile website as well, so you can pin on the go!  According to comscore.com, in January 2012, Pinterest blew the world record for reaching the 10 million unique users level.  Pinterest now has 11.7 million users and it is growing rapidly, so if you're not pinning, you need to start!  It is one of the most addictive social networking sites right now and it is also a great tool to share your dreams and ideas.  I also have my clients using it to share with me their visions and goals.  It helps me understand how I can help formulate a plan to create an awesome event or to build their brand.

There are some heavy hitters that are investing in Pinterest and there is way more to come on the advertising front, but now is the time to get in on the ground floor!  You can currently sell products on Pinterest, which my company personally takes advantage of right now.

Want to see an example of how Pinterest can be used?  Check out my company's Pinterest page and follow our vision boards!  We love making new connections and partnerships!

OnyxQueen Media Pinterest Site

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Photo Credit: projectlauren.com
*According to Hitwise data by Expierian

Create a Window to Your Destination Wedding!

With destination weddings on the rise, it is becoming more and more important for couples to have a means for informing their guests of their upcoming wedding plans as well as provide recommendations for out-of-town guests.

Wedding websites allow your guests one-stop shopping when it comes time for them to arrange their travel plans as well as other details. You can be as specific as you wish and link your website directly to the hotel reservation pages that you would like to recommend to your guests.

You will find that having a website is not only a time-saver but a budget-saver as well. The multiple mailings that can sometimes become necessary to communicate with your guests can easily eat up a good portion of any wedding budget. Allowing your guests to RSVP online will also cut down on your wedding expenses. No need for RSVP cards! However, you can always order just enough for those guests who may not be web savvy.

Destination weddings have definitely become a way for couples to express their style in a less traditional way. If you choose to have your wedding in a destination location, try to make it a fun experience for you and your fiancé as well as for your guests.

Destination Wedding Tips

1. Location, Location, Location. When selecting a location, choose one that appeals to your tastes and wedding style. Keep in mind, however, that because it won't be as easy as going down the street to the local church to attend your wedding, you'll have to assume that your guest list may be smaller. You'll need to get a good sense about the number of attendees you wish to have before selecting your event facility so you can be confident that it will be appropriate for the crowd.

2. Less is More. Destination weddings can be expensive not only for those getting married, but also for those attending. Try to be mindful of that when selecting your wedding site so those who are closest to you can afford to attend. Consider having your wedding during the off-season so costs will be lower. Traditionally, accommodation expenses are covered for the bridesmaids by the bride's family and for the groomsmen by the groom's family. All other guests should be responsible for their own expenses. Most hotels will work with you to offer group discounts.

3. Assist your Guests. You may know the location that you will be flying off to for your dream wedding like the back of your hand, but most of your guests will not. Your wedding website can be a tool to help you educate your guests about the area, local attractions, accommodation ideas, the weather and directions. Making their job easier will only amount in a larger turnout at your wedding. Use your website to remind them of the things they may not consider such as a passport if required for your chosen location.

© 2012 Wedding Window. All rights reserved. 

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LATER FOR THE TWEETS!

Alright...I have another gem for all of you! I happened upon this program online that I love. For anyone that knows me...I am a self-professed Information Diva! I love learning and the web just seems to have it all at times. There is no excuse to be "not in the know". If you are a twitterer <~~yeah, I said it! A TWITTER-ER! LOL! You will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this! Read on...

Twaitter is a great application that allows you to delay your tweets. By delay, I mean, you can set tweets up ahead of time to go out anytime you want. Daily, Weekly, Monthly...whatever you choose, it is up to you.

If you are a business person, like myself, it is especially helpful! No need to sit around spending valuable time sending out repeated tweets about your business. Just sign into Twaitter.com using your Twitter ID and get started setting up your future tweets! It is really simple and once you get all of them set up, you never need to do it again, unless you need to make minor changes.

I have used a few other delayed tweet programs, but Twaitter has worked the best for me and I hope it does the same for you. Tweet on, Tweeties!

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Be An Innovator Not An Imitator!!!

MERCY, ME OH MY! I have had quite a day! My webmaster informed me that we have a "copy-cat" website out on the web. Oui Vey! I will spare you all the details, but we made friends with another person in the industry. We gave them advice and guidance on how we got started in the Event Planning Industry...etc...They were quite naive to the business and just getting their feet wet, so our natural tendency was to lend an ear and give advice. Not only were certain works of ours copied, but even our advertisements that we pay good money for, were robbed of their uniqueness.

I am not saying EBTT will not help and advise again, but we will be sure to confront these "creative copy cats" up front, from now on. Of course, there are some works that cannot be copyrighted, but this was BLATANT plagiarism at it's best! I guess we should be flattered, if the good Lord says so... ;) But the human side of me said we should nip this in the bud. So, nip it in the bud, we did! I feel better that we addressed the situation and now it is up to the other party to adhere, which we are trusting they will! SIGH...

Digital Millennium Copyright Act

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