By Emma Walter

Now that we’ve completed our search for a summer intern (in fact, Rachel just started), it’s already time to start the process of finding an intern for the fall semester. We received a lot of submissions for our summer internship position and while some were great, others fell flat. Here are some tips for making the most of your application by standing out to us WordWriters.

Follow directions

Our online description of the position is designed to help you succeed. We give you the steps needed to get us to notice your application. When a large pool of applications is sitting in front of us, we are left to weed through them anyway we can. If an applicant doesn’t do the steps we’ve laid out at the beginning, we won’t be able to consider them for the position. Being detail oriented in this line of work is a must, so following the steps we’ve given you on our job description is a great way to show us you are.

Show us you did your research

We’ve asked you to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog for you to get to know WordWrite better. Show us you’ve done your research in the materials you provide for your application. Keep your resume and cover letter tailored to the specifications of the position, and find a way to tie in some of the processes we use on a daily basis. We want interns who have a thirst for knowledge. Surprise us and show us what you’ve uncovered in your research.

Get our name right

One of the best ways to immediately lessen your chances for a job with us is to use a cover letter and resume that is blasted out to multiple locations and has generic information—or worse yet, has different company information listed. As mentioned above, it should be tailored to the specifications of the position for which you are applying. You may choose to use bits and pieces of another resume or cover letter in your materials, but be sure to get the name of the company and position right.

This also can be said for the person to whom you are sending your information. If the application guidelines list a particular person to send your application to, address your e-mail and cover letter to them, and be sure to spell their name right.

Take it a step further

Part of the application process is to connect with us on our social networking accounts, but take it a step further. Show us that you are actually paying attention to the content we are posting. Engage with us by commenting on one of our posts or re-tweeting one of our tweets. It shows us that you care and each time you do it, your name will be brought to our attention again.

Ask

Finally, as noted in so many other situations throughout our lives, if you are unclear on a part of the process, ask about it. We are committed to finding the best fit for our organization. Don’t let one question deter you from applying, just ask us.

Now that we’ve given you the steps to getting an internship with the WordWrite team, it’s time to put them to practice. Visit our website to read up on the position and the details you need to apply. Don’t delay; the deadline is July 6.  I look forward to seeing your materials!

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Emma Walter is an account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.

By Jason Snyder

As social media giant Facebook prepares for its upcoming initial public offering that could value the company at nearly $100 billion based largely on ad sales, there have been some media reports indicating big advertisers are questioning what they’re getting for their money. They’re asking whether eyeballs on ads equal product sales.

The story is similar when it comes to social media and the healthcare sector. In a time of limited resources, healthcare executives ask what an investment in social media will return to their organizations, or they struggle to justify a committed social media initiative.

Based on a new report from PwC’s Health Research Institute, the answer to the ROI question is clear: higher quality care, more loyal customers and revenue growth.

According to the HRI survey, “Social media ‘likes’ healthcare,” one-third of U.S. consumers are using social media for healthcare discussions. Most telling, the survey said, is that consumers are choosing community sites over industry-sponsored sites, such as an official health system web site.

A social media “listening” report WordWrite just completed for a major health system supports that finding. Of all the online discussions we reviewed – from Twitter, to Facebook, to blogs – the most substantive, clinically related conversations took place in community forums, a space not always easy to find and mine unless you are listening regularly.

Active social media listening presents our client and the entire healthcare sector with several excellent opportunities, including:

• Understanding what’s most important to patients, from healthcare services and medical conditions to emergency room wait times;
• Providing meaningful content that resonates with current and prospective patients; and
• Cultivating goodwill by engaging directly with upset or happy patients.

Without the right listening tools – such as Radian6 – and social media experience, knowing where and how to listen can be a challenge. And even with the right tools and expertise, executing an effective social media strategy, including listening, engaging and measuring, can be difficult. It requires dedicated human resources, discipline and a commitment to frequent, regular content development to be successful. Many health system public relations and communications departments have such a significant workload that social media is often neglected or, at a minimum, is last on the list for attention.

WordWrite works with several clients who find themselves in that very position. We serve as an extension of their communications team, developing, executing and managing social media efforts that include listening, blogging, proactive and reactive Twitter and Facebook strategies and LinkedIn group creation, to name a few.

With one-third of consumers in the new survey saying they’re comfortable having their social media conversations monitored if the data help them find ways to improve health or better coordinate care, it’s clear that healthcare organizations that are not fully engaged in a comprehensive social media strategy are missing the boat.

In an age where direct, one-on-one communication with consumers is more achievable than ever, and the results of those interactions are quantifiably positive, what is your healthcare organization doing to take advantage of this opportunity? If the answer is little or nothing, the follow-up question is: Why? I’d be most interested in your answers to that question.

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Jason Snyder is a  senior vice president for WordWrite Communications.

By Leah Trimble

During my semester as an intern, I learned more about public relations than I could have ever imagined. The team at WordWrite taught me everything I need to know about the industry and what it takes to be the best at what they do. I had the opportunity to work in a setting where I encountered a well-rounded experience, one that was as close as possible to what it will be like working in PR once I graduate. I wasn’t given menial tasks or asked to make the coffee runs, but instead I was provided with actual projects and important assignments that had to be taken seriously. From this experience, I took away four important lessons that I will definitely need in the years to come:

1.  Procrastination is a “school thing.”
When you work for clients, you can’t wait until the last minute for everything. Sometimes things come up unexpectedly or you need more time than you imagined. When there’s a real deadline, everyone is counting on you to meet it. Also, the stress of procrastination is one you can’t live with on a day-to-day basis. Believe me!

2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
This is a piece of advice people often give, yet I find it’s one that’s rarely carried out. It’s so important, especially when you’re new to a company or industry. In previous experiences, I was hesitant to ask for fear they would think I was under-qualified. When I came to WordWrite, I knew I didn’t know nearly enough to go through projects without asking, so I threw in the towel and asked a lot of questions. Thankfully, the WordWrite team was patient and helpful no matter how simple or complex the question. They knew the mistake I was trying to avoid could cost hours trying to fix, so asking about something small was well worth it.

3. Be a team player, always.
I’m not going to lie, before I came to WordWrite, I had maybe three good experiences working with a team. Usually, there is always that one person that ruins it for everyone, but when you find the right team, like here at WordWrite, it all comes together, both creatively and logistically. You don’t have to worry about a bad day because someone is always willing to help you along, and that’s the way it should be.

4. Be enthusiastic.
This is especially true for people like me who will soon enter the work world. If you’re not excited to help, the people around you won’t be excited to give you work. Plus if you love what you’re doing, it’s easy to be enthusiastic.

So here’s some of my advice for you — to the interns, get as much out of your internship as possible and use these lessons to help you now and in your future. To the professionals giving students the opportunities, continue being patient and let your interns have some real projects. They won’t disappoint you, I promise. And to WordWrite, thank you so much for giving me the experience of a lifetime! I learned more than I could ever hope for and worked with the most amazing group of people!

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Leah is a public relations intern for WordWrite Communications. She can be reached at leah.trimble@wordwritepr.com.

By Emma Walter

Recently my colleagues and I took a field trip during our weekly WordWrite University meeting to tour the WPXI-TV studio and watch the 5 p.m. newscast live (which was absolutely awesome, by the way). One of the first stops on the tour was the technology and social media center. Our gracious guide, weathercaster Stephen Cropper, explained the station’s effort to move with the times and create an app for viewers to get their news. Stephen described it as something that every station must consider to be competitive.

Some say TV news is dead, especially for those in the millennial generation. We’ve grown up around social media and have a strong thirst to get only the information we want, when we want it. From my personal experience, if I see a news topic of interest, I will find just that clip online and only watch that. That’s the beauty of on-demand news.

It’s becoming even easier for this to happen with devices like Apple TV, which allow you to use your favorite apps and stream clips of interest. Social media is inevitable, and if you try to fight it, you won’t get anywhere. It’s time to move with the times and embrace it. So how do local TV news operations adapt?

As with WPXI, the first step is to consider an app for news consumers to put on their mobile devices and tablets. Next, get your reporters, anchors, meteorologists and others in your station active on social media. One of our favorites here in the WordWrite office is Stephen’s WPXI colleague Scott Harbaugh. He does a great job of providing the information you want and he still has fun with it.

Those who say local TV news is dead are right about one thing, asking if TV is relevant in a social media world. I say yes. But if you aren’t appropriately integrating social media, then forget about it. And it’s not just true for newsrooms. A recent study by Nielsen showed that advertisements with a social media component are more effective than without. Lately a lot of social media has been integrated into television shows as well. People are going to be talking about the show whether you have a hashtag or not, so it’s better to provide them with one and try to get all the conversations in one place.

We’ve only just begun to see the possibilities of social media and television integration, including in the newsroom. What are your thoughts on the topic? Do you think television news is still relevant in a social media world? Share your thoughts in the comments; I’d love to hear them.

Want to see pictures from our WPXI trip? Check out our album on Facebook!

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Emma Walter is an account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.

1. How long have you been using social media? Personally? Professionally?

Personally I’ve been using it since about 2006 or so; we started Kennametal’s presence in social media around 2009 with a YouTube Channel!

2. What social media outlets do you use?

Kennametal uses Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ and some regional outlets as well. We also blog.

3. How often do you post to your accounts?

It depends on what account. Twitter, we try to post a couple times a day to reach a broader audience; Facebook, an average of 4-5 times per week; LinkedIn and Google+ a couple times a week. We update our blog a few times a month.

4. What device do you use primarily when posting to or using social media? (Computer, iPhone, etc.)

Almost always a computer, but I do check our accounts when I’m out and about. If someone makes a post or a comment, I’ll typically respond via my mobile device.

5. How do you balance your presence among different networks? (Do you post different things? Do you use one for personal and one for professional, etc.?)

In regards to Kennametal, we do alter our “speak” on each platform. Same message just spun a little bit differently.

6. How do you engage with your social media audience?

We ask questions, we answer questions; we look to build online relationships with those posting in and about our industry.

7. In using social media, what do you find to be the most rewarding? Most challenging?

When a customer tells you you’re doing something right and they appreciate the quick response, that makes you stand a little taller. The challenging piece of it for our industry is just getting the conversation started — lack of resources sometimes holds us back from doing all we’d like to do.  But isn’t this typical of every function in a business?

8. How has social media helped your business or brand?

Recognition – it’s opened up a communication channel with folks we may never touch or hear from.  From product, to industry and product development, the social conversation is helping us better provide to our customers … in all aspects.

9. Which social media outlet do you think is underutilized? OR Which outlet do you see as an up-and-comer?

LinkedIn – there’s still so much opportunity out there on LinkedIn and I think businesses have only tapped into about a quarter of its potential.

10. What are some of your favorite accounts or pages to follow?

Personally … I love to follow our CMO (@JHJackoCMO) and our CEO (@CarlosMCardoso) to see what they’re thinking.  I’m always encouraged when they post things that are in-line with what I’m thinking or what I believe, it allows me to push that extra mile.  I also love General Electric (@GeneralElectric). They are a big brand that engages with just about everyone who mentions them.  They not only engage their audience to comment, they then keep the conversation going.  I swear I think I had a one-week conversation with them about kitchens once.  It’s amazing to see the kind of comments they receive, how they respond and then continually follow-up.  I’d love to understand how their team is made up!

11. Have you been guilty of a social media faux pas? Care to share details?

Yes, yes, I have, and anybody who tells you they haven’t is mistaken. I’ve occasionally been known to post my personal tweets from our corporate accounts, they’ve been deleted almost immediately, but it’s been noticed by a few. J

12.  How would you describe social media to your Grandmother (or Grandfather)?

It’s the telephone you’ve never known that you’ve always wanted.

• Never miss a call.
• If you don’t feel like talking, you don’t have to.
• You can read the news that you want to read about, no more unnecessary stories.
• You can “connect” with others across the globe to learn and share what interests you.
• And of course, you can keep up with your grandchildren and know just about everything they have going on. For most grandparents this is enough to get them hooked.

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Jennifer Altimore is a site content manager for Kennametal, a global tool designer, innovator and manufacturer that sold more than $2.4 billion of products and services in 2011, and a social media consultant for local small businesses, non-profits and individuals. Jennifer’s skills and passion have elevated Kennametal to a thought leader in the social media landscape.

Interested in getting your business started with social media? Download the same tools WordWrite uses to help launch our client’s social media, free!

By Jason Snyder

In the hospital marketing war, the battle of which system has the greatest technology and specialty services is giving way to a strategy of targeted, geographic service expansion, according to a recent paper in Health Affairs journal.

It’s a costly approach being executed across the country. According to the paper, in some markets, new hospitals are being built in geographically desirable communities to “capture” well-insured patients. In those markets, to feed their new facilities with patients, systems are buying up physician practices.

In Pittsburgh, we’ve had a first-hand look at it. In his recent story, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Bill Toland referenced the “coming knock-down battle in Monroeville for patients … between West Penn Allegheny Health System’s Forbes Regional Hospital and the new UPMC East hospital.” (At the time the new hospital was announced, I worked with a former client who questioned the need for the new hospital.)

As the fight for patients has taken on a new dimension, the old strategy of brand marketing will continue to play a part. In fact, as healthcare systems claim new territory, I expect the marketing war to escalate. I don’t, however, expect much new in the way of messages or tactics.

Billboards and newspaper ads aimed at prospective patients will tout each healthcare system as having the greatest heart care or orthopedics team, or the most advanced women’s health center, or the speediest emergency room. Levels of creativity will vary, but there will be no real distinction. Logos, taglines and jingles will permeate brochures, web sites and television spots. Unfortunately, none of these worn tactics tell a cohesive story or demonstrate how a specific community benefits from its hospital’s services, and none of them carry much, if any, credibility.

Although these messages may be primarily directed at patients, they reach many more stakeholders. In a hard-fought battle for patients (and tax exemption), in a healthcare pool that’s getting more crowded, it’s more important than ever for hospitals to rise above the  cacophony of claims, counter claims and general market confusion to tell a cohesive, comprehensive, authentic story.

Unlike a brand, a healthcare system’s story – complete with a beginning, middle and end – can provide a more robust, authentic framework in which to engage stakeholders, from patients to the IRS (which passes judgment on whether a healthcare system is truly a nonprofit based upon how well it serves its community). A hospital’s unique story showcases the true value it provides without shoehorning it into oversimplified brand hooks or premises.

WordWrite has developed a process to help health systems tell their story. Take some time to read more about StoryCrafting (including our white paper), and let me know your thoughts on it. We’ve blogged about StoryCrafting many times, and we’ve compiled most of the blogs in one place. Contact me, and I’ll be happy to share some of them with you.

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Jason Snyder is a  senior vice president for WordWrite Communications.

By Leah Trimble

As a 21-year-old just beginning my career, I’ve grown up on all things Internet-related, especially social media. I remember the beginning, a time of MySpace profiles and AIM chat. It wasn’t long after that Facebook was initiated (2004), and just two years later, Twitter appeared. Since then, there have been numerous blog platforms, the growth of LinkedIn, and now, Pinterest.

Yet, it wasn’t until starting my internship at WordWrite Communications that I realized the most appropriate uses of these social media channels! Even after growing up alongside social media, I still didn’t know the best approach to expressing myself on the Internet. Here’s what I learned from my more experienced colleagues:

1. There’s a time and a place for social media.

Before you tweet or update your status, ask yourself “Will people actually want to read this?” If the answer is no, don’t post it. Whether it’s as simple as congratulating a friend on a new job or offering your opinion on a more serious matter, your content should have meaning to other people. The same applies to the quantity of information that’s posted. For instance, one of our best authorities on this subject, our inbound marketing partner Hubspot, says that those who tweet between 10 and 50 times per day typically have more followers than those who go below or above this. I would alter this number based on the category and content of your account.

2. All eyes are on you.

If you’ve ever looked for a job, or work in a field associated with social media, then you probably know this, but for those whose careers depend less on social media, remember: what you write can almost always be accessed by those who really want to view it. It’s not hard to get around privacy settings, contrary to popular belief. If you wouldn’t say something to your grandparents, reconsider before throwing it out into the permanent Internet archive of limitless (and frequently unforgiving) readers.

3. Not everything you post belongs on every social media platform.

Resist linking your Facebook to your Twitter to your LinkedIn, and whatever else you can connect. Hashtags look sloppy on Facebook, and funny stories probably aren’t the best choice for content on your LinkedIn professional profile page. Also, people don’t want to read the same thing over and over again.

Keep in mind that your social media accounts are always connected to your reputation and are ultimately an extension of the way others view you. Just like in everyday conversation, not every detail belongs on the Internet and to be honest, it’s probable that people don’t want to read about you that often anyways. These tools should market who you are…don’t let them destroy you instead.

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Leah is a public relations intern for WordWrite Communications.

She can be reached at leah.trimble@wordwritepr.com.

WordWrite is pleased to introduce its newest blog feature, Social Media Break. Interested in learning how prominent media personalities and business professionals use social media? Our new monthly feature will not only provide you with tips and tricks from some of the best social media users around, you’ll also get a sneak peak into how they manage their accounts, what tools they use and what mistakes they’ve made along the way. Don’t miss this educational and entertaining feature each month.

Social Media Break: Scott Harbaugh

1. How long have you been using social media? Personally? Professionally?

I’ve been using social media regularly since 2008.  It took me a while to embrace it for work purposes, but I wish I had sooner.  It is truly the #1 way I reach people.

2. What social media outlets do you use?

As a company we use Facebook and Twitter the most.  It’s the easiest way to interact with viewers and get a sense of what is important each day.  We’re just now starting to dip into Pinterest and other outlets.

3. How often do you post to your accounts?

It depends greatly on what weather is going on that day.  On a quiet day, I might post one thing to my Facebook page and four or five things to Twitter.  If there is severe weather, my Twitter posts can top two dozen. On those days it’s about keeping people informed.

4. What device do you use primarily when posting to or using social media? (Computer, iPhone, etc.)

I’m still a bit of a dinosaur.  I use my PC the most.  If I’m out and about I’ll sometimes use my iPhone.

5. How do you balance your presence among different networks? (Do you post different things? Do you use one for personal and one for professional, etc.?)

I definitely try to make the posts slightly different with the exceptions of weather warnings.  My theory is … why follow the exact same stream of information twice.  Hence, my Facebook page has a lot of trivia questions and seeks people’s opinions more.

6. How do you engage with your social media audience?

I ask questions…even simply things such as “How about this weather?” I try to get people to post weather pictures or what is going on in their area. It gives me a far greater sense as to what is happening in each individual neighborhood during bad weather.

7. In using social media, what do you find to be the most rewarding? Most challenging?

The most rewarding part of social media is definitely feeling a connection to the people who follow you or “like” your page.  You can really get to know people.  The bad part is you can really get to know people.  J  Some people just want to hear themselves complain about everything.  I get that enough being in the weather business, but when we just had five 70-degree, sunny days and people start complaining about a rainy Tuesday.  Enough!

8. How has social media helped your business or brand?

We have four meteorologists at WPXI.  I’m the PCNC cable guy and the fill-in guy.  Yet … I have more followers on Twitter than almost any meteorologist at our 13 Cox Media Group stations.  It has made me relevant in the work place.  And in this day in age … relevancy is of paramount importance.

9. Which social media outlet do you think is under-utilized? OR Which outlet do you see as an up-and-comer?

I think Google+ is probably the one with the most potential that people just aren’t fully embracing.  The fact that TV stations are using “+” for on-air live chats and forums is amazing.  I think it has a ton of upside, but it might be too much for some people to really give it a try.

10.What are some of your favorite accounts or pages to follow?

On Twitter … @WPXIScott.  On Facebook … WPXIScottHarbaugh.   Kidding.  I follow all legitimate individuals who follow me.  Those people are my favorite accounts to follow, because if you’re following their feeds you’re more in tuned to who they actually are as people.  When you have 245,000 followers and you only follow 53 people – you’re only interested in knowing yourself.  You need to care about the people who care about you.

11.Have you been guilty of a social media faux pas? Care to share details?

The one thing I have to stop doing, especially on Twitter, is having individual conversations with people.  I know it annoys others and occasionally leads to people “unfollowing” me.  I need to keep those to DMs.

12. How would you describe social media to your Grandmother (or Grandfather)?

Hmmm.  I would tell them it’s like television was to them in the 1940s.  All of a sudden you have this streamlined way to get information out as quickly as possible.  But now you don’t have to wait to get the information at a scheduled time.  You get it 24 hours a day…7 days a week.  However, you often get information you don’t want or don’t even care about (i.e. foursquare.  I don’t care that you just crossed the Ft. Pitt Bridge).

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Scott Harbaugh is meteorologist for PCNC, WPXI and wpxi.com. He is a native Pittsburgher who is happy to be back in town after a few years with stations across the country. Despite many losing seasons, he is one of the Pittsburgh Pirates biggest fans. If you want to know the weather, he’s your man.

Interested in getting your business started with social media? Download the same tools WordWrite uses to help launch our client’s social media, free!

By Jeremy Church

When it comes to the idea that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, I’m reminded of WordWrite President Paul Furiga’s equally catchy counterargument:

“Well, they never spelled Enron wrong did they?”

No, they did not, and everyone still remembers how to spell its name, albeit for all the wrong reasons. The C-Suite is filled with cautionary tales such as Enron’s, including many more recent examples of self-inflicted malfeasance that don’t need to be addressed in this space.

So why does this popular notion still exist?

Well, because all clichés are rooted in at least some small kernel of truth.

Good news for the scandal plagued? Only if your publicity and awareness meters are sitting at zero, which isn’t the case for most established corporations or businesses.

Stanford economics professor Alan Sorensen supports this belief in a study examining book reviews that ran in the New York Times. “Positive Effects of Negative Publicity: When Negative Reviews Increase Sales” found that well-known authors with positive reviews could sell 42 percent more books, but poor reviews caused a 15% drop in purchases. New or unknown authors whose books were reviewed saw their sales increase by 33 percent, regardless of whether the critique was encouraging or not.

Mr. Sorensen extended this logic to businesses, concluding that any type of PR is valuable for smaller organizations, because negative perceptions diminish faster than awareness of the company in general. With established brands, however, bad publicity remains at the forefront much longer – a critical point when it comes to protecting corporate image and making sure your business is telling authentic stories to its stakeholders.

This transparency comes into play not only when it comes to internal company behavior, but also as it relates to whom your company affiliates itself with.

Former financial journalist and current University of Michigan Medical Center School communications professional Melissa Preddy examines the real-time responses of companies dealing with damage caused by affiliations they expected to help, not hurt them, in her piece “From Komen to Limbaugh, what can companies do when affiliations misfire?”

The Susan G. Komen Foundation, Preddy wrote, “put corporate sponsors in an exceedingly awkward position when it yanked support of Planned Parenthood . . .”

The problem here was not a cover-up designed to save face for an internal wrong. The issue was one of hypocrisy, because – fairly or not – outsiders judged its treatment of Planned Parenthood to be inconsistent with the way Komen dealt with other organizations perceived as equally controversial yet still worthy of sponsorship.

Again, this speaks to authenticity (or a lack thereof).

So is it ever acceptable to mislead in the service of positive public relations?

A Harvard Business Review blog by Ron Ashkenas titled “Why We Don’t Always Tell the Truth,” examines why individuals and businesses “shade the truth.” He argues that in a sales culture, “Showing customers or partners what’s truly behind the curtain could undermine credibility and threaten the deal. The wiser course in many cases is to limit the truth and figure out how to ‘deliver’ later.”

With all due respect to Mr. Ashkenas – whose larger piece has many salient points – I would argue overpromising and under delivering is the exact pattern of behavior that gets organizations in trouble in the first place.

We live in the real world and must be pragmatists. However, I’d advise all of our current clients as well as those we might be privileged to work with in the future to not show one face to the public and another in private.

As strategic partners, our role at WordWrite is to assist clients in telling the stories that need to be told. Aspire to build a stronger relationship with your own clients by more closely aligning character to reputation.

To paraphrase the late John Wooden, reputation is what others think of you, but character is who you are when no one is looking.

I’m eager to hear what you have to say. Would businesses be more stable and profitable if character and reputation were viewed as indivisible? Have you ever encountered a situation when getting your name out there outweighed the context of how it was portrayed?

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Jeremy Church is an account supervisor for WordWrite Communications.

He can be reached at jeremy.church@wordwritepr.com and on Twitter@churchjeremy.

By Emma Walter

Even though Pinterest has been around nearly two years, it’s the newest social media rage on the block. Since social networks are such a big part of our personal and professional lives, many have been asking if Pinterest is, worth considering for business purposes as well. The answer is, “yes.”

I’m sure you’ve heard that Pinterest is simply women, “ooh-ing” and “aah-ing” over items like recipes and wedding ideas. This is partially true and hard to ignore when 75 percent of  users are women, according to Joan Stewart, The Publicity Hound. However, many people are finding effective ways to use it for their businesses.

Here are some suggestions and tips for getting started:

Don’t be scared! Take it from us; it’s really just a collection of beautiful bulletin boards, arranged by category and filled with images, which link back to webpages. If organized well, boards can provide your customers with important information not just about your company and its expertise, but also about the industry you’re in and your personal expertise.

Pinterest allows you to share your own content and raise awareness of your brand. For example, blogs and updates to your website can be shared as long as they are optimized for Pinterest (they must have a dominant image on the page). This is a great inbound marketing exercise that can drive relevant traffic to your website. Just don’t abuse it, like with any social network; no one wants to hear you talk about yourself all day.

Is there someone you really would like to have as a client? Connect to them using Pinterest by first following them and then showing them you understand and have read their content by “re-pinning” it. What if your potential clients aren’t on Pinterest yet? With over 3 million estimated page views a month, they probably aren’t far behind, and when they get there you will have already established yourself as a credible source.

It’s simple to use, too. I’m sure you read many articles throughout the day on several different subjects. These can all be pinned, as long as they have a dominant image, using the simple “Pin It” tool you can place in your Bookmark Bar. Set some time each day to explore what others are posting on Pinterest and “re-pin” items that are relative to you and your business or something you think your followers will enjoy. There are a lot of funny and cute things on Pinterest that your followers may get a kick out of and “re-pin,” which could potentially get you more followers. It’s really that simple.

Pinterest is currently one of the top ten social networks on the web, so what are you waiting for? Get your business or organization on Pinterest right away. Establish your organization on the outlet, even if others in your market haven’t done so yet. You can set the pace for your industry, and when you do, don’t forget to follow our boards as well!

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Emma Walter is an account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.