The following post is from Meghan Veroneau, TIG Global Marketing Coordinator.
Word on the street is that you can be expecting more big changes from Google in the near future. 
Recently, you’ve heard about the privacy changes and we previously mentioned the “Search plus your world” feature. It has come to light that Google has a new ace up its sleeve that will affect local businesses.
Google has tons of information compiled already about businesses through Maps and Places. Think about how Maps is the default map application on both iPhones and Androids and people use maps for more than just directions. The business place that pops up when people search on Maps is already updated and maintained by you.
I’m sure by now you already have your Google Place page claimed and verified that the information on there is correct. Maybe you’ve already created a Google+ Page for your business, maybe not. The one issue you may see here is that through Google, you have to maintain two different pages; your Place page and your Google+ Page. Being that you’re a busy professional, I’m sure you would like to be able to maintain the pages in one spot, or even better yet have them linked to each other.
So what if Google+ and Place pages were to merge? [click to continue…]
The following post is from Meghan Veroneau, TIG Global Marketing Coordinator.
You’ve probably heard about Pinterest by now, but do you actually know what it is? Or how it can be beneficial for your brand – whether that be a hotel, restaurant, retail establishment, or DMO?
So what is Pinterest?
According to Pinterest, the site is a virtual pinboard. I could explain it in more detail myself, but Mashable has already developed a great little summary of what it is and how it works in the description below:
“Pinterest is a place to organize and share online images that you find interesting or inspiring. Once uploaded or shared on Pinterest, these images become known as Pins, which the user can place on customized, themed Boards. You can create Boards for any topic imaginable, from cats to classic cars to cats driving classic cars. The possibilities are endless”.
It’s similar to Twitter in that it’s an open network, so you can follow people who might inspire you. You never know, you could be inspiration to someone else. Currently the catch with Pinterest is that it is an invite only network – similar to Google+ at the start. So, since it’s invite only, you’d assume it’s a new phenomenon? Wrong, Pinterest has actually been around for almost two years, but has only recently become one of the top 10 social networks.
[click to continue…]
