Kristen Cronyn Archives -

The Ad Club year is winding down and that means some board members are leaving us. Before they do, we caught up with these talented individuals to hear about their experience and advice for future board members.

How did you first become a part of Ad Club? Where did you hear about it?

I heard about the Ad Club during my first job as an Interactive Coordinator at SKM Group. I was invited to my first Addys in 2008 (see photo with previous SKM owner, Sue Meany) and thought the event was amazing. I couldn’t wait get involved with people that shared the same passion.

What is your fondest memory or favorite Ad Club event as of today?

My first Addy’s judging weekend as a co-chair for the event. It was the first time I really poured blood sweat and tears in to pulling something substantial together, and I was able to meet some incredibly talented people while gaining a true appreciation for creative work. Being on the project management side for most of my career made me think entirely about the execution of artwork – time, budgets, etc. This event gave me the ability to see things from a design point of view and really changed my perception of what goes in to each individual piece that is submitted.

What kinds of qualities are expected in board members?

Engagement. Passion. A mix of strategy and detail orientation. The best board members are the ones that step up without asking, get excited about sharing knowledge and work hard to make a difference within the advertising community.

What advice would you give to those thinking of stepping up into a board position role?

Be prepared to work hard, laugh, collaborate and grow throughout your time on the board. You will be working with some of the most creative minds in Buffalo –and it doesn’t get any better than that.

Interested in joining the Ad Club Board of Directors for 2015-16? Click here to learn more and submit your nomination. Also, join us on Wednesday, May 20 to network with the current board and club members to get more details on the Ad Club board experience.

Weddings, babies, recipes, dream homes. You, like many others, may associate Pinterest with a tool used by women in the process of “planning something”. But what many people fail to realize, is that the concept of searching, saving, organizing and sharing information with others can easily and effectively be applied to your business.

Here’s how:

Promoting your business

Whether you are a B2B, B2C or a freelancer, there are several ways you can promote your products and services.

Think Like Your Customer. What are their needs? What are they searching for that would lead them to your product? How does your product fit into their everyday life?
Collect. Once you have the answers to number 1, begin collecting content such as articles, infographics and imagery that is relevant, useful and “buzz worthy”. Users are encouraged to see and save what their friends/followers are pinning, so be sure your content is worth talking about.
Organize. Begin creating categories or “boards” to house and organize the content. For example, if you’re in the healthcare industry, create a “Healthy Recipes” board, or “Explaining the Affordable Healthcare Act” board and pin articles and tips from experts both in and outside of your company. Use keywords and the “category” tool within Pinterest to ensure that users can find your content.
Promote. Add the Pinterest icon to content within your website (it’s usually embedded in a “Share this” tool) and to the bottom of your email marketing. Share pins and boards with your customers, or direct them to the boards using other marketing materials.

Sharing information within your department

Information sharing (especially within major organizations) can be challenging when it’s through a “Did you see this?” email with links that get lost in the shuffle.

Connect Your Team. Create accounts for each team member (you may have to check your company’s social media policy and ensure that you have access). You can then invite each team member to pin to the boards that you create.
Create Boards. What type of information do you share with your team? Industry news? Trends? If you work at an ad agency for example, you can create boards that will resonate with your clients or relevant within the industry (Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Project Management, Copywriting, etc)
Choose Carefully. Pinterest gives you the ability to make your pins and boards private, so that your competition can’t see what you’re pinning. If you choose to do this, remember that your content will be hidden from everyone, not just the competition.
Get Notified. You can receive notifications when a team member pins to your board and they make it very easy for you to share relevant pins to others within your organization.

Using the search tool to “listen”

Keep up with your competition. Search to see if they are on Pinterest, and gauge the level of engagement from their followers.
Customers are probably already talking about you. Perform a search for your company – you never know if there are pins already out there.
Search for your industry. Find and follow other experts and boards. It’ll prevent you from reinventing the wheel.

Click here to check out Ad Club’s new Pinterest page.

Happy pinning!

What’s Pinterest?

Tag: Kristen Cronyn

Saying Goodbye to One of Our Faves, Kristen Cronyn