You may have noticed on our Small Business Tech Tips a recent link to a Mashable article offering tips and tricks for cutting-edge users of Pinterest.  In case you missed it, I’ll highlight one of our favorite tips below. But first, if you’re in the dark, please accept this brief explanation.

Pinterest lets you organize and share all the things you love on the Web. Essentially, it’s a virtual pin board where you can plan your wedding, decorate your home, organize favorite recipes and so much more. Plus, you can browse pin boards created by other people. It’s a great way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. But, be warned:

It. Is. Addictive.

First, you have to request an invite and be accepted before you can begin the first bit of fun Pinterest has to offer. Simply click on the big red button in the top center of the home page requesting an invite and, once you’re in, the excitement begins.

Now, on to that Pin Tip. One of the best tools to enhance your Pinterest experience is to use the “Browser Extension.” To do this, drag and drop Pinterest’s Chrome browser extension onto your Bookmarks bar. This way, every time you come across something you like – whether it’s another cute kitten or a video of your favorite big hair band from the ‘80s – you can click “Pin It.” From there, choose an image, add a description and save the Pin to one of your Boards. Trust me – it will make more sense once you dive in and give it a try.

What, exactly, is a meme, you ask? If you’ve spent any amount of time on social media sites, no doubt you’ve heard things referenced to as memes. Truth be told, a meme isn’t the result of the Internet. Instead, a meme originally referenced a discrete “package of culture” that would travel via word of mouth. Essentially, urban legends, fables, jokes, or expressions like “Gag Me With a Spoon,” are all considered memes.

With today’s technology, though, memes travel in many different forms, not just by word-of-mouth. Thanks to the Internet, memes appear in the form of forwarded e-mails, instant messages, web page links, and more. In fact, Mashable has what they call a Meme Machine– which is a daily look at five hilarious viral topics spreading across the web. You can see what’s spreading like wildfire across our culture and laugh with the rest of the world!

1. There are a ton of sites out there, but keep competitive and have profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Use them regularly to promote yourself and your business. 
2. If you don’t already have one, get a professional head shot, especially for your LinkedIn profile. Even though some of us don’t like to have our pictures taken, our face is our identity – so put it out there. 
3. Whether it’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or some other social site, drive traffic to your website by promoting it. Include a link in all online discussions to help generate more traffic. Also add a clickable link to your website in your auto signature.
4. Include social media icons on your website, your e-mail signature and other appropriate areas to help encourage sharing.
5. Make sure your website has a place to capture visitor information – especially if you distribute an electronic newsletter or running a promotion.

It may not get the attention Facebook does, but Twitter is still a powerful tool in the world of today’s social media, even more so with last week’s redesign. In an effort to broaden its appeal, Twitter has simplified its process for new users while, at the same time, providing a relevant platform for advertisers.

If you’re on Twitter already, you may have noticed the home page has been total revamped with three icons at the top of the page: “Home,” “@Connect,” and “#Discover.” Here’s the scoop:
Home – you’ll discover that Twitter has embraced it’s two most recognizable functions that implement both the at (@) and hashtag (#) symbols. Their goal in doing this is to make Twitter easier to learn. With the redesign, the news feed is easier to follow and you can now see photos and videos displayed within tweets once you click on them rather than being taken to another site.  

@Connect – when you click on this icon, it will take you to a page that displays your Twitter interactions. You will easily see how many times your tweets have been retweeted or if other Tweeters have mentioned you.

#Discover – this is where you might notice the biggest change. One problem many new users to Twitter faced was the lack of initial content. No one wants to be lonely on Twitter, so #Discover helps users find content from the start as well as trending stories, community activities, top categories, and suggestions for who to follow and connect with – very similar to Facebook.
Finally, Twitter is expected to roll out Brand Pages over the next few weeks. The hope is that this will help create more compelling brand destinations for companies by using large header images for displaying visuals, logos and taglines.

Reaction to the changes has been mixed. Are you a “power user” or just a casual tweeter? Follow us on Twitter and let us know what you think of the changes.