Pinterest is now becoming a great tool for retailers and magazines as well.  According to Monetate, Pinterest has become a top referrer for several retailers.  Mashable.com released an infographic from Monetate about the impact Pinterest is having on social commerce for online retailers; below is a sneak peek:

You may be wondering how Pinterest can be a business tool.  Mashable.com posted 5 ways brands can increase consumer engagement:

1. Who’s up for some competition? Encourage user participation by running contests for the most creative board or most repins from your site.
2. Have a lot of ideas? Brands can use Pinterest as a type of focus group for feedback and approval on new products.  Watch for repins and comments to get initial reactions on your new ideas.
3. Let your personality shine!  If you don’t have a specific product you’re selling, use Pins to reflect your personality, office culture, community involvement or future business plans.
4. Is your company made up of multiple sectors?  Organize separate boards for each department (i.e. Marketing, Public Relations) that allow people to learn about your team members and past work experience.
5. Use creative communication!  Showcase consumers using your product in your boards.  Consumers will feel more involved and has the potential for repeat business and more repins on Pinterest.

Below are some of the top brands using the site, who, according to Pinterest, are following the “best practices” of the site:

1. Whole Foods
2. Martha Stewart
3. Real Simple
4. West elm
5. TODAY Show

Are you on Pinterest?  What do you like most about it?

T-minus 2 days until the Super Bowl!  Usually we all have to wait in anticipation for the great Super Bowl commercials, but not this year!  Many companies are pre-releasing their Super Bowl advertisements online.  Check them out now, because come game day many will be shortened from their full two-minutes.  A common theme this year – dogs!  And who doesn’t love a cute dog in a commercial?  Volkswagen, Skechers and Suzuki ads are all featuring dogs this year – even Kim Kardashian was replaced by a dog in the Skechers ad.  Last year the average cost of a 30-second spot was $3 million.  Forbes recently reported that a 30-second spot during the Super Bowl this year is estimated at $3.5 million, a 17% increase. Needless to say, the ads are hilarious and hopefully affective for the companies paying all that money for those spots!

One of my favorite ads this year is “Matthew’s Day Off” for Honda. This hilarious commercial is a parody featuring Matthew Broderick recreating his character Ferris Bueller. There are dozens of references to the movie.  I own the movie and have seen it a million times, but I think it’s nice for people who grew up watching the movie to be able to go back in time with this commercial.  Just the music used in this commercial could bring you back to the 80’s in a flash!

What is your favorite Super Bowl commercial so far?

Punxsutawney Phil is the official Groundhog Day weather predictor. Punxsutawney, PA says all other groundhogs are imposters!  Phil’s weather predictions are made in front of everyone, including the Inner Circle – a group of gentlemen responsible for Phil and carrying out the tradition of Groundhog Day.  When Phil emerges from his burrow each year, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in “Groundhogese,” a language understood only by the Inner Circle president. The president then translates it for the rest of the world.

While Groundhog Day has been celebrated in Punxsutawney, PA since the 1800’s, Phil has been making predictions for over 125 years!  It is said that he gets his longevity from drinking the “elixir of life” every summer at the Groundhog picnic – a secret recipe that gives Phil seven more years of life.

For more fun facts about Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil, visit www.groundhog.org.

Film lovers can also share their favorite movie via social media.  I’ve already flipped through some of the photos, and I’m quite pleased with the movies they chose!  I also like the tagline on the bottom of each picture “There’s a little bit of the movies in all of us.”  For each film there is also a caption about what the film taught us. For Gone With The Wind it’s “We showed you how to kiss,” and for Forrest Gump it’s “We showed you how to be true to yourself” and many other great “lessons.”

I think this is not only a great way to celebrate 84 years, but to also reconnect people with past movies. Looking at the pictures stir up memories and emotions of how we felt when we saw that movie and what message we got from it.  The Oscars air February 26 on ABC; be sure to tune in!  What is your favorite film from the Oscar montage? Who do you want to win at this year’s Academy Awards?

Best picture

“War Horse”

“The Artist”

“Midnight in Paris”

“Moneyball”

“The Descendants”

“The Tree of Life”

“The Help”

“Hugo”

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best actress

Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs”

Viola Davis, “The Help”

Rooney Mara, “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”

Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady”

Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn”

Best actor

Demian Bichir, “A Better Life”

George Clooney, “The Descendants”

Jean Dujardin, “The Artist”

Gary Oldman, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”

Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Best supporting actress

Berenice Bejo, “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain, “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy, “Bridesmaids”

Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs”

Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

Best supporting actor

Kenneth Branagh, “My Week With Marilyn”

Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”

Christopher Plummer, “Beginners”

Nick Nolte, “Warrior”

Max von Sydow, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Best director

Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist”

Alexander Payne, “The Descendants”

Martin Scorsese, “Hugo”

Terrence Malick, “Tree of Life”

Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris”

Social media is a powerful learning and communication tool.  Here are my five helpful tips for using social media in small businessed based on my internet research:

1.)    Post often!  According to Mashable.com, Postling analyzed their large pool of nearly 20,000 users and found that 62% of the small businesses post to social network sites 8 times a week.  The average number of replies and comments they got on their posts was 10.27!  The more you post the more you will get your message out there.

2.)    Twitter Hashtags (#) should be relevant. Hashtags (#) are meant to create a topic and conversation. You can create your own or use an existing one depending on what is trending on Twitter at the moment. It is important to make the Hashtag relevant to your message, and make sure it is consistent. Hashtags are easy to keep track of through a Twitter search. You can see what conversations are being started about your Hashtag and join in on the conversation.

3.)    Make YouTube fun, interactive, and educational. Also be sure to upload your video to the right category. However, there is a fine line – be sure not to cross it and by ensuring your video will do more good than harm.

4.)    Post “After hours.” According to a study done by Buddy Media, brands that posted after normal business hours saw a 20% increase in their social media engagement compared to those who posted during their regular business hours.

5.)    Create a voice for your brand! Social media has allowed brands to create an identity for themselves. It also allows you to create relationships and get your message out to people who might not know about your products or services.

I hope these tips are helpful! Let me know if you have any thoughts, comments, or any other important tips as well!

I myself recently switched over to the Timeline and I’m quite please. “Rediscover the things you shared” is probably the best feature. The Timeline lets you go back (easily) through the years to see what photos you posted, who wrote on your wall, or what funny videos you shared.  You can still adjust the security settings to pick and choose what to show on your profile.  Everything from your profile page is still there; it’s just had a facelift.

I will admit it takes some time to get used to so don’t get in a tizzy if you can’t find everything right away.  Once you get the hang of it you will love it!  To help you get started, view these step by step tips from Mashable on how to fill in your Timeline.

Remember the other profile changes Facebook made in the past years?  I can’t even remember my original profile page! We are always a little apprehensive about changes in our Facebook pages but in the end we always love them.  How do you feel about Facebook’s new Timeline?  Do you have it already?

For more information about the new feature, visit the Facebook Timeline information page.

Mashable.com recently posted an infographic from BlueKai, on what a Super Bowl fanatic looks like and how much advertisers spend to reach them.  I’m sure just like me, you will be shocked to see how much a 30 second spot costs!  Who are you rooting for in this year’s Super Bowl?  What is your favorite Super Bowl commercial?

Updated 1/25/2012: What if you miss the game this year, or step away for a bathroom break and miss one of the best new ads?  No need worry…even if you are not a YouTube fan, chances are you’ll see many of your Facebook friends or Twitter followers posting their favorite commercials online.  In fact, it’s hard not to see the commercials after the game. As reported by Mashable.com, the ad agency Venables Bell & Partners did a recent survey of 1,000 who watched the 2011 Super Bowl and plan to watch it this year.  One surprising find…one in five  seek out the ads before the game!

This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day marks the first year people will be able to visit the new memorial dedicated to the great messages of Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington D.C.  The powerful sculpture is 30 feet tall and engraved with famous quotes. The monument is Martin Luther King Jr. emerging as a “stone of hope” from the “mountain of despair,” which is based from his “I Have A Dream” speech.  Although it has been over forty years since Dr. King’s passing, he still has a profound impact on our nation today.

Many people honor Dr. King’s legacy through volunteering and doing community service and forging their own destiny the way Dr. King dreamed they would.  How are you celebrating Dr. King’s legacy? Here at Intellitrends we want to wish everyone a happy Martin Luther King Day.

It reminds me of the little girl from the Hallmark commercials where she uses her Hallmark Countdown  to Christmas Clock ornament to tell everyone how many days are left. Since we can’t stand around our Christmas tree all day, having the countdown on our iPhones will be a bit more convenient.

A countdown clock is also available online!

Here at Intellitrends we would like to thank all of our nation’s troops and veterans who have fought to maintain our freedom. We support them and are very proud of them!

There are a ton of parades going on in Michigan in honor of Veterans Day this Friday. You can find a local parade at Vet Friends. Or you can also go to a University of Michigan football game where they are doing a special tribute to Veterans and those who are serving our country. If you prefer basketball Michigan State is playing University of North Carolina on Veterans Day as well.  However, you will have to watch the game on TV since they are playing in San Diego on a Navy Carrier Classic USS Carl Vinson!  If the name sounds familiar that is because this is the same ship that buried Osama Bin Laden at sea. President Obama is going to attend the game as well! You can watch the game on ESPN at 7 pm.

You can also volunteer or donate to local veteran charities. Maybe it is that time of year to clean out your closet and donate clothing to the Veterans. They will pick up your items and clothing right from your house. You can schedule a pick up here.  Or you can send care packages to troops fighting overseas through Any Soldier. On the website is a list of men and women and items their troop is in need of. They are looking for anything from warm socks to some yummy candy.  You can also donate to your local VFW and get your poppy flower.

There are many ways we can show our support for our troops. Whether it is going to a parade, a game, or volunteering for a veteran charity they are all ways to pay homage to our veterans and troops. How are you going to honor Veterans Day this year?