You Tube—Pinterest–Search Engines Not to be Ignored!
Just recently, and I mean very recently had I heard of “Vine.” I read about it as a requirement of a course I am currently taking on social media. In reading about Vine, (Twitters Sharing App) I learned that 5 new videos are tweeted every second which got my attention. Prompting me to eagerly visit Vine for the first time. About 3 hours later, I emerged bleary eyed and knowing first-hand what it was all about. Mesmerized by the “best of” series, which included people singing, scaring each other, cute animals and outlandish pranks. Thoroughly entertaining, yet I can’t help but conclude it’s just for fun.
I am happy to report the US Postal Service is, in fact, on You Tube. Some content is clearly placed there via USPS Corporate Communications while other videos are not. The Link on the bottom is an example of a locally made video that shows viewers what it’s like in a day of employment for a Letter Carrier. Nice job, but I can tell the content is not produced by the Official USPS Corporate Video library which can be viewed by clinking the first LINK.
With You Tube being more popular than ever and with 4 billion hours of viewing every month, it makes sense for my organization to begin paying much closer attention to this platform. Not so sure though that a USPS video could actually become “viral” except perhaps within our own community. I have tested the virility theory sharing the Postal Service’s recent TV commercial on my personal and class Facebook page without much interest or engagement. I also tried sharing a music video on my personal Facebook page and asked for views and shares in support of a personal cause and again, not much engagement. Evidence I am not quite hitting the mark yet.
http://www.youtube.com/user/uspstv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkL9A07Egdc
On a personal note I use You Tube all the time as a search engine which supports the notion that it has not become the #2 Search Engine in the world of social media. You Tube has supplemented my course learning’s by adding the visual how-to which I needed so badly as navigating through the course materials. Many of the videos regarding how to “Word Press” are excellent. I have used You Tube to try and tackle a new Samsung camera and Logitech webcam; both still a work in progress. Videos are a great supplement to reading a book of instructions or owner’s manual. Who wants to read an owner’s manual when others are willing to do it for you, and put it on video, better yet? I say yeah for You Tube, so glad that it’s here as a resource. Plus there are wonderful videos of cats, kittens, and small furry and not so furry animals that are just plain cute.
Love this site too, very easy to use which is probably why Pinterest users are on the site an average of 98 minutes a month. After a quick search I was extremely happy to see the US Postal Service indeed has a Pinterest account. Although I am not sure yet how it’s populated I plan to find out going forward. I am also going to suggest that we definitely share holiday content this year on Pinterest. Holiday is the time to ship packages and many times it’s the women of the household who do the shipping. With that said we have an audience of woman in the age ranges of 25-54 who most likely would love to view holiday stamp images ahead to time along with a link to how to get Free Priority Mail boxes delivered right to their homes free of charge. Here is the Link to the USPS Pinterest board.
http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=United%20States%20Postal%20Service
Lastly Photographs as discussed by C. C. Chapman. There are most definitely times when you need a professional photographer. I have learned this so many times throughout my career at the Postal Service the hard way. Not everyone is a photographer even when supplied with the very best of equipment. Of course I nice camera helps, but it does not make the shot. If you are reading this blog post you can view my photography skills under the Quick Shots 4 You section. Enough said…..
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It's Nice to Share
Posted on September 30, 2013, in Lessons Learned and tagged United States Postal Service. Bookmark the permalink. 8 Comments.
DarleenLove4learning 
Hi Darleen,
I think that Vine is great, but at the moment I am having a hard time figuring out how to use it creatively for my own social media business. I think Instagram allowing up to 15 seconds really does make a difference and helps people figure out better ways to express themselves. I agree that with Pinterest holiday shipping, packaging, presents, all of that should be included on your USPS page. The key is to also figure out what else would be good for your page. I know I have seen pins already on all of the odd things that can get sent with the proper postage, like a flip flop, so maybe you could create a board based on that as well. I think the key is to not constantly sell, but also to inform and enhance a customer’s life to gain their interest. I took a look and the YouTube video wasn’t fabulous, maybe it is just me, but in a world where people are becoming more and more creative, something has to be out of the box in order to gain viewers and possibly go viral. Great post!
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Amanda:
First let me say, how happy I am that you viewed my post! I was out there with no interaction for awhile. Next I would like to thank you for the GREAT idea! The USPS could definitely create a board on how to mail odd shape packages and simply how much postage to put on what items. You would not believe how many call I take from folks asking how much is it to mail a letter or a postcard. Your suggestions are just what we need, as you are suggesting from a customer point of view. Just because I know, as a postal employee, how much a Priority Mail piece mailed from New York to Florida costs does not mean the average postal customer knows. Again, great idea and I should have had a V-8.
Thanks Again Darleen
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I like the idea of Vine, but now that Instagram has video, what’s the point in using Vine? I agree with Amanda that the key with Pinterest is to always SELL SELL SELL but to share related content and interact with your followers. It’s more about sharing, not trying to earn a sale. Think of it as customer retention and giving USPS an image.
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Lisa:
Yes the USPS is trying to get away from the hard sale tactic and now focusing more on customer engagement. Pinterest is a good spot for that type of interaction. I don’t know about you, but I can spend a lot of time on Pinterest searching cats and cute animals. Its a guilty pleasure.
Thanks for viewing my post.
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I agree with Amanda and Lisa. I think Vine is great but I personally don’t have use for it especially since Instagram added video capabilities. The USPA sharing content on Pinterest could be extremely beneficial because it is such a visual way to share content and I’m sure lots of people flock to Pinterest as the holidays approach to get ideas.
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Emily:
Plus who has got the time? It’s hard to decipher which social media platform you are on….A few months ago I was living in my own private Idaho on Facebook. Now I am all over the place, have to be all the more careful on what I am putting out there.
Thanks for visiting.
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Everybody beat me to the punch of saying that Vine is not going to make it. I may be proven wrong, which I have been often in the past. I believe Instagram will simply supplant it instead of Vine as soon as it becomes easier to integrate into some social media platforms.
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Thanks for the view, Vine and me… not so much. Not for my organization either, I just don’t see it as a match. The USPS is however really trying to have more of a presence on You Tube especially now that we are moving into the holiday season.
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