When you think about social media in a marketing context, you usually think of universally prominent platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Pinterest, however, might not be at the top of your lists for using social media to market your business. That’s unfortunate because Pinterest can be tremendously beneficial for those that take the time to understand and maximize the opportunities that are available on the site. With a little preparation and some dedication, Pinterest for your business can become a valuable resource.
Pinterest Basics
While you’ve definitely heard of Pinterest, you may have never used it. That’s not out of the ordinary — Pinterest’s user base is largely comprised of women aged 25 to 54. But you should know that nearly 25 percent of the United States population uses Pinterest, including more than 40 percent of American women. Those same women that dominate household spending also spend time browsing Pinterest for ideas and inspiration. Increasingly, men are joining women in this pursuit, with half of all sign-ups in 2018 coming from males.
Pinterest is social media in every sense of the word, but it isn’t like the other social media platforms out there. Each user has a feed of content they follow, but the similarities between Pinterest and the Facebooks of the world end there. Pinterest users have the option to follow people or simply those people’s boards, which are collections of posts that those individuals have curated.
The posts themselves are known as pins (hence the name Pinterest). You can either create your own pin or pin an already existing post to a board. The number of times a post is pinned to a board functions in a similar way to likes on other social media sites, but here, a pin links directly back to the main source of the content. These shares are highly valuable because any share can lead to exposure right back to your profile, which is where you can turn views into purchases by linking back to your website.
Create Compelling Content
Much like the other social media sites, the ultimate way to attract attention on Pinterest is to produce engaging and relevant content that begs to be shared. Pinterest is truly a “If you build it, they will come” platform. Since every pin leads back to its original source, you can be sure that shares of your content will directly benefit your business.
People often use Pinterest to look for ideas. Those ideas can include recipes, workouts, general inspiration, life tips and much more. Consider this as you produce content for Pinterest. Yes, a striking image that’s tailor-made for Instagram would also play well on Pinterest. But Pinterest is a site that’s known for inspiring and moving people. Therefore, your best content is material that will cause people to take action, above and beyond simply pinning your content to a board.
Optimize Your Text
One of the best parts about Pinterest actually has nothing to do with Pinterest itself. It’s the fact that Pinterest posts are catalogued on Google’s image search functionality. So if someone searches for floral designs for weddings, they’ll see tons of Pinterest images in their search results. Needless to say, this is a serious opportunity for businesses.
Like Instagram, Pinterest allows users to enter text along their image and video posts. Take advantage of this text by including any keywords you’re trying to optimize for SEO. This can lead a whole new audience of viewers to your Pinterest page and, by extension, your business.
Tell Your Story
Social media is a place for transparency and authenticity. Pinterest is a place where posters have the ability to empower and inspire others. The combination of these factors means Pinterest is the ultimate place for any business to tell the world what it’s all about.
Use your visual storytelling abilities to their fullest potential and show the world your story. Words, images, video, and music can all be part of the message you send to customers new and existing. Show people exactly why they should follow your company’s page, and give them a taste of what you have to offer. They’ll be back for more.
Incorporate Pinterest Into Your Website
Your use of Pinterest isn’t limited to Pinterest.com or the Pinterest mobile app. Pinterest also meshes very nicely with your company’s webpage. This is one area where Pinterest has a decided advantage over the other social media platforms. Whereas most sites only have buttons linking to the company’s overall profile, Pinterest allows you to place “Pin” buttons on each and every product page you have. This not only allows people to keep track of the things like in an easy-reference location from which they can make a return visit when it’s time to make a purchase, but those people are also sharing your content with a larger audience.
Taking a little time to add “Pin” buttons to your product pages can have a significant impact on your popularity and your revenue, not to mention the customer experience. It’s a no-brainer.
Pinterest is much more than just a place to find ideas for weekend projects. It’s a comprehensive social media platform that can drastically boost your stature in the marketplace. To learn more about how to get started with Pinterest, contact us today.
