In Parts 1 and 2 of Pinterest 101, I discussed the basics of the site, such as pins, repins and boards, and why it’s a valuable marketing tool for businesses. One of the most popular social media networks of 2013, Pinterest is great for brands because it drives and increases traffic, inbound links and sales. If you’re just starting out, here are some of the best tips and tricks.
Know Your Audience
Knowing your audience is key to being successful on Pinterest. As a brand, who are you looking to appeal to? Establishing a target audience and discovering what matters to them provides a foundation for building an effective Pinterest presence. Delve into the profiles of competitors and similar businesses – look at who they follow, what they pin and how active they are. You can also check out the pinners who follow them, as this is likely the community you want to be appealing to.
Maintain Relevant Boards
Keeping your target audience in mind, come up with a list of a few relevant themes. Starbucks, one of Pinterest’s top brands, has achieved success with boards such as “Coffee Moments,” “Handcrafted,” “Coffee DIY” and “Beautiful Objects.” Pin appealing images that suit the themes – be conscious of how the boards are developing and aim to provide value and inspiration. A web design company’s boards, to offer another example, may include “Flat Design,” “Responsive Design” and “Portfolio of Work.”
Consider Employee and Customer Boards
A neat idea for staff is to implement employee boards, where each employee can showcase their work and collect relevant images that resonate with them. For example, a boutique digital agency may have separate boards for their web designer, web developer, copywriter and social media specialist. You can also consider allowing users to pin to your boards, or dedicating a small number of boards to that purpose. This is a great way to heighten user engagement and interact with clients and potential customers.
Provide a Variety of Content
Variety is the spice of life, and the same holds true for Pinterest. While visual content in and of itself is highly engaging, it’s important to remember to mix it up and have value as the top priority. Don’t fall into the trap of only pinning photographs of your products – as long as there is an image to go alongside it, you can pin videos, blog posts, how-to’s, eBooks and more.
Integrate Your Website and Social Media Accounts
Enhance your Pinterest account by connecting it to your website and social media profiles. Connectivity is key in social networking; with Pinterest, your pins can be viewed on your business’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. A great way to advertise and engage with users, you can also add “Pin It” buttons to images, which allow users to pin to their boards directly from your website.
Knowing your target audience, maintaining a variety of relevant, interesting boards, integrating your website and social media profiles with your account and providing a valuable assortment of content types are four great ways to use Pinterest for business. The Web is constantly growing and changing, and it’s up to marketers to keep their online presence fresh and engaging. One of the most popular websites since its launch in 2010, Pinterest is today’s top social media network.
Image Credit: CT Social
