The majority of business owners out there today are well aware of the effect that social networks have on the success of their business, and the brand itself. Today’s businesses are quick to create robust digital marketing plans that cover all the main social networks, so as to receive maximum coverage and connect with as many people as possible. And while you may have mastered the art of posting on such platforms as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, all too often Pinterest is one that goes forgotten, which means a missed opportunity.
Businesses that use Pinterest boast such advantages as being able to convert more visitors/browsers into actual customers, it will get you the all-important inbound links, you’re able to reach a diverse audience, and visitor engagement tends to be quite high. Consider the fact that there are more than 250 million Pinterest users each month, and that is a whole lot of potential customers that you can get in front of.
But being aware of all the benefits and then figuring out how to harness the power of Pinterest in order to further your business goals is a whole other beast. Here we’ll take a look at the many ways that you can, in fact, leverage Pinterest for a creative business and make it part of your digital marketing efforts.
Begin with Setting Up a Business Account
First things first, you need to start with setting up a business account on Pinterest. You don’t want to combine any of your business boards with your own personal boards, so there needs to be that separation. In order to create your account, you’ll need to include an image, the website URL, and then a brief description of your business. Be sure to also take advantage of the opportunity to link to your other social network platforms.
Start with Designing Your Own Theme Boards
The next step is to create theme boards. Now, these theme boards will need to relate to your business in some way – whether that is the products you sell or the services offered. Let’s say, for example, you have an interior design business – creating theme boards of such things as “modern living room design”, “country kitchen design”, and “spa-like bathroom oasis design” would make sense.
As for the title of your theme boards, try not to be too generic. Yes, the title needs to be concise, but you also want to make it interesting and engaging to bring people to your board. Keep in mind you only have a set amount of space for your title, so you’ll need to stick to the size restrictions.
The theme itself also leaves the board open to all kinds of content outside of just photos. You can also add lists of tasks, ideas, advice, inspiration, etc. Now one tip to keep in mind is the language, as in the actual words you use, on these boards. Because you want to rank as high as possible in the Google search engine, it’s wise to make use of keywords that also relate to your products and services. This makes it much easier for people to find your boards when doing searches online.
Ensure the Pin It Button is Simple to Use
For those companies who sell products, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase those items on your board. If doing so, just be sure you also offer the ‘Pin It’ button on each item. This makes it possible for visitors to then pin those items to their own boards and not forget about them. You then broaden your reach because having someone pin it to their own board then means it will be seen by their followers.
Don’t Skimp Out with the Photo Quality
No matter what images and photos you are posting to your theme boards, one thing you have to be aware of is the quality. Every single image needs to look professional and be of the highest quality. Remember, you are showcasing your own products and setting an image for your business. You want that image to be as strong and professional as possible. Images that are grainy, aren’t at a good angle and don’t show detail just won’t cut it with browsers.
Work On Growing Your Following
Another important step in the process is to grow your following and start creating a loyal base. This will take time and it will also require continuous effort on your part. One of the best ways to grow your following is to engage with others. This can mean pinning their content, using the @username to tag individual Pinterest users, tag experts in the industry and vendors, thumbs up other pins, and just make yourself active. The more active your account stays, the more likely people will be to check you out.
It’s also a great idea to share content that you come across from your followers. It’s just another way to engage with them, and show you are interested in them.
Sometimes it’s not even about growing your following, it’s about helping to establish your company as a leader in its field and an industry expert.
Don’t Forget to Track All Your Efforts
Of course, it’s really hard to know if your efforts are paying off, or if you need to make any adjustments if you aren’t tracking your progress. Tracking your metrics will allow you to view such things as the changes to the number of clicks to your website, how many pins you have, how many followers you have lost/gained over a specific amount of time, and so forth. Just as you would track any other marketing effort, your Pinterest business account should be treated the same.
A Treasure Trove of Opportunity
Pinterest is not only an intriguing and interesting network to get involved in on a personal level but from a business owner’s standpoint, is it a treasure trove of opportunity. It’s a fabulous way to market your business and its products and services, build your customer base, engage with the public, and really set yourself apart from the competition.