We spend a lot of time on Social Image talking about Facebook and Google.
These are two online giants, and they can form the central pillars of almost any successful social media marketing efforts.
That doesn’t mean, however, that we should forget about the other social media networks out there. With over 70 million users, Pinterest is a force to be reckoned with and is worth consideration as part of any social media campaign.
If you’re new to Pinterest, this article will give you a basic guide to the site’s ins and outs, as well as some tips on how to make Pinterest a successful part of your marketing efforts.
First things first: what is Pinterest? At the most basic level, Pinterest is like a virtual bulletin board. Users can upload content in the form of images and videos. Other users can then browse through content by theme and save pieces of content by “pinning” them.
Users create individual “boards,” typically organized by theme, and then pin posts to their boards. For example, a user might have boards for fashion items, recipes, travel destinations, and wedding décor. Users can follow other users to see what they pin. This makes it easy to share content - you like with the people.
Because content will stay on a user’s board unless deleted, pins can last on the site and be re-shared over a long period of time. This means that your content may resurface months after you originally posted it, helping you to gain long-term visibility. In addition, many websites outside of Pinterest have incorporated “Pin It” buttons, making it easy to save and share content through Pinterest.
If you’re new to Pinterest, your first step should be to set up a business account. A business account provides you with helpful features such as analytics and promoted posts options. Set-up is pretty straightforward: choose a username, profile picture, and bio, and verify your business website. Then you’re ready to start pinning!
The first thing you’ll want to do as a new Pinner is create some boards; Post Planner suggests starting with 10. Your boards should be named after interests and themes that are related to your business. Think about keywords and names that your target customers might be searching for. Your board might be something like “Facebook Marketing Tips” or “Motivational Quotes.” Don’t be afraid to branch out into things that aren’t directly business-related as long as they fit your brand. It’s easy to make Pinterest fun!
A sample collection of Pinterest boards from Canva
Your next step is to start filling your boards. Try searching using keywords related to your boards. This is a good time to test out your board names. If the name of your board appears to be a popular search term, it’s likely other people will find your board.
Once you’ve got a foundation of boards and have spent enough time browsing that you have an idea of Pinterest’s culture, you should start adding some of your own content. Try using tools such as Canva to put together attractive images. You can turn short quotes or tips into graphics, post behind-the-scenes images, put together a photo collage, create visual lists, and much more.
You can use Pinterest to pin all sorts of content, including text posts, but remember that Pinterest is visually driven. Each piece of content should have an appealing cover image, as that’s what will draw people to click on it.
Here are a few more tips to help you find success on Pinterest:
Follow users with similar interests, and pin posts of theirs that you like.
Promote your new Pinterest account on your other social media accounts.
Add a “Pin It” button to your website and blog.
Write keyword-rich descriptions for your pins and boards.
Pin consistently 5-10 times a day.
Happy pinning!
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Written by content manager Meghan Woolley
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