Should my small business include Pinterest as part of our marketing strategy? What are the benefits of using Pinterest for small business marketing? What type of content should I post on Pinterest? What type of content is most successful on Pinterest?
Pinterest is a social media platform that is heavily reliant on imagery. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard website that allows you to pin (collect/) images to a board. You can add a description to each pin to remind you why you pinned it to your board.
Research Your Audience
Because Pinterest is different than traditional social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn/), a different set of rules apply for best practices for your small business. You need to research your audience and the type of content they will find valuable. When you pin something, are people liking your pin? Are people repinning your pin? Are you getting more board or account followers? Who interacts with you? Ask yourself these questions and tailor your content to meet your viewer's needs.
As a side note, Pinterest has a very specific demographic direction. Pinterest's most common user demographic is women ages 19 to 29, who have graduated college and make over $75,000 annually. Keep this in mind before you start creating content for your small business.
Create Pinterest Boards
Once you create your account, you will want to set up boards. The types of Pinterest boards you create depend on what kind of business you run. Try to create a variety of boards that reflect your business culture, knowledge, products, services, industry, and interest, so you can draw your customers in through visuals and relatable content.
Add Content to Your Pinterest Account
Once you've created your account, set up your boards, and started creating and pinning content, consider the following strategies:
- Size your images properly. Make sure everything is sized appropriately to ensure all of your visuals are clear and not cutoff. The basic rule is an aspect ratio of 2:32, which computes to 600px by 900px or 800px by 1200px.
- Promote your product. One of the most obvious ways to promote your products on Pinterest is to share images of them. Use colors and font styles to create different variations of visual content. Consider using photos of your customers using your products/services and being satisfied with their purchase/experience. To show your followers and viewers that a product is for sale, add a price with a dollar sign to the description of your product, so they can pin to their proper boards and visit the Pinterest gifts section.
- Share videos to promote your business. You can embed your videos into Pinterest, as long as you have the proper link provided by the platform the video lives on. Sharing videos is a powerful way to share your content and engage your audience.
- Feature your blog posts. You will find that Bloggers and Content Writers use Pinterest to create visual directories of their content and highlight their blog posts. Photos and graphics are key because you want to draw in your viewer's interest through the visual aesthetic of the pin.
- Highlight colleagues, clients, and those who impact your business. You will drive more traffic to your website or blog if you show appreciation for those who support your business. We live in the age of information and anytime someone is mentioned on the internet, it is likely to be shared by all of those mentioned within. Add images and content that highlight everyone's success stories.
- Use your space to collaborate. Make Pinterest a group activity and designate boards that are collaborative spaces for group discussion. Add contributors and get the conversation rolling - it's the perfect way to bring about brainstorming, idea sharing, and education.
- Repin other people's pins. A successful Pinterest marketing strategy does not only include creating solid and visually pleasing content, but it also includes sharing other board pins on your boards for your followers to see. Why? When content is relevant, can contribute to a conversation, can drive more website and Pinterest board traffic, and overall helps build your social media presence, you will gain more business.
Expand Your Business's Website
Add the ability to pin directly to Pinterest from your website to every page and piece of content your website offers. When you add a Pinterest button to your website, your visitors can easily pin your content without leaving your website.
With that being said, make sure you not only allow them the ability to pin your content but make sure you provide content worthy of pinning. Add visuals to your website. If your product is visually appealing, take great photos for your boards and website. If your product is not the "prettiest," infographics and graphic lists are extremely popular and are extremely easy to create. Do some research for inspiration and focus on the content you are going to provide.
You can also create content boards of your website's content to be shared without having to visit your website. Viewers who visit your website via Pinterest pins, they will know they are in the right place based on the consistency of content. You can also create Pinterest pins visually representing websites on your website. Create a Pinterest pin image for your "About Us" page or your "Services" menu. Find ways to continue to share your content.
Track Your Pinterest's Traffic
Tracking indicators of success is extremely important for any marketing strategy. Track which content gets the most repins or the number of clicks you get to your website through Pinterest. Pinterest has analytical tracking, but you may want to look into a third-party tracker, depending on your tracking needs.
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