It’s easy to see why more and more businesses are joining Pinterest. Consumers love it because they’re able to interact with a company easily and freely. Businesses love it because there are millions of potential customers literally at their fingertips. While some social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, are growing hubs for businesses’ customer service, not every social media platform is right for your company. Pinterest is one of the latest social media sites that businesses have been joining to garner leads, but before you sign up, make sure you know if it’s right for your company and that you’re using it to your advantage.
What is Pinterest? Pinterest is a visual-driven bookmarking site. Users create themed boards that allow them to bookmark, or “pin,” recipes, outfits, travel destinations and the like that they’ve come across on the web.
Boards and pins can be seen by every user (unless marked as private) and individual pins can be re-pinned on another user’s boards. Users are also able to search by category to see every pin that has been added in that same theme. Just like other social media platforms, there is a commenting and “liking” feature to create engagement and conversation.
How do I know if it’s right for my company?
- Pinterest is very visual. The more eye-catching your pinned images are, the more clicks they will generate. If what your company is about or what it’s trying to sell can’t be put into a visual format, it won’t be successful and content won’t be pinned.
- Make sure the Pinterest demographic lines up with your target audience. Women are 5 times as likely as men to use Pinterest, with most users between 18-49. In addition to being female dominant, it also attracts a higher-educated, affluent audience.
Overdrive Interactive Pinterest Board
- Do you have time? Pinterest is a community, not a tool. You need to be able to dedicate time to pinning, commenting and liking to be viable on the platform. You get what you give, especially on Pinterest.
It’s a perfect match. Now what?
- Don’t be too promotional with what you pin. Pinterest is all about sharing ideas and interests. Share the content that inspires your company.
- Write meaningful and relevant descriptions. With each pin, tag relevant usernames (i.e. @Ovrdrv) and keywords (include hashtags if you’re sharing on Twitter or Facebook as well). This will allow you to show up in searches when users search for certain keywords or phrases.
- Create boards around your company’s core values/goals or products. For example, a board about green practices is relevant and interesting to Pinterest users if it aligns with your company’s core mission of corporate responsibility.
- If your content is a bit text-heavy, using charts, infographics and videos are ways to be more visual and Pinterest-friendly.
- Keep track of your success through analytics.
- Lastly, interact! Comment and like posts to establish your company in the community and spread the word!
What else do you or your company do to stay relevant on Pinterest? Share your personal and professional Pinterest success stories here!
