Is Pinterest Useful for Your Business?

A company’s online presence can make a huge difference to the brand’s overall success. Consumers seek information, interaction and inspiration from many avenues. Pinterest has become a hub for the online community to gather information, ideas and formulate wish lists for activities, products, and services they wish to purchase. Harnessing the community’s desires and interests has the potential to skyrocket your company’s brand awareness.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual discovery board system. “Pinners” can create an unlimited number of boards to save a wide array of visual content. This content can include embedded links which may then lead you out of Pinterest, to a website or to an online shop where the product may then be purchased. You can also upload content as a user, and file the content into separate pinboards – for free. The system also functions as a search engine, so adding captions and keywords will enable users to find any uploaded content that matches the description via keyword search.

Why Is Pinterest Considered to Be a Social Media Platform?

The social aspect of Pinterest is the ability to comment on the images, browse, save and share pins, both directly to other members of Pinterest, but also through other platforms such as WhatsApp, email, and text messages. The Pinterest boards can then be followed by other users, as can the overall accounts. This means that if a fan of your brand would like any content posted from your profile (or in a specific board) to appear in their Pinterest feed, by following your account (or the board) this is made possible. It also then becomes easier for this user to find your profile, and therefore to view your boards and content more efficiently, as they can simply search or browse for your profile in their list of followed pages.

What Is Pinterest Used for?

The overall goal on Pinterest is to appeal to users’ interests and visual preferences. It can be used in many different ways, from finding and advertising products and services in a visually appealing format, to gaining inspiration for a project; or simply for learning something new.

There are certain topics that are more popular than others, such as recipes, DIY, interior design, as well as wedding and seasonal celebration. However, Pinterest hosts a broad variety of content for all kinds of subjects. Being very specific in your choice of wording for any content posted on this platform will be very beneficial in drawing traffic to your posts.

How Can I Use Pinterest for My Business?

Pinterest is ideal for advertising products and services in a visually appealing and impactful format. You can upload both video and image content, further utilising each post with lead magnets. By referencing lead magnets on your content and posts, viewers may be incentivised to follow the link to your website and sign on to your mailing list or subscription service. An example of a lead magnet is including simple wording strategically positioned on an educational content piece; “sign on for a free cheat sheet!” This is an excellent way of motivating pinner to click through and browse your website and other content.

A great way to start your business’s journey on Pinterest is to have a clear vision of how you would like to present your brand. Consider what boards you would like people to access where they can view your profile on the platform. Consider how best to organise your content for the simplest pathways for users to view and explore.

There are many aspects to planning your Pinterest boards. Defining what outputs and outcomes you hope to achieve for your business is key. Some examples of this may be:

Showcasing

Showcasing your brand and presenting your brand’s philosophy in a striking visual manner will do wonders in educating the Pinterest community on who you are as a company and what you have to offer. If your Pinterest profile is the first point of contact a user has with your business, making an impression is equally as important as the clarity of how you present yourself. Make it as easy as possible for the viewer to understand your company and your products and services.

Sales

Your goal in joining Pinterest may be to increase direct sales for your business’s products and services. As a hotspot for aesthetically pleasing imagery, Pinterest is an ideal location to showcase your business. People often seek not just inspiration on Pinterest, but also the ability to purchase the product or service presented. If what the business offers is a service, presenting yourself as a solution can be an effective way of marketing this on the platform.

Educational content

Perhaps a board dedicated to educational content may be beneficial. Eye-catching, colourful “how to” infographics are popular on the platform and provide information on subjects that may drive users towards your content, products and services. Presenting solutions through compelling imagery is an excellent way of creating trust in the company and affinity with your brand.

Links

Include a web link on your content to drive traffic towards your main website or blog. Additionally, embed Pinterest save buttons onto any videos, images, infographics or general content on your company website to make it easy for potential, past and present customers to save Pins to their boards. This encourages people to return to your content at a later date, increasing the possibility of gaining a sale. Not only that, the more people who save your Pins, the more likely other users are to find your content. The key is to make it as easy as possible for people to take the desired actions.

Keywords

Words are important to maximize your engagement levels. Consider carefully the most effective keywords to utilize for optimum search capture. Rather than word-heavy searches, users are more likely to type “autumn jumpers” than “jumpers that will keep me warm in autumn”. Pay attention to key trends, and do not hesitate to research your market and how other competitors or similar brands are marketing themselves. Take note of how users interact with these posts; if you find a particularly popular image with a list of comments, what about that image generated so much engagement? Was it how they worded the description? Is there anything about this post that generated such engagement?

To conclude:

Whatever your goals, Pinterest has many beneficial aspects that are worth considering for your company’s social media marketing strategy. It may seem intimidating to encompass a platform which is so visual-centric into your social media marketing strategy. At FreshOnline we are here to help. We have a range of social media marketing services which we tailor to provide the best services to our clients.

If you would like to get in touch for a commitment-free conversation, we would be happy to help you navigate the best way forward for your business.