You may know Pinterest as the place where people go to source home decor ideas and recipes, but there’s a lot more to the site than you realize. The platform is a fantastic source for nearly every form of visually-based content you could ever want to discover.
These visual elements provide ample marketing opportunities for businesses looking to inspire customers or build links and traffic. But to get the most out of Pinterest, a carefully thought out marketing strategy is essential.
The Benefits of Pinterest Marketing
A cross between a social media platform and visual search engine, Pinterest has built a reputation for its use in inspiring creativity and for introducing audiences to new ideas and products.
85% of Pinterest users claim it is their go-to platform to visit when starting a new project. And 70% of users say that it is where they go to find new products and services.
So, there’s clearly potential here for businesses to introduce new audiences to their products and services. Furthermore, the site is a valuable marketing tool for companies looking to drive more traffic to their websites or social media through the use of links.
Let’s now take a look at how you can go about developing an effective Pinterest marketing strategy.
1. Define Your Goals and Purpose
Before you begin uploading content to the platform, it will be helpful first to define what exactly that is you want that content to do. For example, your goal may be to drive more traffic to your blog, or it may be to increase sales of a particular product or raise brand awareness.
You’ll also want to conduct market research to identify which of your potential customers will likely be using Pinterest and what kind of content they’re looking for there. That way, you can tailor your strategy to fit their needs.
2. Optimize your Branding
As with any social media strategy, you want to ensure that your Pinterest profile and content represent your overall branding effectively. That means ensuring your profile bio and profile match your other social media accounts and your content complements your overall tone and values. Otherwise, you’re liable to confuse customers with mixed messaging.
Another element of your profile you’ll need to consider is the management of your boards. If you don’t know, Pinterest boards are organized collections of your various pins (images and other visual content). These help users navigate the different types of content you have on the site. For example, you may want product-based pins under one board and all your blog-linked pins under another.
Pinterest allows users to have five “showcase” boards under their profile. So, it’s generally a good idea to put your most important content here. The platform also allows you to upload specific covers for each of your boards which is great for branding purposes.
3. Create Visually Appealing Content
Once you’ve set up your profile, it’s time to add some pins. Commonly, these will be photos and pictures, but don’t be afraid to experiment with the different content types available. For example, if you have multiple products you want to showcase, you might opt to create a ‘Pinterest carousel’ that combines numerous images together. Infographics and instructographics are also popular on the platform, as is video content.
Whatever content you upload, don’t forget that most Pinterest users are on mobile. Because of this, vertical content in a 2:3 ratio is generally the best bet. Also, don’t forget to add links to your blog, products, and website, so your customers can get to where you want them to go.
4. Master Pinterest SEO
As a visual search engine, Pinterest has its own unique algorithm and SEO rules. Thankfully, there aren’t too many complexities to wrap your head around, but there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind to drive traffic to your pins and boards.
You will, for instance, want to add any target keywords relating to your business, your profile name, and your bio. For example, if you run a small business that sells handmade crafts, you might want to include “handmade gifts” in your profile name and some specific items you sell in your bio. You’ll also want to add keywords in the title and descriptions of your pins and when you name your boards. The idea is to reach your target market.
As always with SEO, it’s essential to keep things sounding natural and avoid keyword stuffing. Don’t just throw a list of context words into descriptions in the hopes of tricking the algorithm. Instead, write with your customer in mind first and foremost.
5. Engage With the Pinterest Community
As with any social media site, communication is key to garnering a following on Pinterest. That means responding to and leaving comments, sharing pins, and engaging with other users within your niche. You’ll also want to promote your Pinterest account on your other social platforms elsewhere so that your previously established audience knows they can also find you on Pinterest.
One unique aspect of Pinterest is that it allows users to invite other contributors to post on their boards. Similarly, users can apply to post on these ‘community boards.’ Contributing to these can be a great way of getting your brand and product in front of new audiences. Inviting users to post on your boards can also be a brilliant way of harnessing user-generated content and forming a community around your brand.
6. Analyze Your Metrics
The key to any good marketing strategy is the ability to change and adapt based on performance. And this is also true when marketing on Pinterest. As such, you should always study and analyze your data to see what content is and isn’t working while using the platform. Look at what kind of pins and boards get engagements and shares and which ones are left to gather proverbial dust and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Summary
While Pinterest doesn’t necessarily have the reach of social media giants like Facebook and Twitter, it remains a viable and effective marketing platform for any visually-based business. Just be sure you have clear expectations in mind and create content that registers with your audience, and you’ll be on to a cost-effective way of achieving your marketing goals.