Pinterest has many stigmas associated with it, one of which is that it’s for “girls only.” Although, at first glance, all the recipes, fashion, and beauty pins may make it seem this is true; businesses actually have much they can gain by integrating Pinterest as part of their social media marketing. More and more companies are discovering Pinterest to be a profitable tool for connecting with their customers and promoting their business.
Just as with any marketing effort, there is definitely a right way to do things. Even if you stay active pinning and creating boards on Pinterest, your efforts may be lost on your audience. Below are some tips to gain a following and maximize your marketing investment in Pinterest.
Integrate
One of the beneficial functionalities of Pinterest is the ability to easily integrate into your other social media and online platforms. You can easily post your pins on Facebook and Twitter, allowing a single effort to reach an audience through 3 mediums. Placing the Pinterest logo on your website or blog also allows easy sharing of your content by you or your customers. An additional way that Pinterest has mastered inter-site connectivity is by easily linking the images you pin to any URL you choose.
As an example of optimal integration, take a look at how a company selling cupcakes can effectively use Pinterest to market a new flavor to their customers. Right after taking their newest creation out of the oven, they snap a picture of it with their phone. Using the Pinterest application, they easily upload and pin the image instantly. As soon as this pin posts on Pinterest, they have the ability to have it post on their company’s Facebook profile and tweet a link to the pin on their Twitter account. Additionally, they can have this image link back to their company’s online ordering form to place an order for a dozen of these freshly baked goodies. In less than 5 minutes and no cost, they have made a connection with all their social media followers, advertised a new product, and promoted all available items for sale on their online storefront.
Relate
One of the keys to successful implementation of Pinterest is the ability to personally connect with your customers. Take a look at your company and gain an understanding of your customer base. If you are a personal training company, chances are that your customers will be active, health-conscious, and always looking for ways to improve their lifestyles. You should create boards not just directly related to personal training but think of ideas for athletic gear, healthy recipes, organic food sources, exercise programs for pregnancy, sport injury healing tips, etc. By thinking in broad terms, you can relate to not just your customers’ needs related to your specific offering, but also their entire lifestyle and common interests. This will make your Pinterest account much more relevant and useful in their daily lives.
A company we work with that teaches students how to trade stock has done a great job of making their business work for Pinterest. You wouldn’t think that a financial education company would have a lot of opportunities on Pinterest, but they’ve made their page work for the audience by sharing interesting financial images and infographics, repinning and interacting with their followers, and creating interesting boards about other professional business topics that their followers might find useful. By taking a step back and looking at what Pinterest users want, they were able to create a strategy that works for Pinterest AND their overall goals.
Another way to personally relate with your customers through Pinterest is to create contests or promotions incorporating your business. For example, if you sell outdoor gear, challenge your Pinterest followers to create boards with images of them wearing your coats, using your tents, hiking in your boots, etc. The winning board will receive a $100 gift certificate and a chance for their pictures to be featured in your next catalog. Remember how well Pinterest integrates, and you can promote this over your website, Facebook, and Twitter, too!
Enjoy
Lastly, many companies forget to have fun with their social media. Just look at the videos and images that “go viral,” and you’ll see that the general population loves a good laugh. It’s ok to post a funny picture or meme incorporating your product or some other industry related topic. Think of some fun facts about your company, industry, services, or products and feature that in a board. Be creative, and put yourself in your customer’s shoes.
A case in point, if you sell baby supplies, think of your audience as parents who are sleep-deprived and experiencing all the joys and shocks of raising preschoolers. If Hollywood can make movies and television shows centered on this, it shouldn’t be hard to pin a funny image or video related to this every now and then. The key here is to relate in a humorous way to your customers’ life experiences. This will give you credibility and likability among your followers. Just be careful not to lose your professionalism and tact – online humor can often be offensive and not appropriate for corporate social media sites.
What is so great about this online media age is the ability to reach limitless numbers of potential and existing clients easily, instantly, and with minimal to no costs. Follow these three tips to ensure that your business is not missing out on the great marketing and relational benefits that Pinterest can provide to your company!
About the Author
Brian Patterson works with Online Trading Academy, the world’s most trusted name in professional trader education. Online Trading Academy provides training on stock, forex, option, and futures trading.
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