These days, staying ahead of social media is darn near impossible, especially when you’ve got, well…a life. With the recent rumblings about Google+ and the impact it has on search ratings, the last thing you want to hear about is yet another new social media site that you’ve got to be on top of. However, this one may leave you pleasantly surprised. If you haven’t looked at Pinterest yet, it’s time to take the plunge. Go ahead – open it up. What stands before you on the screen is actually quite simple. Pinterest is a way to organize your interests. You create a Board, name it (“Recipes I Want to Try”), then dive into the Pins and put the ones you like (chocolate chip cookies) on your board. You can also create your own Pins with pictures from web pages (foodnetwork.com). You now have a virtual bulletin board of Pins about what interests you, hence, “Pinterest”.
Each Pin will link to the specific page where the pinned image was found, unless the person who pinned it did it incorrectly. Therefore, people on Pinterest create a web of SEO-friendly links. For your business, getting links in this web could be a very helpful way to drive traffic to your site via inbound links. So, how exactly should you go about it? Here are some helpful hints and points to consider when creating your brand on Pinterest.
- If you sell tangible objects, it can be easy to fall into a groove of just Pinning your products. Even if you have a very established brand, this will drive people away. Even Gap has an “I Want Candy” board, where they pin delicious-looking treats.
- If you don’t sell tangible objects, you’re going to have to get creative. Infographics, blog post images, and company photos are good things to start with. Then, start brainstorming interests or lifestyles that are related to your service or brand. If you own a cleaning company, post photos of really clean, cool houses. If you own a moving company, post photos of exciting locations your company has moved people to.
- Add personal touches. People want to see that Gap employees like candy. Make a several people in your company can Pin on, and all of you can post inspirational or interesting things that you like. Upload images of your head honchos meeting over lunch, or your receptionist playing Angry Birds. Fun, interesting, and exciting images are going to get clicked on.
- Pinterest does not have the same following that Facebook or Twitter do. So, advertise your Pinterest account on your other social media profiles, and anywhere else you promote your profiles.
- Follow the popular people in your category (Technology, Fitness, Food, Etc.). If you can get them to repin your Pins, you’ll reach more people.
- Pinterest is based on feeling more than thinking. Post images that will make people feel a connection, so they’ll want to click. Let’s say you sell motors. Pinning an image of a motor itself probably won’t get clicks. Posting an image of the motor in action in an awesome car is more likely to trigger some clicking.
- Create a keyword-friendly description for each Pin. Just don’t go overboard with adding links in the description, as that will turn people away. The Pin already links to your site once, so adding a bunch of links to the description area is not necessary.
Even if you follow all of these points and tips, Pinterest will just not work well for every company. For instance, let’s say you’re in the air conditioning/heating business. Pictures of air conditioner and heating units will probably not garner a whole lot of clicks, and diagrams of how your products work in houses will only get you so far.
How can you decide if Pinterest is right for your business or brand? The easiest way is to go to pinterest.com. At the top of the page under the logo, you’ll see the word “Everything.” Hovering over that word will produce a list of categories. If your business or brand fits well into one of those categories, you’ve got a much better chance than if you’ve got to stretch your imagination to make it fit.
For more information and other viewpoints about Pinterest and small business, visit these pages:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2012/02/06/my-interest-in-pinterest/
http://www.inc.com/john-brandon/9-tips-boost-your-business-pinterest.html
