Quick Tips: Pinterest for Business

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Pinterest is making a name for itself among the top social media channels for business.  No longer is the platform relegated to soccer moms and crafty homemakers! Today, Pinterest has positioned itself as a prominent search engine similar to Google and YouTube and marketers are using the platform to create brand awareness, increase website traffic and ultimately grow their business profiles.  

WHY PINTEREST

With a hyper-engaged audience of over 200 million users under 40, Pinterest represents a huge opportunity.  The social media channel is growing in popularity especially among men and minorities.  Statistically, two-thirds of Pinterest users say they’ve discovered new brands and products from Pinterest features like Promoted Pins and half of all users say that Pinterest helps them find new products to buy.  Pinterest is a go-to channel for mobile users as well with nearly 80% of pinners accessing the platform via mobile technology.  When marketing on Pinterest be sure to bring your A-game because this social media channel boasts big returns!

PINTEREST FOR BUSINESS

Setting up a Pinterest account for business is easy.  Users have three options here.  Set up a solo business account, link your personal account to a business account (you can have up to four,) or convert an established personal account into a business account.  No matter which option you use, the business account status comes with a lot of perks.  

  1. FREE business account (this allows you to set up paid advertising on the platform.)

  2. Ability to select a business category so “pinners” can find you.  Don’t forget to select “Featured Boards” to add to your profile.

  3. Links to business email and website to draw traffic to your site.

  4. The ability to claim your website, Instagram, Etsy and YouTube accounts.  Linked accounts mean cross-promotion!

  5. Download a Pinterest Browser Button making “pinning” your posts quick and easy.

PINTEREST BASICS

  • PINS:  Visual bookmarks that users can collect and categorize.  You can “pin” items while browsing Pinterest or add new ones from your favorite websites.

  • BOARDS:  Used to save and organize pins.  Categorized by names you choose.

  • REPIN:  Adding a “pin” to your own boards.  When you “repin” the person with the original Pin will also get the credit.

  • PROMOTED PINS:  Paid “pins” that a user sees based on interest and activities.

  • RICH PINS:  There are four types of rich pins—Product, Article, App, and Recipe.  The process requires a little extra work, but utilizing meta tags and going through the Rich Pins validator can greatly improve pin visibility and boost your business profile.  

WHAT TO PIN

  • Pin your best ideas!  Make sure your pin has clear content and is actionable for a specific audience.  When users click on a pin they expect to be directed to a landing page for more info so be sure to link your accounts!

  • Blog posts are ideal for pinning.  Pinners want direct links AND information so they can discover and buy new products.

  • Use vertical graphics with text overlays.  Pinterest is a visual platform. Make sure your graphics always point back to your brand or business.

  • Pinterest allows videos to play right from their platform.  This drives traffic straight to your website instead of linking to another social media channel. Video pins are only allowed on business accounts.

AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT

Eye-catching pins draw in an audience so it’s important to know who you’re targeting.  Is it women, men, both? What age? Does your product have regional, national, or global appeal?  Going in with clear goals helps. Keep in mind that most Pinterest users are females age 40 and younger with household incomes between $50 thousand and $125 thousand dollars.  Millennials are also using the platform just as much as Instagram.  Pinterest makes growing an audience easy through categories, keywords, and hashtags.  Pin consistently (daily) for best results.

  • Connect through Categories:  Pinterest is set up similar to a search engine.  Pinners can select categories and the platform will offer up a list of suggestions AND other category suggestions for pinners to explore.

  • Connect through Keywords:  Similar to SEO, businesses have some control over the categories their pins show up in through keywords.  While pinning, businesses should ALWAYS include keywords in the pin description. It’s important to also include links back to your website at every opportunity.

  • Connect through Hashtags:  Hashtags help your content perform better.  Pinners can find your pins via a hashtag search and hashtags are listed chronologically, so regular business pinners can quickly move to the top of that list. 

PINTEREST ANALYTICS

Pinterest offers a variety of analytics for its users.  The number of monthly viewers is probably the most important stat to pay attention to on your profile page.  Audience Insights is another great way to take that number and adjust content to gain more traffic.  On this channel, businesses should be more concerned with views and saves, and not necessarily likes and comments.   Monitor top pins to know what works. You can filter your “Top Pins” by “Impressions”, “Engagements”, “Closeups”, “Link clicks”, and “Saves”.  Then revamp and repost.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Pinterest is a great option for businesses of all sizes.  It offers a longer shelflife for content because content can be discovered at any time and doesn’t disappear into a newsfeed.  Pinterest users utilize the site with the intent to purchase. Cross-promotion opportunities abound on this platform with direct links to websites for quick and easy conversions.  With pin ready images, share buttons, linked accounts, and the ability to appear in numerous “searches,” Pinterest is an excellent platform to showcase your brand and grow your audience.