If you’ve ever lost an hour (or two) browsing pinboards and pinning ideas on everything from recipes to home remodeling ideas, you are far from alone. With over 75 billion ideas, it’s easy to get pulled in! As a brand, though, Pinterest is more than a great way to pass the time and be inspired: it is an effective way to reach and engage your audience. How do you get started — and noticed on this dynamic, visual platform?
But First… Some Key Pinterest Facts
- 72% of Pinners use Pinterest to help them make purchase decisions
- 87% have bought a product because of Pinterest
- 50% of users make a purchase after viewing a Promoted Pin
- 93% of Pinners use the platform to plan purchases
- More than 5% of all website referral traffic comes from Pinterest
- 40% of Pinterest users earn $100,000+
- 60% of new users are women; 40% are men.
So what? Your target audience is on Pinterest; they are interested in interacting with brands and using the platform to inform purchase decisions. The platform is especially well-suited to the design and construction industry: it is highly visual, and you can use pins to help potential and current customers find inspiration for their home build/renovation/remodel projects.
Get Started
1. Create a Pinterest Business Account
Visit http://business.pinterest.com and create an account. You’ll enter your basics, such as email, password, business name, website, and business category (e.g. local business) and review the terms of service. Easy peasy.
If you already have a personal Pinterest account, simply convert it over to a business page. This will give you access to business tools, such as analytics, that can help you leverage this platform fully.
2. Fill Out Your Profile
You’re on your way: now you need to fill in your vital details. These will tell your audience more about you, establish credibility, and make your profile far more appealing. To do this, log in, hover over the profile icon (top right) and click on Settings. Find the profile section and upload a profile picture. It can be your logo or a great headshot; just make sure it’s high quality and allows your audience to recognize your brand immediately.
Fill in the About You section with a clear, concise description of what you do and who you are. It’s helpful to add a few industry and brand-specific keywords. Add your location, your website URL, and you’re just about done.
3. Confirm Your Website
When you confirm your website, it adds your logo to content pinned from your website; you’ll also be able to see what visitors pin from your site. Another benefit: your pins will rank higher in search results, helping potential customers find you more easily.
At the end of the profile section, you’ll see a button asking you to Confirm Website. Pinterest will generate a code, which you then copy and paste into the HTML of your website’s index page. After that, just hit Finish.
4. Build Some Boards!
Your account is ready to get to work for your brand. Start by creating boards so you can organize content. This helps keep everything clean and streamlined, and it also incents people to follow one or more of your boards or your entire account. On the Boards tab, just click the red plus sign to create a board. Give it a descriptive name (20 characters max); if you can slip in a relevant keyword, do it.
Go back to the Boards tab, click the pencil icon, and enter in more details about the contents of that board, choose a relevant category, and hit Save.
5. Let the Fun Begin: Start Pinning
Populate your boards with great pins. To start, install the Pinterest browser button so you can pin anything from the web. For example, if you have a great image of a sleek new faucet system you’re selling, click the Pinterest icon in your browser toolbar. Select the image, click save, add a description, and put it on the right board. Once you’ve got a good bank of images, choose one for your cover pin.
Getting started with Pinterest for business is easy! Now how do you get noticed?
Highlight Your Brand on Pinterest
1. It’s All About the Content.
Start by using Pinterest analytics to determine which type of content your audience is most interested in: what are people pinning from your website, which pieces of curated content resonate with them, and which boards see the most interaction and engagement? Give them more of what they want.
You can also use the Topics tool to see what type of content is most popular in certain topics. Create and curate content that aligns with your audience’s interests.
2. Pay Attention to Your Titles and Descriptions
Yes, Pinterest is a visual social platform, but your written titles and descriptions are critical in getting your pins noticed and repinned. Be succinct and clear and include keywords so your brand will show up in smart feeds and searches. Also, try using Pinterest Rich Pins: it installs a special code on your website. When people pin content, descriptions are automatically filled in.
3. Be Social
Follow other pinners and repin exceptional content. This accomplishes two goals: you become part of a community
and show your willingness to play well with others. You also deliver more value to your audience without having to create yet more content. Customize your description, attribute credit to the original source, and you’re good to go.
4. Connect to Other Social Networks
Link your Pinterest activities to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google+. You’ll extend your reach, promote your boards, and create a consistent brand identity across platforms.
5. Pin Consistently
Unlike platforms like Facebook, where you can post once a day and see results, Pinterest requires a bit more in terms of frequency. Try to pin 5 to 10 items each day, or, if you have time and great content, as many as 25. Remember, while you do need a solid description, pinning 10 items isn’t as time-consuming as write 10 Facebook posts or tweets.
If you can’t commit to 2 to 25 items every day, then aim for 10. It’s more effective to be consistent than to post like crazy and then have a long, dry stretch.
Once you get started on Pinterest, keep your momentum up. This is a fun channel that can provide a significant ROI. Make the most of it — and happy pinning!
