Pinterest often gets overlooked but it is a brilliant social media marketing tool. Why? It’s still growing ridiculously fast. Not to mention, Pinterest users are more likely to buy than on other social media platforms.

It essentially serves as an online mood board where people can organise content however they like. These can then get repinned by other users which makes it fantastic for viral posts!

The exposure you can obtain from using Pinterest for business is second to none. Because it relies heavily on the visual aspects of marketing. If you have a product to sell – people can see it in all its glory and will hopefully want to click through to learn more about it.

This isn’t to say all the other social platforms aren’t crucial for your marketing plan too. We talk all about incorporating social media in your business plan in our Social Clinics, but this is what’s so great about Pinterest.

Why Pinterest?

High engagement

Similar to Instagram, scrolling through Pinterest is visually stimulating. It takes less time to look at a picture or infographic than it does to read a Tweet or Facebook post. The simplicity and ease of viewing Pins mean you’re likely to get high engagement on your posts.

This makes it a fantastic tool to increase the number of backlinks to your website. Pins allow for quick click-throughs and help drive more traffic to where you want it.

As well as this, with user engagement being so high, your pins are likely to get shared widely with people who have common interests. If people share your posts to boards, you’re going to be among like-minded clients looking for a solution you can provide.

People love infographics too. They are visually appealing but provide rich information that is valuable to customers. If you can turn content into short-form infographics, you’ll be sure to see that engagement. Informative content is rated highly on social media but try to keep it engaging and new.

Like you would with any other content, make it your own. This is the time to get those facts and figures that you’re proud of, into some new and exciting visuals. They’ll get shared around and you’ll become a respected business. People will look past your competitors because you have something unique.

Increased Awareness

I’m sure you’re aware of the ‘Twitter drama’ you can come across on the platform. There are some large brands out there that have been hit by the negative press as a result of online trolls.

But it’s safe to say, Pinterest is a bit safer on that side of things. This can be really beneficial for the awareness of your business. People can see which content is being shared, what’s trending, and know where to find more of it.

Awareness of your brand is key in people building trust with you too. If they don’t trust you, they won’t consider buying from you. The more people know about you and the more open you are as a company – the better. With Pinterest, it is all about visuals.

By producing original content with visual elements, you’ll be showing up everywhere. Once people are familiar with your posts, they’ll become more familiar with your brand as well. As a result, you could see more interest in your other platforms too, and more traffic to your website. That’s another great reason you should be using Pinterest for business.

Merge Pinterest with other platforms

Pinterest users can choose to link their accounts and display what they Pin on other social media. So your potential customers could be a really valuable source of backlinks.

This is also important because, although not everyone does it, those that see these posts being shared elsewhere, may not have considered Pinterest as a place to shop or find your brand. Any bit of exposure you can get is beneficial, so while you’re sharing content on multiple platforms, so are your customers!

Don’t forget that evergreen content can work in your favour here too. By using similar content but changing the ways you market it or present it, can also boost your brand awareness. You’ll see which style of content works best on different platforms and using Pinterest for business can help expand the scope of your brand to other social media.

By people sharing content on Pinterest, your customers will know where they can find you and your brand awareness goes through the roof. It also makes it easier to direct people to more of your content – by linking to sites elsewhere.

But you have to be aware of what your audience is looking for:

See what your customers want

You can use Pinterest to see what’s trending. Use this to your advantage and keep up to date with what your audience is looking at.

Another helpful tool is being able to see who has Pinned your posts, and where they pinned them too. You can view people’s public boards (places they can group similar pins) to get an idea of topics and content styles your audience is currently trending.

People will use boards as a means of inspiration. They’ll organise content for similar products, brands, or topics in one place. This means your content could be grouped with some top competitors. This is where pinning infographics or videos come in handy. People love them.

But try to keep your content original and relevant. You’re selling your unique selling points and don’t forget to let people know what you’re doing to solve their problems.

The better you get to know what else they’re looking at, the easier it will be to develop the content that’s already out there. This way you can turn trending posts into original content that suits your business.

Integrating Pinterest with your website

If you have products to sell, add a ‘Pin it’ button to each one on your website. This way, all your customers have to do is log in and they’ll have your content in two places.

This allows images from your website to be pinned directly to people’s Pinterest boards. It’s a one-click process that will see more engagement for your business content.

Pinterest is known for its incredible ability to turn a potential customer into a buyer. But this way, if they don’t make that decision right away, you’ll be in their mind and easy to come back to. They would have grouped you with relevant content and have a direct route back to your website.

However, if they do make that purchase – even better! You’ve won yourself a client as well as making a mark on their social media. You want to ensure your customers return and buy from you again. So if they have your content pinned via your website, they know exactly where to come next time.

They’ll have a reminder of your brand through Pinterest and will be able to see who else is pinning it. It’ll drive even more traffic through those handy backlinks!

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Using Pinterest for business – Top Tips

• Use photos sized at 1000 x 1500 pixels at a 2:3 aspect ratio- This is what Pinterest considers an ideal size and will make for the best quality photo. Although if it needs to be smaller, it should be a minimum of 600 x 900 pixels.
• Ensure your blogs/web pages have images- This way when people pin them, you can make sure there is plenty of backlinks to your website and landing pages to drive traffic. Having a ‘Pin it’ button on your shop’s website is
• Research keywords and add hashtags- Use the top trending keywords in captions or hashtags to further boost post engagement. It’ll make your content easier to find!
• Use Pinterest boards to increase brand awareness- Find boards relevant to you and start adding original content. People will know exactly what you’re about and be able to pick you over competitors.

We know how vital social media is to many businesses’ marketing strategies. So why does Pinterest get overlooked so often? If it could help your brand and you believe it would be an effective marketing tool, it could really increase organic traffic to your site and boost conversion for you.

Still not sure how to approach social media in your business? Not to worry, our Free Social Media Clinics are a great place to start! If you fancy more, we have a whole range of Digital Marketing services for you. Contact us and tell us how we can help.

Want some more tips and advice? Check out these:

LinkedIn Top Tips From A Digital Marketing Agency Surrey