44% of women online in the United States use Pinterest, a visually-oriented social site launched back in 2010. With over 47 million users, it’s an intriguing predictor of shopping behavior: Women tend to use it as a wishlist, while men see it as more of a shopping cart, a study found.
If connecting with millions of purchase-ready users sounds enticing, you’re not alone! Businesses are searching for ways to get attention and monetize traffic – and in 2015, the site introduced buyable pins to capitalize on the craze. But don’t think buyable pins and the companion service, Buy It on Pinterest, will mark the end of the story.
The power of Pinterest to drive your business is just beginning!
Let’s look at the top Pinterest marketing tips:
Research What Your Ideal Customer Pins
Pinterest provides plenty of tools to find out what’s hot and trendy. You can use the site’s dashboard to search for keywords and categories, giving you a good starting place. As with any other form of digital marketing, start with your buyer personas in mind. Then, set up boards and pins to respond to their needs.
Start Watermarking Content on Day One
Images travel fast on Pinterest, and even the most compelling product can easily lose its attribution in the shuffle. Before you start pinning, make sure you have a process in place to put a small watermark on imagery associated with your brand. No matter how far a picture travels, it will pull traffic back to you.
Optimize Board Titles and Pin Descriptions
Pinterest is fashionable and trendy, but it isn’t immune to the needs of SEO. When people search on the site, they’ll come across your pin names and board names more than any other text – so ensure these titles reflect the keywords your prospects are likely to search for. Don’t stuff too many keywords into each one!
Follow Users You Want to Follow You
Taking time to foster a connection with other users makes a big difference in brand success. Following is step one, but don’t quit there: Comment, like, and use hashtags in posts to highlight relevant keywords. You should also tag accounts to notify other users that you’re talking to them. Join the conversation!
Pin Interesting Images and Multimedia
Pinterest is one of the most visual social networks out there, but you aren’t limited to photos. You can pin videos, Slideshare presentations, and a whole range of images – including infographics and even text. A memorable message, a cool font, and a good background can turn almost anything into a pin!
With its highly-engaged community, Pinterest is poised to grow. Follow these tips and it’ll be a productive part of your marketing mix before you know it.