Nowadays social media platforms are aplenty, choosing the one (or a few depending on your need) most appropriate for your online marketing campaigns is a tough challenge. Other than the usual big boys, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, there is another platform which seems to be getting a lot of attention in the world of digital marketing, Pinterest.
Today’s customers have more power than ever, they have instant access to information, product reviews, guides and more. They want direct interaction with brands, this is where social media comes in and makes listening, engaging, publishing and customer analysis easier than ever.
Why Bother with Pinterest?
Pinterest is definitely a photo-heavy platform, because of this most companies assume Pinterest won’t be suitable for them and is best left to the small businesses. This is a mistake, not only can Pinterest be a vibrant marketing channel, it will help you reach more engaged audiences and provide a rich online visual of your brand. Get it right and your company’s personality will shine through vividly on this visual platform. Take a look at these companies who are making their mark in the world of Pinboards and Pins.
Here are a few more reasons Pinterest need to be a priority on your social media marketing agenda:
- Pinterest lets users save or “Pin” images and categorize them into collections called “Boards”, up till now 50 billion items have been pinned. This is just one measure of the platform’s popularity; the following stats will give you an even better idea:
- According to Pew Research Center, the number of Pinterest users who visit the visual platform daily increased from 17% in 2014 to 27% in April 2015.
- Total number of active users is 100 million, out of which 85% are female.
- To further increase interest, Pinterest opened up their platform to developers by introducing a new API. This lets build apps and integrate third-party services into their Pinterest marketing. Notable third-party services include the social commerce website, Polyvore and the automation tool, IFTTT.
Pinterest and Your Search Engine Rankings
Social media share have an impact on SEO, and because we are the best SEO company Toronto with Pinterest you can reach a wider audience and expand your brand’s reach, add weight to your search engine rankings and build authority. URLs can be added to a pin description and can therefore help you create back-links. If you add a link to the Pin description, whenever it gets re-Pinned by someone else, a back-link will be created.
Optimize for relevant keywords so that searches for your brand can point to your Pinterest page. To make sure search engines can list your Pinterest page in SERPs, disable the “Hide your Pinterest profile from search engines” from Setting. Use the same keyword strategy for Pinterest as you do for your other online presence. Use these keywords in your board titles, board descriptions and pin descriptions.
Optimizing Pinterest: Your Pinterest Account
Optimizing your Pinterest account involves the same basic rules as traditional SEO. The first thing you need to do is research your keywords. There is no specific tool which analyzes keyword demand on Pinterest therefore you can use the Google Keyword Planner or any other keyword tool you prefer.
Find out what keywords are being used to find products on Pinterest, narrow down by your product category or the customer needs you are trying to fulfill. Once you have your list of targeted keywords, go ahead and apply the following optimization techniques:
- Choose a pinner name which represents your brand well because the profile name is displayed in the URL and the title tag of your account page.
- Include links to your main website, Facebook profile, and Twitter handle in your profile description.
- Add keywords related to product names and locations (if applicable) to maximize findability
- Define content topics of your boards according to the keywords
- The title of the board should contain your keywords
- Categorize the board correctly to ensure visibility in Pinterest searches
- Choose pins based on your keywords; keep the caption short but add keywords to the description.
- Choose strong visuals to go with each pin, these will get repinned and liked more often.
- Add Pinterest buttons and widgets to your main website.
The Roadmap to Creating the Best Pinterest Board
Pinterest users have specific tastes and the most popular boards are ones which are regularly updated, have a ton of visually appealing content, and are built around a specific theme.
- Pick a creative and catchy board title. Keep it short and sweet, longer titles are truncated on display.
- Use a visually appealing photo as the board cover image.
- Make the Pinboard description comprehensive, write why you are creating it, what it will contain, the theme, etc.
- Links can be added inside descriptions. Use this to point towards your main website or blog.
What to Pin?
Social media is all about well, media. When you hear content is king, think visual content, every survey, report, and study points out the effectiveness of visual content. Here are a few ideas to help you create great Pinterest boards:
First of all make sure all the images on your website are pin-able (Add a Pin It button)
- Company news
- Company events
- Behind-the-scenes photos
- Job openings
- Employee photos and profiles
- Client testimonials
- Client success stories
- Your branding colors
- Your founding story
- Product images
- Inspirational Quotes
You can also include links to your other online marketing content:
- Whitepapers
- Videos
- Slide-deck
- Webinars
- Content on other social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn)
- Any downloadable material (reports, whitepapers, etc.)
Spruce Up Pinterest Boards
Pinterest boards aren’t static or boring entities; you can edit and spruce them up any time you like. Here are a few things you should do to keep your boards current and fresh.
- Rearrange the order of your boards to show the most relevant and/or current one first. Remember to check the mobile app layout as well. If you created a board about a specific event or product launch, then list it in the top row.
- The first pin will be chosen as the cover image for the board, this is the default setting. You can change this to something that reflects the board theme if you want. Only images that are pinned to the board can be used as cover images.
- You can edit board details such as name, description and category assigned by in the Edit option. You can also add guest pinners and let them contribute to your board content.
- If a board doesn’t seem suitable (or too outdated or irrelevant) go ahead and delete it. You cannot restore deleted boards so make sure you actually want to toss it out before hitting that Confirm Deletion button.
Building Brand Awareness with Pinterest
Brand awareness campaigns need a significant visual component; this is where imaged-based platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram can serve as excellent tools.
Engaging and interesting content will increase brand exposure. One of the best ways to maximize brand exposure is to use visual content. Statistics show that visual content is viewed 94% more and is 40 times more likely to be shared than simple text-based content.
Pinterest is an excellent advertising platform as well; you can directly market to the 100 million active users of Pinterest. However, it is recommended that you don’t start with a paid reach campaign immediately. Try to understand the demands of the platform and the user base first and try to build a significant presence before trying for paid traffic. Experience shows that a combination of organic and paid marketing works better.
Pinterest ads or promoted pins can provide an additional boost to your lead generation. You will be able to reach a large number of users with Pinterest ads. Ads on social media platforms are usually best when targeted to a narrow audience so use filters and market to a specific niche.
Social Media Based Brand Awareness Tactics and Strategy
Pinterest has the power to breathe new life into your content. Here are some Pinterest best practices which have been proven to work. These tactics have been responsible for a boost in engagement levels for major brands such as Lowe’s, Martha Stewart, Whole Foods and a lot more.
Think from a purely visual perspective when promoting your products
Let people see what kind of products you are selling. Don’t repeat the strategy you use on your website, blog or even Instagram. Pinterest boards are a powerful way to organize and present things to your customers.
Example
Etsy hits this right on the mark. Their boards are full of stunning images of their products. The boards aren’t merely a rehashing of product categories; you will find boards created around themes such: Inspiring Workplaces, The Art of Display, Etsy City Guides, boards created by Guest Pinners and a lot more.
Make sharing easy for users
Adding a “Pin It” button to your website will make it easy for users to share any products on their own Pinterest boards. This will result in your brand getting more exposure and will lead to more traffic to your main website.
Example
This is something that Sephora is very good at; they have successfully run many Pinterest campaigns which have generated a lot of sales and user interaction.
Don’t be afraid to create tons of boards
Carefully curate content and make tons of boards. Pinterest users want high quality content and will look at multiple boards to find what they are looking for. Hence, you can have multiple boards, each for a specific purpose. It goes without saying that you need to post relevant content to each board and keep it updated.
Example
A great example is Martha Stewart Living; they are a brand with lots of product lines and a major magazine. All their boards are colorful, useful, serve a clear purpose and extremely organized.
Get creative with your board names
Clever board names will set you apart; don’t be afraid to try humor, puns or twists on traditional phrases. Whatever names you choose make sure it is relevant to your board theme.
Example
Whole Foods have great board titles which keep to the tone of the brand. Their product lines are all about organic and natural foods. Some of the cleverer board titles include: How Does Your Garden Grow? And Cheese is the Bee’s Knees.
Have a clear idea about your brand and your customers
The more you understand your brand, the better your content marketing will be, this is especially true for visual content. You can only express ideas clearly and creatively if you know your brand philosophy backwards and forwards.
Example
Real Simple is a magazine with 671k Pinterest followers; they realize that users are looking for short DIY tips. They have very interesting boards such as Quick and Easy Dinners, Doable Fitness Ideas and Tips, and a very useful series of boards, RS Finds.
Integrate your other online content with Pinterest
This is a basic part of any good social media marketing strategy but needs to be emphasized when we are talking about Pinterest. Make sure all original images on your website and blog have a “Pin It” button. You can also pin external content, or create specific boards for special events or causes your company supports.
Example
Refinery 29 is a lifestyle site mainly focused on apparel and fashion. They have a lot of external content and the brand’s social media presence presents a cohesive and integrated picture.
Remember these tips when planning your Pinterest marketing campaign and you will drive up the number of leads and generate more traffic to your main blog and website. Pinterest can be an excellent tool for building brand awareness and staying in touch with your customers.
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