For many companies Pinterest is primarily a visually engaging social media site used mostly for wedding planning, DIY projects and collecting recipes. While it is certainly true that Pinterest is visually engaging (and slightly addictive, I might add), it is much more than that. With over 250 million people on Pinterest and 90% of its users looking at content to make a purchase, Pinterest is an incredibly powerful marketing tool for companies that want to connect with their audience in a creative and engaging way, while at the same time directing followers to their website and turning curious consumers into conversions.

What sets Pinterest apart from the other social media platforms as a marketing tool is Pinterest’s large user base, which makes it a valuable marketing platform for organizations and marketers of all kinds. You can reach thousands of people instantly with just one pin. Your Pinterest pins live forever, whereas your tweet only has a lifespan of about 5-25 minutes and your Facebook post may live for 60 - 80 minutes. Pinterest is an aspirational form of social media. It invites users to share what they aspire to be or do. This is key, because it enables users to stay engaged with the content they have pinned. Often individuals who have pinned something will return to it when they are ready to actually buy the product.

How can your business use Pinterest as a marketing tool to help improve brand awareness and improve sales?

1. Sign Up for a Business Account

To get your business started on Pinterest, sign up for a Pinterest business account. This is free and gives you access to Pinterest Analytics and other helpful marketing features such as a profile stating your business, Pinterest widgets and Pinterest tags. Make sure you choose the right categories for your content, so that it becomes more searchable for users.

2. Share Your Content

Pinterest is unique as it is a place where you can distribute all types of content. 85% of pinners prefer visual content and unlike Instagram, users can have click-through live links. Content is shared on Pinterest boards. These boards will harbor all your pins and share your content for followers to explore and repin to their own boards, which in return will be viewed by their followers. You can have as many boards as you want. They can be organized into types of inspiration, plans, ideas, themes or however you see best fit for your brand. This will also make it easier for your followers to find the content they are searching for. You can invite followers to join your boards for added exposure and to increase engagement on your boards. “Group Boards” allow members to add content that relates to your boards’ theme and share with their followers.

Pinterest Group Board for added Exposure and Engagement

3. Build a Strong Community

There are over 335 million people who use Pinterest every month. With a Pinterest community, you can count on your followers to be interested in your content, interact with your boards and make their way to your website. To build a solid community promote your Pinterest account on your other social media platforms. Add keywords and hashtags to your Pinterest content, so you are more likely to appear in users’ feeds and searches. Check out your competition to see what they do and ask influencers to re-post your content to gain attention from their followers. Be sure to follow, engage and interact with other accounts to create relationships between them and your business. You can also pay for a Pinterest ads account so you can run ads on the platform.

4. Educate Your Customers

Given Pinterest’s tendency for visual content, it’s also a great place to educate and engage with customers through visuals, tutorials and videos. When creating and sharing content on your Pinterest profile, be sure to keep your target audience in mind. Your content should resonate with your target audience as well as with your current customers.

5. Drive Website Traffic

Pinterest allows you to link visual content to your website, which is a powerful marketing tool as it can boost online sales. The feature enables you to share both written and visual content, and helps direct users to your website. Integrating Pinterest on your website by using the Pinterest widget and buttons, will entice your website visitors to interact with your Pinterest page, view your content, and hopefully follow you.

6. Track Your Marketing Efforts

Keep track of your Pinterest marketing efforts through Pinterest analytics. Pinterest analytics provides you with metrics on your profile as a whole, platform metrics to understand how people interact with your content and data about your most popular pins.

Pinterest is a great marketing tool that can help you organically grow your brand awareness, boost conversions, increase sales and create long lasting relationships with your target audience. Now all that remains is getting started! Remember we are only a call away should you need assistance setting up and maintaining your Pinterest account.

Pinterest Marketing for the Win