How to use and manage your Pinterest account

Pinterest is a new platform but has become one of the fastest growing social media networks ever and is a HUGE traffic referral for all businesses. An increasing number of businesses are taking advantage of this platform to reach a new audience, increase visits to their websites and generate new leads and sales – and best of all – it’s working.

Our Pinterest top tips!

• Pinterest is considered a social media platform to establish yourself as an Authority in your field – by this we mean that you discuss your service, profession or products in an educational and informative way – rather than banging on about how much you sell your product or service for, discuss the solutions and provide your customers with answers – for example, a garden centre may sell grass seed or rolls of turf and they might be competitive with their pricing, but what people also want to know is the reasons why their grass has died and ways in which they can prevent it happening again in future – provide reasons why and solutions – this is all about rich content and knowledge – not just the price!

• You don’t need to create all the content you pin to your board – to help position yourself as an authority you can share other content from carefully vetted sources to ensure your board contains the most accurate and useful information available.

• To expand your reach on Pinterest and grow the size of your audience, consider using group boards and collaborate with other popular users who have a large following to bring your brand and content to more people, but again, make sure that the content that other users post to their boards is carefully considered.

• The most successful pins on Pinterest can drive traffic to your website for two main reasons – they combine great images with excellent content – to solve a problem, offer something desirable, inspire or to appeal to peoples interest in a hobby or activity. To provide great images coupled with content needn’t be expensive or difficult – a simple snap captured on your phone or camera then uploaded to your Pinterest account along with a simple snippet of info or a tip is all it takes – nothing too taxing there!

• Considering that Pinterest is mostly driven by visual content, include video pins on your wall in addition to image content. Make sure that the videos relate to your business and are either produced in-house or from relevant industry sources. Remember that social media for businesses is almost entirely about becoming a hub of information and insight that is of interest to your clients and customers – it’s not just about selling your business, Online users want to see brands and information (in general) that relates to their needs and wants, instead of just being about your business agenda so again it all comes back to content – authority and authorship.

• Keep things interesting by posting deals, special offers or sales using graphic coupons – this is a powerful way to boost circulation of your coupons and further develop your business brand – so not only are offering great deals, but presenting those deals using snazzy graphics!