For the last ten years, the social media web and mobile application company Pinterest has amassed more than 335 million users from around the globe.
It is a free website where users can upload and share images and the site calls them “pins”. A pin is an image that has been downloaded or linked from a website. Pins are saved from the board of one user to be saved to someone else’s board.
Video contents is also available but the site is most popular for being able to save and sort images in a personal board by clicking the “Pin It” button though the feature has evolved over the years. Boards are collections of pins dedicated to certain themes sorted by the user.
Pinterest differs from other social media platforms in terms of business reach because the features of the site utilize its visual platform to increase traffic to a blog or website and increase overall awareness of a product or brand. Having access to personal boards sorted by other users is how Pinterest marketing is made.
A platform unlike any other
Unlike Instagram, Pinterest allows users to click on the visual contents which are then linked to websites or other content. This is very helpful especially for those who want to promote traffic to their product pages. The platform also allows users to save their ideas sorted in a board for them to revisit later on. Pictures or products that users are interested in get saved in boards which could be checked out again when they have the capacity to purchase. The main focus of Pinterest is for inspiration and research which eventually leads to purchase.
The site is like a virtual version of the old-school pinning boards where we post things we want to remind ourselves of. Main features of the site include Boards, Secret Boards, Group Boards, Pin and Repins(which are now Save). Boards contain similar contents sorted by the user for their common theme or interest. Secret boards are posts only the user or some selected users can view. Group boards are the same as regular boards but there are multiple users who can pin contents they deem appropriate to the board.
As mentioned above, a pin is an image or any visual content added to a board. This is usually linked to an external website, mostly blogs or product pages. Repinning is the way for some users to take content and pin them in their own board to be shared with their friends or to those who follow their profile. This feature is currently changed to Save.
Visually appealing, even addictive!
Pinterest is known to appeal visually with its posts on travel, food, health, arts, and beauty posts. When you search something on Google, you are given search results of sites that are closely linked to what you are looking for. In Pinterest, you are presented with visual results like pictures, infographics or videos. Boring searches could then be visually addicting. This is how Pinterest marketing works. Your website or blog receives a lot of clicks or traffic which could lead to an increase in product or service revenue. Surprisingly, professionals who offer their services do well on Pinterest. Financial advisors, attorneys, tax advisors, counselors, and real estate agents post helpful content on their blogs and get more traffic through Pinterest accounts.
To those wishing to sign up for an account in Pinterest for business purposes, it is important to set up a business account that is different from the personal account. Setting up a Pinterest business account grants access to advertising features that are critical to promoting sites. You may also want to “Claim” your website to allow you to track any pins that are pinned from your website.
Know your audience
You also need to determine your Pinterest audience. Determining your audience allows you to post content that appeals to them and will get you more visibility. Name your boards according to keywords or phrases that are easy to remember. Write a description for boards that will not only give your audience an idea of your board’s content but also keywords that will come up when they search for your account in the future.
It is also helpful to create customized covers for boards. The more engaging and interesting they are, the more clicks they will generate. It is also great to consider paying for ads that target the audience that you cater to. These Pinterest ads contain images or descriptions that are displayed in the feeds or search results of users. These ads gain positive reactions to users as they are exposed to new products or services they may have missed on their own search.
Increase your reach
Pinterest’s reach extends mainly to women. According to surveys, 60 percent of Pinterest users say they have discovered new brands on the site. Pinterest pins also last way longer than a Facebook post. Pinterest marketing is a great way to reach your target audience and grow business awareness. If a business owner utilizes the site’s features properly, they can increase their website or product reach much more than other social media platforms.
