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If you know how to use Pinterest for business, we applaud you. If your business is not utilizing Pinterest then you’re missing out on a prime opportunity to generate website traffic and promote your brand and products. Sometimes the hardest part about social media on business is taking the next step after signing up. Don’t worry, we’ll cover some tips in this post that will give you easy wins on Pinterest.
How to Use Pinterest for Business
First things first. If you haven’t already signed up for a Pinterest business account, you’ll need to do that by going here.
Once you’ve signed up for an account, it’s time to dive into the specifics. There are three areas of Pinterest you’ll need to master in order to help your business be successful:
- Plan a strategy
- Be unique
- Engage with Pinners
- Have fun & experiment
1. Plan A Strategy
What’s the key to a great Pinterest strategy? Understand how pinners think and act. Pinners are users on the site that are consistently active and engage with brand they like. In the discussion of how to use pinterest for business, you’ll want to spend some time researching Pinterest and the demographics that are the most active.
You can search by category, keyword, or username of a specific username or brand. Start by looking up some of your competitors and see what types of content they’re pinning to their boards. How-to’s, DIY’s, product categories, themes, holidays, and more are popular categories on Pinterest.
Research considerations for how to use Pinterest for business:
- Determine what elements can make your Pinterest boards unique, authentic, and compelling. One thing to keep in mind is to avoid sales speak.
- Make an extensive list with ideas for boards you can create for your brand’s account. Each board should related to your products and services, or speak to your expertise and industry. Random House has a “Killer Coffee Tables” board they use to showcase coffee tables featuring their books.
It’s important to check your account’s analytics and influence score on a regular basis. This will give you an idea of how you compare to your competitors, in addition to showing your account growth and audience engagement. Taking note of the pins and boards that receive the most engagement can give you an idea of the types of content your prospective customers enjoy the most.
2. Be Unique
What can you do that your competitors aren’t doing? Figuring out how to use Pinterest for business will take some time, so use that time to be different. Many businesses experience success running contests on Pinterest.
For example: ask your followers to create a unique pinboard based on a predetermined theme. Clothing designer Elie Tahari created a Pinterest contest where they asked pinners to create a pinboard inspired by an image from their latest campaign. The pinner with the best board won a $500 gift card.
Running a Pinterest contest achieves a few things for your business:
- It increases website traffic
- Promotes your brand
- Creates a buzz that can increase Pinterest followers
Another popular Pinterest practice is to invite followers to a Group Board. The board you create should allow people to pin to the board based on the board theme. Cosmetic brands for example, can create a Group Board around the topic of eye-shadow tricks and allow their followers to add images of their best tips.
3. Engage with Pinners
Pinterest is first and foremost a social site. In the course of learning how to use Pinterest for business, make sure you don’t overlook the engagement factor. Schedule some time each week to consistently follow boards of pinners in your target market. You can also repin their pins when it’s relevant to your business.
A note of caution: keep your engagement authentic. Don’t follow boards just because, have a reason that relates to your Pinterest business goals
4. Have Fun & Experiment
The time to experiment is while you’re still learning how to to use Pinterest for business. Go crazy with your board themes…but not so crazy that they don’t make sense for your business. Find a balance between building a fun account that’s easy to engage with and one that professionally represents your brand.
Taking the necessary steps to learn how to use Pinterest for Business can be both function and fun. Enjoy the process and the results may pleasantly surprise you.
