In this article
- What is Pinterest?
- How Pinterest works for business
- Creating your business Pinterest account
- Building a Pinterest content strategy
- Pinterest social media marketing
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is an image-based social sharing site. Users create pinboards that showcase their interests, and pin images that they like, with notes about why they like them. Followers can view and comment on images and see where the original image has come from. Pinterest users are collaborative and engaged. That means that if you handle your Pinterest business marketing well, you could enhance your brand profile.
Importantly, Pinterest is also known as a visual search engine. People use it for inspiration and discovery, so if you are there with the right content, the right tags and the right approach, Pinterest could be a very valuable tool.
Who uses it?
- Pinterest has over 450 million users worldwide
- Women users have historically outnumbered men, but that demographic is changing
- More than 240 billion pins have been made on the site to date
- Over two million advertisers actively promote their products and services on the site
- Pinterest has high receptivity – over 78% of users find content useful
How Pinterest works for business
It may look like Pinterest is a social media site for hobbyists, but it’s an extremely valuable site for businesses of all sizes. Because it is image-based, it’s particularly useful for those that have products to sell, or who can advertise their services visually. Leading brands use it very successfully to connect with customers and, unlike Instagram, you can add a website link to each post, so there’s plenty of opportunity to drive new people to your website and build your brand profile.
How to use Pinterest for social media marketing
When creating content for Pinterest, it is crucial to focus on optimising your pins for search visibility. Begin by researching relevant keywords within your niche using Pinterest’s search bar and third-party tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs.
Keywords should be naturally integrated into your pin titles, descriptions, and board names to enhance discoverability. High-quality visuals are paramount; use eye-catching, vertical images with a 2:3 aspect ratio to capture attention as users scroll through their feeds. Consistency in branding across your visuals aids in creating a recognisable presence.
Additionally, incorporating detailed, keyword-rich descriptions can significantly improve your chances of appearing in search results. Don’t forget to include a call to action, motivating users to click through to your website for further engagement. Engaging with your audience by responding to comments and joining group boards can also expand your reach. Regularly analysing your performance using Pinterest Analytics will help identify what strategies are working and where adjustments may be necessary to continually optimise your marketing efforts.
Boost Brand Awareness
Pinterest social media marketing stands out as a powerful tool for driving traffic to your website, thanks to its function as a visual search engine. By creating captivating pins that resonate with your target audience, you can entice users to click through to your site for more information or to make a purchase.
Each pin can link directly back to your website, providing a direct pathway for potential customers to engage with your content or products. To maximise this opportunity, ensure that each pin is optimised with relevant keywords and a compelling call to action. Additionally, organising your boards and strategically using Rich Pins can further enhance users’ experience and improve click-through rates. By consistently providing valuable and visually appealing content, you can significantly increase your website’s visibility, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Creating your business Pinterest account
If you already have a Pinterest personal account, you can either convert your account to a business account, or set up a new business account that links to your existing account. If you’re new to Pinterest, you can go straight to setting up a space for your business you don’t need to sign up as an individual first.
To create a business account, visit the Pinterest business website and click on ‘Sign up’. Follow the prompts to set up your account, ensuring you fill out all the necessary details about your business.
Setting up a Pinterest social media marketing business account is a straightforward process, yet it’s crucial for ensuring your brand’s online presence is polished and professional. Here’s how you can get started:
Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up Your Pinterest Business Account
Initiating your business account – on the homepage, look for the ‘Join as a Business’ button. This option differentiates your account from personal Pinterest accounts, unlocking features tailored for businesses such as analytics and advertising capabilities.
Following the prompts – once you’ve signed up, Pinterest will guide you through a series of prompts. These are designed to gather essential information about your business, so be prepared with details such as your business name, email address, and website if applicable.
Fill out all the necessary details – the fuller your profile is, the better set up you are to promote your business, You’ll need to include:
Business name and description – clearly state your business name as it should appear on your Pinterest profile. The description should succinctly capture what your business is about, highlighting your unique value propositions. This will be visible to followers, so make sure it’s catchy and informative.
Profile picture – upload a high-quality image that represents your brand. Usually, businesses opt for their logo, but ensure it is recognisable and fits within the Pinterest specifications.
Website verification – if your business has a website, verify it on Pinterest. This process not only adds credibility but also allows you access to analytics about the traffic Pinterest drives to your site.
Location and contact information – distribution of geographical and communication details improves the trustworthiness and accessibility of your business to potential customers.
Exploring Pinterest tools
Once your account is set up, delve into the array of business tools Pinterest offers. Features like Rich Pins, Promoted Pins, and comprehensive analytics can significantly elevate your marketing game.
Create your first boards – begin by creating boards that reflect the core categories of your business offerings. Each board should have a clear title and a thoughtful description laden with keywords to enhance discoverability.
Engage with Pinterest community – engagement is key on Pinterest. Start interacting with other pins, follow relevant accounts, and regularly update your boards with fresh, high-quality content.
By carefully crafting your Pinterest social media marketing business account, you’re not just setting up another social media profile – you’re building a vibrant and engaging extension of your brand. Remember, success on Pinterest is all about being visual, creative, and providing value to your followers.
Once your profile is impeccably branded, it’s essential to focus on optimising your pin strategy to drive traffic and engagement – you’re using Pinterest for social media marketing, after all!
Building a Pinterest content strategy
Like all marketing, Pinterest social media marketing requires a good content strategy. Know who your target markets are, and why they’re on Pinterest in the first place. Take the time to learn what they are sharing and why, so that you can see what sort of content appeals to them. Pinterest is all about sharing and pinning content that appeals to you and to others, and its a fundamental thing to get right if you want to succeed.
Start by creating high-quality, visually appealing pins that reflect your brand’s identity and resonate with your target audience. Use compelling, keyword-rich descriptions to improve the discoverability of your pins in search results. Remember to incorporate relevant hashtags, as they can significantly increase your visibility on the platform.
Consider the timing of your posts—pinning during peak periods can maximise reach and interactions. Diversify your content mix by including seasonal or trend-driven pins, while also maintaining evergreen content that remains relevant year-round.
Keep an eye on Pinterest Analytics to monitor performance, enabling you to adapt your strategy based on what resonates best with your audience. By continually refining your pin strategy, you can ensure sustained growth and enhanced brand presence on this dynamic platform.
Build a Community
Once you’ve established your profile on Pinterest, the focus should shift towards authentic engagement. Interacting genuinely with your audience not only strengthens relationships but also enhances your brand’s credibility. Promptly respond to comments and messages, showing appreciation for your followers’ input and encouraging further discussion. Create interactive pins, such as polls and quizzes, to invite participation and keep your audience invested in your content. Regularly repin and comment on pins from other users within your niche to demonstrate support and foster reciprocal engagement.
This not only increases your visibility but also positions you as a valued member of the Pinterest community. Utilising Pinterest’s analytics tools will provide insights into what content resonates most with your audience, allowing you to tailor your interactions and improve your overall strategy. Remember, consistent and sincere engagement is key to cultivating a loyal and active community on Pinterest.
- Respond promptly to comments and messages – when a follower comments on your pin or sends a message, thank them for their input or ask further questions to keep the conversation going, which shows that you value their engagement.
- Create interactive pins – design polls or quizzes related to your niche, inviting users to participate. For example, if you have a food board, ask “Which ingredient do you prefer in a smoothie?” to engage followers and spark discussion.
- Regularly repin and comment – support others in your niche by repinning their content and leaving thoughtful comments. This builds community ties and encourages them to engage with your pins as well.
- Use Pinterest Analytics – analyse which types of pins receive the most engagement and tailor your content strategy accordingly. If data shows educational infographics are popular, create more of these to meet audience preferences.
- Show appreciation for followers – occasionally create a pin to highlight a follower’s content or conduct shout-outs. This appreciation can turn casual followers into loyal community members.
- Initiate community challenges – launch a themed challenge on Pinterest that encourages followers to create content based on a specific topic.
- Host a Pinterest group board – invite fellow pinners to collaborate on a group board focused on your niche, fostering community contribution and varied content while building deeper connections with collaborators.
- Share behind-the-scenes content – provide glimpses into your creative process through pins that showcase how you develop your projects or products, making your brand more relatable and trustworthy.
- Use Story Pins – use Pinterest’s Story Pins feature to share dynamic content like tutorials or detailed tips, enabling more in-depth interaction with your audience and prolonging their engagement.
- Encourage content contribution – ask your audience to create and share their own pins related to a theme or event you started. For example, create a “DIY Home Tips” board where followers can add their home improvement ideas.
Track, measure, refine, repeat
Like all marketing, it’s important that you can see the impact Pinterest is having on your business. Although it’s a free platform, there will be a significant time investment to get things up and running and to maintain a good content stream. So it’s important that you track your progress, measure your impact, refine your content – and continue to do so all the time, so that your campaigns are as relevant and timely so you get full Pinterest business benefits. See our page on content marketing help if you are looking for help with generating your content.
Like most channels, Pinterest offers analytics, so you can see what’s working and what’s not. This helps you to keep doing more of the posts that are getting lots of engagement, and stop doing the posts that aren’t working. This makes you much more effective, and gets the right posts in front of the right people.
Don’t forget to link your other social media accounts with Pinterest, and to add the icon to your website so that visitors can automatically pin your content from elsewhere. Research the keywords and hashtags that are relevant to your business and to your customers so that your content is always targeted and relevant – all this will help you to get more from your Pinterest account.
Pinterest social media marketing – the algorithm
To create an effective Pinterest marketing strategy, it really helps to understand – as far as you can – the way the site works. The Pinterest algorithm prioritises fresh content, meaning that regularly posting new, high-quality pins is crucial for maintaining visibility. It’s advisable to use keywords strategically in your pin descriptions and board titles, as this aids discoverability, ensuring your content reaches the target audience.
Engaging with your audience through comments and collaborations can enhance your profile’s interaction metrics, which positively influences your standing with the algorithm. Additionally, making good use of Pinterest’s analytics tools will provide invaluable insights into which pins are performing well, allowing for data-driven adjustments to your strategy. Consistency, creativity, and analysis are the cornerstones of capitalising on Pinterest’s unique platform to drive traffic and boost brand awareness.
Here’s a summary of the ways you can make sure your content looks good to the Pinterest algorithm:
- Regularly post fresh content – aim to create and publish a new pin every day. This ensures that your account remains active and your content stays at the forefront of users’ feeds.
- Use keywords in descriptions and board titles – research relevant keywords in your niche and incorporate them naturally into your pin descriptions and board titles to improve your content’s discoverability.
- Engage with your audience – respond to comments on your pins promptly and thoughtfully. This interaction not only builds community but also boosts your profile’s activity levels.
- Collaborate with other pinners – join group boards or collaborate on projects with fellow Pinterest users. This can expand your reach by introducing your content to a broader audience.
- Leverage Pinterest Analytics – regularly review Pinterest Analytics to track which pins are receiving the most engagement. Use this data to refine your strategy and focus on creating more content that aligns with your audience’s interests.
- Post consistently – develop a content calendar to schedule your pins regularly, ensuring that your activity on Pinterest is steady and consistent.
- Harness creative visuals – use eye-catching images and infographics in your pins to capture attention and encourage repinning and sharing.
- Analyse and adjust your strategy – periodically assess the performance of your Pinterest social media marketing efforts and make necessary adjustments based on analytics to optimise your approach continuously.
- Encourage user-generated content – run contests or campaigns that invite users to create content related to your brand, increasing engagement and generating fresh pins.
- Promote Pins across platforms – share your Pinterest pins on other social media platforms to drive traffic back to your Pinterest profile and increase visibility.
Getting help
Making sure you’re ready to use Pinterest can be time-consuming, so it’s worth thinking about getting some help and advice. That’s where virtual admin solutions come in. We can create extra time in your business by taking over time-consuming administrative tasks and allowing you to focus on your business. With an understanding of Pinterest and other social media sites, a virtual assistant for social media can get you up and running quickly, understanding what you want to achieve and managing your activity on your behalf.
And, like all the other social media sites, there is a range of apps and support tools that can help you manage your Pinterest account and keep an eye on its impact. One of the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is that they can help you choose the right tools to use, and monitor the analytics on your behalf so that you can make positive changes to your campaigns and continue to attract new business.
Ready to investigate Pinterest social media marketing?
If you think that Pinterest might be a good social media fit for your business, helping you to reach new customers and raise your brand profile, why not talk to us about our social media and marketing services. Or, if you would like to know more about our UK virtual assistants and how they support small businesses feel free to call us on 0800 994 9016 or use our contact form in the menu above.