Pinterest is the hot new social network based on images and it’s is certainly making a name for itself. The site has about 104 million monthly visits with the average user spending 405 minutes on the site per month. That’s the same amount of time as is spent on Facebook. Pinterest is largely dominated by females which make up about 68% of its population. Companies that have great visuals would do well on this site especially, however, even if that is not your business’ strong suit, there are plenty of options that will work for you.
- Be Careful of Copyright Issues: If you pin a picture that’s copyrighted, Pinterest will hold YOU responsible. Many users have been sued by companies like Getty Images for copyright infringement and forced to pay hefty fees. There is one site you can use safely to pull images from as long as you provide credit to the photographer in your pin. http://www.flickr.com/creativecommons/by-2.0
- Add a Pinterst Button to Your Website: Make it easy for visitors to find your boards and like you.
- Spend the Time – Develop Relationships: Just like other social networks, it’s important to spend quality time on the site and cultivate relationships with “King Pins” and “Queen Pins,” those who pin frequently and have significant followings and a lot of ‘likes.’ Once they get to know you and your business, they’ll be more likely to repin your posts for all of their followers to see.
- Promote Your Business: Offer special pricing or incentives through some of your pins with a link back to your site where visitors can make a purchase or contact you for services.
- Don’t be Overly Self-Promotional: Although it’s smart to promote your business on Pinterest, that shouldn’t be the only type of pins you post. Post a variety of news tibits, tricks and tips, advice, questions, quotes, products etc.
- Use Other Social Networks to Drive Traffic to Your Boards: Share your pins on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.
- Create Daily Pin Themes: Come up with catchy ideas for several days of the week where you can pin under a certain theme. For example, “Marketing Mondays,” “Social Media Saturdays” or “Fun Fridays.” Daily themed pins usually result in repeat visitors.
- Post Images from Your Blog: When a user repins your picture they may want to find the source of the pin which will lead them to your site.
- Use Crowdsourcing to Build Your Brand: Ask followers to pin pictures of themselves with your product or in a particular place. Place their pins on a special VIP board and give them a shout-out. It shows current customers appreciation and demonstrates to others that people like your brand.
- Use Keywords and Hashtags: Make your posts easily findable in searches.