Monday, July 30, 2012

Pin It! Making Pinterest Work for You


Pinterest is growing in popularity as the hottest new social network. And yet, people frequently tell us, "I just don’t get Pinterest."

According to Compete, a clickstream data provider, unique visitors to Pinterest.com increased by 155% in one month, from December 2011 to January 2012. In December 2011, Pinterest made Hitwise’s list of top ten social networks, sitting at #5 and beating out big names like LinkedIn and Google+. Hitwise delivers reports on internet usage from the world’s largest sample of online consumers.

So what’s going on? Below, we’ve compiled some basic information for you about the Pinterest phenomenon, and how you can start taking part in it.

What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is a social network that allows users to visually share, curate, and discover new interests by pinning new images or videos to their own or others’ pinboards. Members are encouraged to interact with the content by reposting it, sharing others’ pins on Facebook and Twitter or via email, and even embedding individual pins on their website or blog.
Pinterest defines itself as a social network meant to "connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. " There is a visual emphasis, and the social network is very much focused on the concept of a person’s lifestyle. It enables you to share your interests and preferences with others and discover those of like-minded people. 

How does Pinterest connect you to potential customers?
Any business that relies on driving a high-volume of website traffic to increase sales should consider joining Pinterest. Using the Pin It button on your pages ensures that every single one of your pins includes a link back to the source.  So, pinners can encounter your content and visit your pages in just one click.

When members are browsing through pins, they also have the ability to share posts through Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail. This feature is great to boost social sharing and get fans and followers to spread the word about your brand.

Where do I find Pinterest?
Pinterest operates on an invitation-only basis. You can ask a friend with an account to invite you or request an invite directly from  www.Pinterest.com.

How can I start marketing with Pinterest? What should I put on the Pinboard?
  • Add the Pinterest follow button to your website. Promote your presence on Pinterest through your other social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and Twitter. 
  • Consider launching a Pinterest contest and write a blog post to promote it. 
  • Feature visual content. Often, the biggest challenge for B2B companies wishing to use Pinterest as a marketing channel is a lack of visual content. So, use the content you already have—
Infographics with industry data.
Pictures of your customers’ smiling faces.
Headshots of your company executives, or pictures from the last firm mixer.
Videos of experts at your firm speaking at industry conferences and events.
  • Start using clear beautiful images in your blog articles with the point of pinning them to pinboards.
  • Host a contest asking users to create a pinboard on their own account to demonstrate what they love about your brand, products, or services. 
  • Become the go-to Pinterest account for pins about a certain subject or topic relating to your industry. 
  • Add links in the descriptions of your pins to drive traffic back to your website.
  • Use hashtags to tag pins and make content more search-friendly.

Where can I find examples of great Pinboards?
Check out the accounts for Chobani, Oreck, Mashable, and General Electric for some super ideas on how to implement Pinterest as part of your company’s marketing strategy. 

I get it now. How do I get help?
Think you’d like to integrate Pinterest into your firm’s Social Networking strategy, but need a little more help to get started? Contact us at Ideal Lifestyle Concierge. Call 305-371-0077, or e-mail CustomerService@IdealLifestyleConcierge.com.