Pinterest is a growing social media platform that can deliver significant traffic to your website and new followers to your brand. With it’s steady growth and outrageous recent valuation, it’s a social platform worthwhile putting emphasis on for both the short and long term.

 

Sure, it’s not as popular as Facebook, but savvy marketers are using the platform as a traffic source outside of the usual content marketing staples; Google and Facebook.

 

Indeed, Pinterest can be one of your strongest marketing channels if you learn how to use it.

 

So what exactly does Pinterest do?

Pinterest works in two main ways: as a place where you can collect (pin) all your favorite images from different people's image boards and as a gallery where you can upload your own images and organize them into image boards.

 

Just getting started? Here are some tips for setting up and using Pinterest:

• You can start following image boards right away; initially you can choose categories such as food or inspirational quotes. These image boards will show up on your dashboard and give you content to share

• Create separate image boards for different interests based on various topics that share your personality/the personality of your business

• You can create private boards to collect images that speak to you on a personal level and public boards to share your interests with the world

• Make sure to follow other people and companies so you can start making connections

• At the bottom right of your screen you can find a tab which will teach you how to upload your own images

• Add your company name and website URL to your profile

• You can also connect Facebook and Twitter to your Pinterest to more easily find people you're already connected with on social media

 

Once your account is set up, it's time to start Pinning and connecting with other Pinterest users!

 

Here are some tips to make the most out of Pinterest:

1. Be consistent – There's some debate about how frequently you should Pin but at the very least you should Pin one or two images per weekday to keep your profile fresh and relevant. Both pinning other people's pictures and uploading your own work to keep your profile on top.

2. Comment on other pins – Your Pinterest isn't just an image gallery (although that's certainly one aspect), it's an opportunity to connect with all kinds of people who might be able to benefit your business, whether as customers or as actual business connections. Take the time to comment on one pin per weekday and you'll find yourself making many friends.

3. Watch for trends – Another good reason to check Pinterest every day is that you never know what might be trending. A lot of the time you won't really be able to take advantage of trends but every once in a while one will come along that can help you skyrocket your exposure.

4. Post mood boards – Mood boards or inspiration boards are commonly used when a business is redoing its look or just getting started to pick a color scheme and images, fonts or words that relate to the business. Doing a digital mood board is a great way to give customers insight into your business—and you can even ask for feedback if you're thinking about a big change!

5. Pinterest is a visual platform – Be sure to spend plenty of time optimising your content for visual appeal because that’s what Pinterest is all about. Study popular articles with plenty of pins to see what they’re doing and you’ll find some common trends that work in your industry.

 

When used well, Pinterest can be a great marketing tool for any business and it is absolutely essential for any art-based or fashion business as most Pinterest users are women. If you're not using Pinterest already maybe, it's about time you set up an account for your business.

 

Author Bio

 

Greg Nunan is a former co-owner of a leading fitness franchise chain, four times recognised inside Australia’s top 30 fastest growing franchise groups. Nowadays, Greg divides his time between assisting individuals to invest in online properties and providing online marketing consulting to companies at Winning Edge Digital.