I am a self-confessed Pinterest addict, and have been literally since the beginning of Pinterest! I remember when it first came out, I was at Uni (I studied Fashion at Falmouth University - just for a little background!) and I would spend hours in the computer rooms (yes, computer rooms... how retro is that...) just collating images for moodboards. It was my number one go-to at the beginning of any creative process, and has been ever since.
Pinterest is unlike Instagram and other social media platforms in that it is primarily a search engine rather than a platform for purely sharing and engaging. It also is a direct traffic driver to your website, meaning that all of those millions of Pinterest users out there, 433 million monthly active users to be precise, are just sitting there waiting to be directed to your website.
Game changer right?
So if you are not already using Pinterest for your business - now is the time to start!
A quick rundown on Pinterest for those of you who are new to the site. Think of it as a visual Google. You search "Scandinavian Kitchen" and up pops a feed of gorgeous Scandinavian Kitchen designs for you to browse through. You can then 'pin' the pins to your own organised boards! So you might start a 'kitchen inspo' board and start collating your dream kitchen ideas on there. Simple, you get the point?
If you're wondering how this is going to help your business, then think of it like this. All of those users on Pinterest are ready to buy. They are looking for kitchen inspiration because they want to redesign their kitchen. So if you're putting your product on Pinterest, you are putting it in front of your customer.
Pinterest drives 3.8 times more sales than other platforms and 90% of weekly Pinners make purchase decisions on Pinterest.
Ready to start Pinning? I thought you might be. Well here's how. First things first, you need to create a Business account and not a personal account, as you will only get access to resources and analytics by using a Business account.
Once you're set-up, it's time to create some pins. Pinterest is a visual platform, so to use it effectively for your business, you need to create high-quality and engaging visual content to share. Here are my top tips for creating content on Pinterest:
Vertical Imagery Data shows 82% of users browse Pinterest on mobile. Aim for a 2:3 aspect ratio to avoid ending up with awkwardly cropped images.
High Quality Ensure the content you are sharing isn't blurry or pixelated.
Branding You want your pins to be consistent, cohesive and on brand
Links You will add a direct link for each pin to either your website, your blog or your store - make sure the links work!
Pin regularly Daily pinning ensures your content will reach a wider audience. You can repurpose content by creating multiple graphics for one particular post.
Think about the titles and descriptions you are writing for each pin. Including keywords will help boost the SEO efforts of the pin. I would recommend including keywords in pin descriptions, on boards, and in hashtags.
When it comes to creating boards - make them relevant to you and your business. If you run a vintage clothing brand, then you could create boards such as '1960s fashion' 'Levi denim jeans' 'vintage magazine photography' etc.
You want your boards to share who you are as a company as well as incorporate relevant themes so that your brand’s boards will reach new Pinners interested in those specific topics or learning specific things.
Finally, once you're up and running, keep an eye on your analytics! A successful Pinterest marketing strategy should be data-driven. By tracking, measuring and analysing your Pinterest metrics and audience behaviour you will be able to see what content performs best and what content is a little less engaging.
If you're interested in learning more about using Pinterest for your business or would like to outsource this to a Virtual Assistant, I'm your gal! Hit me up.
L x
Laura Mackenzie
Creative Virtual Assistant at Kelp Collective
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