It goes without saying that there are a multitude of platforms that companies have the option of leveraging to expand their social reach. Nowadays, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are so customary that marketers need to think outside the box when strategizing on which social tools they can use to get their message out. Pinterest, in particular, provides an opportunity to engage current and potential customers in a manner that is completely unique from its more populated brethren.
Make no mistake, you need to fully understand Pinterest before you add it to your social media arsenal, but using it intelligently could pay literal dividends. Here’s a five-step breakdown of best practices for a successful Pinterest account.
Step 1: What are your goals?
Ask yourself what you want to gain from using Pinterest. Are you looking to further engage your current customers? Are you looking to gain awareness from potential customers? Are you attempting to drive sales? You must have the answer to these questions before you move forward. It is possible to say ‘yes’ to all three, just make sure your goals are prioritized so that they can be achieved.
Step 2: Know your audience.
Remember two demographics as you use Pinterest; your target audience and the average Pinterest user.
The average Pinterest user at a glance:
- 80% are women between the ages of 25 – 45 years-old
- 43% of all Pinterest users follow brands they like
Your target audience and the average user may have little relation to one another, making it difficult to consider Pinterest as a strategic social tool for your company. Don’t be deterred-there are many brands that possess the ability to have an exemplary Pinterest account, even though their traditional target audience might not have the biggest presence on it.
Step 3: Follow these best practice tips.
- Spend time planning your boards. Before pinning, you should think about your boards in-depth. Consider your boards’ physical themes, including its coloring and filter, and pay close attention to your messaging. Pinned images must to be consistent with your brand’s goals.
- Don’t ignore the uses of a fleshed-out description and hashtags. When you pin an image, you can be verbose. Each image should include a rich description with several relevant hashtags. Hashtags allow users to find your images as material that would potentially interest them.
- Interaction is important. Don’t simply post nice, thoughtless images (and this is an instance where quality is more important than quantity); you must follow individuals and brands. Become a part of conversations through commenting and sharing content with other users.
- Don’t forget to promote your Pinterest page. Cross-promote and integrate Pinterest with your other social networks as you would with any marketing tactic.
Maintaining an integrated social media marketing approach takes hard work, creativity and dedication. Following these steps will ensure that you have a consistent page that targets the appropriate audience and speaks true to your brand.
If you’re interested in looking to other brands for inspiration and advice, we recommend the following:
Are there any other brands that you think excel at utilizing Pinterest?
