Pinterest, a very prominent social networking site, is now just behind Twitter in popularity and is growing rapidly. Pinterest generates more referral traffic than Twitter and LinkedIn combined. Obviously, this popular social site could do a lot for your business and your online presence, but like all tools, it must be used correctly.
The basic idea of Pinterest is to start boards where you pin images along with a text description of what you’re pinning. Some of the most popular types of pins are home, arts and crafts, style, fashion, and food. Food is one of the fastest growing popular categories.
Learning to pin more efficiently will help increase your visibility, traffic, and sales.
1. Anchor Regularly – Set a fixing schedule and stick to it. Be sure to set at different times for optimal results. Try to nail 20 or more times throughout the day, if possible. It is better to set constantly throughout the week rather than setting in bulk in spurts.
2. Colors get results: Reds and oranges have been shown to get more results than blues. You also want to use multiple colors in your images instead of pins with one main color.
3. Tools available: There are many tools to help you fix more effectively. Pinreach will help you determine how well you’re doing and can give you your Pinterest “score.” Piqora is a great tool for sellers. You can use it to promote and track the results of your marketing efforts. There are many more available to help you perfect your pinning campaign.
4. Description Keywords – Be sure to use appropriate keywords in your pin description. This will help people find your pins more easily, thus attracting more followers and traffic.
5. Background: Pins with a less “empty” background will receive more likes and repins than pins that have a small main image with a lot of background. Make sure your pins are complete with less than 10% of the pin as empty background. You could receive 2 to 4 times more repins.
6. Connect with Facebook and Twitter: Always connect with your other social media accounts. This will increase your chances of followers, likes, repins, etc.
7. Board Names – Make sure you create captivating board names and also use relevant keywords. Board names are similar to headlines and need to grab people’s attention to produce results. Take note of the board titles that grab your attention and why.
8. Don’t just “repin” – make sure to mix original pins with repins. Repinning is fine, but add some unique pins of your own too.
9. Write a Smart Description – When writing your description, be sure to add relevant keywords along with concise wording and proper grammar. Remember the short and simple rule. This will increase the chances of your pin showing up in searches.
10. Post videos: take advantage of the video section that Pinterest offers. There are many more images than pinned videos for you to capture your niche in the video pin community.
11. Blog Posts – When posting to your blog, be sure to use images so you can pin the post and image to your boards. Don’t pin an entire post, but a short teaser with a link will work great. Only post on appropriate boards and don’t overdo self-promotion.
12. Study the statistics of your pins: Pinterest offers statistics on your pins, so be sure to use them to your advantage. Find out which ones work and which ones don’t and learn from them. Also take into account the engagement initiated by your pins.
13. Cover Images – Choose your cover images for your boards wisely. When I search for boards, the cover image is what draws me to the board. You can go through all of your pins to see which one fits best in the allotted space and which ones have the most strength. As always, check out other boards to see which cover images get the most response from you.
14. Research Popular Pins – Take some time to look at the most popular pins. Study them to see what sets them apart from other pins. Use this information for your own pins for increased productivity.
15. Group Boards – One of the best features on Pinterest is group boards. You can ask the owners of these boards to add you and then you can pin them to those boards. Be sure to follow the board owner’s rules and guidelines. Effectively pinning to group boards can substantially increase your following.
Pinterest is a fun social site that can bring you more visitors and grow your business. But, as with all marketing media, you must take the time to use it correctly in order to enjoy the full benefit of its potential power.
