So, you’ve heard Pinterest is excellent for business, but maybe you’re a little lost on how to get results. Don’t worry; we’re here to help!
You probably know that Pinterest attracts more than just homeschooling moms looking for quick vegan chili recipes. There are currently 250 million active Pinterest users, and 2 million of them are saving shopping pins to their accounts every day. 93% of pinners use Pinterest to plan purchases, which makes Pinterest a must for anyone selling pretty much anything.
Think of Pinterest as a visual search engine, rather than a social media platform. Users are coming to the site in search of something; this makes them a warm, rather than completely cold prospect. Over 90% of users say that Pinterest helps them make a purchase, and over 60% prefer it over Google. Including Pinterest in your marketing efforts is a smart idea.
While Pinterest is a great way to market physical products, services should not discount the power of the platform. Many users are searching for topics such as business tips, self-improvement, health and fitness guides, and even spirituality. Chances are, if you have a Pinterest account, then you already know you can find your customers on the platform.
Remember, there are several things Pinterest is useful for:
It drives targeted traffic to your website.
It removes hesitation to purchase by lowering the number of steps it takes to convert.
It generates real engagement by having pins go viral (with the right audience).
You can see what’s currently trending and understand your customers’ likes/dislikes.
I have a Pinterest account for my business. Now what?
Just like SEO, results with Pinterest take time. A good Pinterest marketing strategy includes a slow and steady approach that builds your audience. You can research what your audience is looking for on the platform to stay on top of trends.
You’ll know how you can solve their problems once you see what they’re looking for, which will speed up your results since your pins will be targeted and relevant.
Here are some of our top tips for upping your Pinterest game:
Make sure your profile is on-brand. Don’t be confused with your aunt’s account that is filled with boards on costumes for cats and uses for doilies. Use your logo, brand colors, and write a bio that clearly describes what you do and what you offer. It’s also a great idea to include a lead magnet in your bio, such as a freebie that will get the reader to join your email list. The link won’t be clickable, but they can easily copy and paste it.
If you don’t want to use a logo for your avatar, there are other ways to get your branding on your profile. You can include a featured image at the top of your profile page, which can be a custom image with your logo and branding.
Another option is to create custom covers for each of your boards. Create a custom pin image that includes your logo and brand colors, plus the title of the board, and upload an image to the boards, setting these images as the cover.
Keep track of relevant trends by using Pinterest as your search engine.
Try to find trends that run parallel with your niche. For example, if you’re a fitness coach, you can look at activewear, supplements, and recipes. These parallel subjects will give you new content and allow you to create new boards – which, in turn, will bring new followers to your account.
Try to create new content as much as possible.
As of February 2020, Pinterest is very interested in users that create NEW pins and content. Take the time to develop new Pin images for older posts. While old pins that are doing well won’t go away, Pinterest has said they are not as “friendly” with accounts that only rehash old pins over and over again. So, creating new graphics and regularly uploading new pins should be part of your overall Pinterest strategy.
Continue to follow the 80/20 rule.
80% of your pins should be from other accounts, and 20% should be from your content. Not only does this keep Pinterest from flagging your account as a spammer, but it also builds relationships with other Pinners. Users rely on each other to repin their content. If you take the time to repin others’ pins, they’ll return the favor for you.
Don’t be afraid to sell!
Like we said before, many users are in shopping mode when they go onto Pinterest. Part of your marketing strategy should be to create pins that ask for the sale. Use “buyable pins” – you’ll need some code that you put on your website, but it will then create a pin that allows the user to purchase your item while they’re viewing it on Pinterest.
Create Pins specifically to grow your email list.
As Jenna Kutcher suggests, (https://jennakutcherblog.com/why-pinterest-should-be-a-priority/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_smartloop&utm_content=smartloop&utm_term=34435740), you should make pins that bring the user directly to an opt-in page on your website. The opt-in should include a freebie that will give value to the user, in exchange for their email information.
Use a scheduler for pinning consistently.
No one expects you to be on Pinterest all the time, pinning away the hours! Schedulers like Tailwind (https://www.tailwindapp.com) allow you to set up pins in advance, and the software will pin for you at scheduled times. Spend an hour a week filling up your schedule, then move on to other things.
An added benefit to using Tailwind is their Tribes and SmartLoops.
Tribes are groups of pinners who travel in the same niches. You can post your new pins to your Tribes, and the group will repin them for you. You do the same for them, and everyone wins! SmartLoops give you the option of creating a loop of up to 250 pins that Tailwind spreads out in your schedule over a specified amount of time. The SmartLoops help you fill up your daily pin schedule a little faster.
Use the Pinterest Ad Creator to search for relevant keywords.
You know that keywords and hashtags are important on Pinterest, right? Here’s an excellent way to research keywords for your pins. You don’t need to pay for ads to use this tool. You do need a business account, however. If you haven’t already switched over to a business account, do that first!
Go to the Ad creator and click “create ad”. Over on the left, click on “targeting”, and then scroll down until you get to the keyword section. Here, you can enter a keyword you’re interested in, and Pinterest will give you a list of related keywords.
For example, if we enter “activewear”, Pinterest gives us a list of related search terms, and how many searches per month each term receives. In this example, here’s what search terms we received:
The list continues on and on from here.
Your next step is to take these related search terms and use them to create new pins and boards. Use the keywords in the descriptions of your pins and boards as well. You can use a few at a time; you don’t need to use only one. And you can also use these search terms as hashtags. A best practice is to include 3 to 4 hashtags in each pin description.
Using Pinterest for business can have a long-term positive effect on your results.
It’s not enough to just have a presence on Pinterest. Businesses can use Pinterest as a significant part of their marketing strategy to bring in brand awareness, traffic, and sales. By creating a steady schedule of pinning, including new content, you can build your audience so more and more Pinners will see your pins. Researching and using relevant keywords will bring your ideal customer to your website, and they’ll already be looking for what you offer, making them a warm prospect.
If you need more help with your social media strategy, check out our Social Media Resources Library. Schedule a free discovery call or join our newsletter and receive our Free PDF, “21 Best Social Media Blogs To Grow Your Business”.
