Have you heard of Pinterest? Its the new kid on the block in terms of marketing your business, with over 3.3 million unique visitors a month it is definitely worth investigating. As a business we are relatively new to the Pinterest scene but can see the potential outcome for any business using Pinterest wisely.
To give you a quick low down on what Pinterest is all about: When you sign up you will see that you can create virtual pinboards of pictures, these can be pinned from around the web by using the cool Pinit gadget which attaches to your browser bar, or you can simply browse everyone elses virtual pinboards and re-pin their images. People can view your pinboards and share all of your pinned images, they can follow you just like on Facebook and twitter aswell. So for example you pin one of your products from your shop on your pinboard (you can also add a nifty price tag) link it back to your main website, then when people see it they can re-pin the image sharing your link to millions of people. Simple really once you get the hang of it!
To use Pinterest to its full potential here are a few quick tips to get you started:
- Spend the time building relationships on Pinterest
Its not a case of post an image and expecting quick results, these things take time so devote a few hours a week adding images, browsing other peoples boards and following people.
- Connect Pinterest to your store
Add a Pinterest widget to yoru website using one of their free widget apps. Promote via your Facebook page and Twitter, basically connect the dots between your Pinterest account/boards and your website.
- Launch a daily Pin theme
It doesn’t have to be all about your products! Choose a daily theme and post some cool images on your pinboard and sneak a few of your products in aswell. People who constantly advertise mainly annoy other users as its all about the social interaction.
- Follow the big hitters
Increase awareness of your business by following the big hitters that use Pinterest. When you follow popular people they follow you back, and its a case of follow your leader. This works the same for Facebook and Twitter.
Above all have fun with it, social media tools shouldn’t be a chore but a fun way to interact with your customers.