Social media platforms provide small-business owners with more low-cost marketing and advertising options than ever before.
Either if you choose to handle this in house, or to work with an online marketing agency who can help you with fresh, viral content, you can achieve great results and keep your costs in control.
Facebook and Twitter still provide entrepreneurs with access to hundreds of viewers, but another social media platform is quickly taking the lead.
With over 360 million users and counting, in the first quarter of 2020, Pinterest is a force to be reckoned with and a game changer for business owners. In case you’ve been living under a rock, let us fill you in.
Pinterest is a digital archive where users can create virtual pin boards of collections from around the web (a.k.a. pins).
Pins are arranged in a visually appealing format where users share images that lead to relevant content when clicked on.
Business owners should think of this as a virtual storefront where prospects, near and far, window shop through your goods and services.
Get on board and start increasing your profit!
Images Matter
After creating your business Pinterest account, start putting together your boards.
The trick to gaining pins is two-fold: create visually stimulating images that lead to relevant information.
Take the Martha Stewart Pinterest page for example. Click on any of the showcased pins and you’ll find yourself directly guided to more information regarding the image posted.
By posting images that are not only eye pleasing but informative, followers feel a stronger connection to the brand thus becoming loyal advocates.
Infographics Work
A great way to spread visually appealing information is through the use of infographics.
These modern data charts offer viewers an eye-pleasing collection of well-researched information without pages of boring text.
Because they cover the two unspoken rules of Pinterest (pretty and informative) these artfully crafted diagrams provide excellent pinning material.
Don’t take our word for it, this infographic on why you should use infographics explains it all.
Track Results
With anything in life, the only way to measure success is to track it.
Pinterest offers web analytics to help you understand how pinners are engaging with your content.
See what pins work, what pins don’t and how many visitors went to your website.
Pair this up with free business accounting software to track your financials and see if increased traffic to your site is promoting online sales.
By tracking where visitors are coming from, you’ll be able to monetize the rate at which Pinterest exposure grows your income.
Optimize Your Wesbsite
Encourage current website visitors to follow you on Pinterest by adding a widget.
The “pin it” button presents visitors with the opportunity to pin images directly from your site to their pin boards. Once you set it, just sit back and let your customers spread the word for you.
The Pinterest business resources guide walks you through the step-by-step process to have your widget up in no time.
You can also add a “pin it” button to your mobile app for added exposure.
Incorporate Your Social Life
Don’t get sucked in to this black hole of productivity. Pinterest has a knack for getting people hooked, making it easy to forget other social media platforms.
To gain full reach of the social spectrum, take the time to share your pins on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and anywhere else your customer might find you.
You can also create a link between your social media accounts by using an app like Woobox who allows you to post a Pinterest box on your company’s Facebook page. Woobox also lets you see statics on how many views, visits and likes you received through the box.
You can also use it for other social media accounts, just keep in mind that only the first box is for free.
Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what your public searches online and likes most. You will also be able to find a lot of inspiration on Pinterest, which will help you if you haven’t decided yet to outsource social media management to an online marketing agency.
Photo by ShardsOfBlue via Flickr
