Using Pinterest for business

Why Pinterest is good for your business[ 9 min read ]

You may have heard of Pinterest and perhaps you have tried using this platform. Maybe you were looking for ideas, gifts, recipes, holidays and you may have been saving some pins on your boards.
But have you ever considered that you can use this platform in your business?

Why should you consider using Pinterest for your business?

Pinterest has 478 million monthly active users, and 77% Pinners say they have discovered a new brand or product while browsing Pinterest. (cit. Pinterest 2019).
All this sounds great, but you are reluctant to invest more time and money on another social media to promote your business. But let me tell something, I have good news for you:

Pinterest is not a social media platform

That is true. When you think of Pinterest, think of it a s search engine, a bit like Google. But possibly better because it is a visual search engine. In fact, the Pins used on Pinterest are a combination of images and keywords. And unlike other social media, you do not have to spend tons of time engaging with people, or post during the day at different times, constantly create content and probably getting little results. I feel
your pain using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, especially if you are not an extrovert.

How Pinterest works

If potential customers see your pin and are curious, they will click on it, and this will drive traffic to your sales channels. In order for that to happen, it’s important to use keywords strategically, to maximise your chances of being found by your potential customers.

Where Pinterest drives traffic to

In every Pin you can include a link to drive traffic to different sales channels. For instance:

  • Website
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • Instagram Account
  • YouTube Channel
  • Etsy Shop.

Elements of Pinterest 

The main elements on Pinterest are Pins and Boards. 
The are 5 Pin types: 
  • Simple Pin
  • Carousel Pin
  • Video Pin
  • Rich Pin
  • Idea Pin (I talk about this further, below).
There are 5 board type: 
  • Public board
  • Secret board
  • Group’s board
  • Archived board
  • Protected board.

Why you need a Pinterest Business Account 

If you are seriously thinking of using Pinterest as a marketing tool in your business, you need a business account.  This allows you to claim your website, IG account, Etsy shop and YouTube channel. You can also track the analytics and see which pins perform better than others and how much traffic Pinterest brings to your sales channels.

How to create attractive Pinterest Pins

Once you do your research and find which keywords work well for your Pins and content, you obviously want people to click and save those pins. What do you have to do to encourage that?
Create amazing Pins! I mean eye-catching graphics that attract your potential customer to your boards. You do not need to have graphic design skills, but a bit of practice will help you create better images over the time.
Last year Pinterest introduced a change in the algorithm, and it prefers Fresh Pins. This means that the platform wants more new Pins, and consequently more content to share. So, it is no longer enough to share Pins from other accounts to build trust for your account. For this reason, the design of captivating images to match your brand is important. Your Pins need to stand out and be recognizable.

creating a pinterest pin
Creating a pinterest pin

Pinterest is a long term-game

Before getting some results or traffic to your sales channel, you need to be patient and wait for a few months. Pinterest needs to understand your account and see that your content is good and fresh (see the Fresh Pins that I mentioned earlier).
However, your Pins will remain in the platform forever and with the correct strategy, they will still bring traffic after years. It sounds great, right? It is actually brilliant, and you can see how the traditional social media cannot compare.

SEO on Pinterest

As I mentioned earlier, Pinterest is a visual search engine. It is particularly important to identify and use the correct keywords in this platform. You need to think what words your potential customer can use to find you, your products, and your services.

Where to use the keyword on Pinterest 

Once you have your keyword list, the best practice is to include them on your: 

  • Bio (up to 160 characters)
  • Board Description (up to 500 characters)
  • Pin design – it is preferable to insert an overlay text on your pin.
  • Pin Description (up to 500 characters)
It will take time and practice to find the correct strategy and the best keywords to use, but this work 
will pay off. 

Organic traffic

One last thing to note is that most of the traffic that you drive to your sales channels, can be organic (it means without ads). You can decide if you want to pay for ads on Pinterest, but you can still have good results for free.

Consistency is the key

In the past Pinterest recommended saving 25 pins per day. Now this number can be lower because Pinterest prefers quality over quantity. But it is preferable to save one or more pins every single day, rather than saving tons of pins one day and then disappear from the platform for weeks. There are some tools that can help you schedule your pins in advance, so you do not have to spend time every day to save them manually.

New on Pinterest – Idea Pins

I would like to talk a little more about Idea Pins (previously Pin Stories), because it is a new feature and a bit more social than other features on Pinterest.
The Idea Pins do not drive traffic to any external link, but they are good if you want to use them to get your business known. You can create up to 20 images or videos to share your content. Usually these are used for sharing tips.

For example: how to make a recipe or create a product, how you work behind the scenes.

Ideas Pins

Need help with Pinterest?

You may feel a little overwhelmed after reading the above (and believe me, there’s a lot more). Maybe you do not know where to start?

If you need help understanding, managing your Pinterest Account or you prefer having somebody else manage it, I will share a tip with you:
There are Virtual Assistants who offer these services in their portfolio.

Some of them are offering Pinterest as a main service, like Francesca, who runs her own business at kaffeinavirtualassistant and you can see the services she offers here.

So, are you thinking of using Pinterest for your business? Is there something you would like to know about Pinterest? Get in touch using the form below.

KAFFEINA Virtual Assistant

 

 

 

Suzi Smart Bear

I'm Suzi - the owner of The Smart Bear.

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