Pinterest is currently among the top five social networking sites that has grabbed the attention of internet users in a big way. It can be described as an online pinboard where users “pin” images and videos that appeal to them on theme-based pinboards. It is similar to a social bookmarking tool but visually much more attractive. Here are some quick statistics about Pinterest:
- Gets more page views than Etsy, the popular craft site
- Has grown 2000% since June 2011
- 59% of Pinterest’s users are women in the age group of 25 to 40
- 58% of Pinterest’s unique visitors are women
- Has a highly engaged audience of 3.3 million users and 421 million page views
Pinterest is currently in its beta version and by invitation only. Here are some ways in which your business can leverage Pinterest.
Create a profile for your business on Pinterest
Under settings, complete the about, website and other details on your profile. Connect your other social media profiles and enable “visible in search” so that visitors to your boards can connect and engage with your brand.
Generate website traffic
Pin images with titles and descriptions that link back to your website. Add a “Pin it” button to your own website or blog inviting readers and visitors to engage. You can pin the photos from your blog so that when visitors click your pin, it will drive traffic to your web page or blog. This is easy to do and effectively markets your website or blog.
Generate exposure for your business
Besides driving traffic with Pinterest, you can also promote your products and services by posting their images on your pinboard. This attracts exposure for your brand with the likelihood of customer acquisition. Pin images with links to your product catalogue so that prospective clients can follow these to your website. This is also a great way to advertise your business to millions of prospects on a daily basis. They in turn, can comment on your images and repin them to their boards, widening your reach.
Customer engagement and interaction
Today, businesses must find innovative ways to reach their target audience engage them and interact with them. Pinterest is an excellent method to promote brand loyalty by soliciting customer feedback on your business and its products.
Contests and special deals
Pinterest is a great platform to hold contests and offer discounts on your products to your Pinterest followers and develop long term customer relationships, actively engaging with them, offering them incentives to appreciate their loyalty.
Other ways to use Pinterest for your business are:
- As an online brochure or catalogue with prices
- For event announcements
- New product launch and exclusive rebate announcements
- Market research as you can track what your followers are pinning
- Creating a testimonial board to connect with customers
As a highly visual medium Pinterest is an effective, free marketing tool that you can use to promote your business and acquire customers. You can also pin images via an iPhone app, which means access to the mobile market. Make sure to tag and categorise all images so that your content can be suitably amplified.
Although Pinterest may not be ideal for all brands right now, it is a great way to build relationships with your market. What are your thoughts on Pinterest?