The first thing a business should ask themselves before joining Pinterest is if your business is a good fit for the platform. If you’re an artist or designer, the answer is ‘heck yes!‘ But what about other business platforms. Ones that aren’t just about the visual.
I should preface my next statement by saying that I am an aspiring author. I started my own Pinterest to talk about my work. My goal (however lofty that may be) is to attract an audience of teenage readers who might enjoy looking at the pictures I post and the ideas for stories I glean from those images. I have a few teenage ‘friends’ on facebook who seem to enjoy what I post.
Even though my main business is about words, the visual is attracting to a teenage audience. Since the novels I write are for teenagers it is good platform for me. The point is, your business doesn’t have to be visual for it get your name out on Pinterest.
Before I started working with this blog, before I even thought about how Pinterest can be an advantage to business I was following businesses. Mainly I was following publishers. They posted pictures of upcoming book covers which interested me in the products they were putting out. They also posted writing and publishing related jokes that I could truthfully appreciate. I enjoy following the publishers on Pinterest.
Now that I am working with this blog, I have been branching out and looking at what other businesses are posting on Pinterest. The best pages that I’ve found have a mix of actual pictures of their product and other things that relate to their business.
For example, one page I looked at was for a new high tech product. The first thing I noticed was the quality pictures of their merchandise, the next thing I noticed was that it wasn’t all centered on the product, they were also talking about other technology and garnering a response to their opinions.
They have kept their pinboards on topic with what they are selling but also attracting an audience of tech-experts who want to talk about what the latest and greatest things are on the market.
Now, don’t be mistaken, Pinterest takes time. Just like with a Blog, a Facebook, or a Twitter you have to post daily. If you don’t your opinions will get lost. Like other social media platforms rarely will someone come to your homepage and look at everything you have to offer. They will mostly be looking at the latest feed on their homepage rather than browsing one page at time.
Part of marketing on Pinterest is being current. But does it work? The answer is yes. If you do your research on it, and utilize the tools available to you, it will draw in a new set of consumers that no other social media site will draw in.
You have to keep your fingers in all of the pies, and Pinterest is the newest flavor that everyone is craving.
