One of the best infographics I’ve seen in a while provided a detailed rundown on how to get more followers on Pinterest, but as I read through it, I realized it also offered some great tips on how to turn Pinterest into a marketing powerhouse.
Not only does the social media network have 25 million users, but 47% of online shoppers have made a purchase based on Pinterest recommendations. Pinterest also produces 4x more revenue per click than Twitter and 27% more than Facebook.
Here are 7 ways to ramp up the marketing power of Pinterest:
Make sure your profile represents your brand
People are going to read through your profile to learn more about your brand, so it’s a great opportunity to start building trust.
Make sure your username is the same as your business name, and fill out the About section completely. Include a link to your website and a headshot – no icons or logos! People like to follow people, not “things.”
Share – and be social
Obviously, the more you share, the more visible you are on Pinterest, so spend a few minutes every day sharing your own images on your boards and repinning images you like. When you leave comments, mention others, just as you would on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram to get their attention.
Be picky about what you share
Only share and repin high-quality images that represent your brand. Black and white images are OK, but colorful images are a gold mine in terms of engagement. Bonus points if they are mostly red, orange, and brown, which get more love than blue images, and if they are light rather than dark.
Go where the cool pins are
Check out the Popular feed when you’re on Pinterest, and add a thoughtful comment to the pins that you actually have knowledge about (aka, avoid throwaway comments like, “Great photo!”).
Add your images to popular group boards to really raise your profile, and follow those with similar interests. (If they don’t follow you back, it’s OK to unfollow them.)
Oh, and don’t get too overzealous when it comes to commenting. If you comment more than a couple of times a day, or you could be labeled a spammer.
Keep your most popular boards highly visible
If they aren’t already, move your most popular boards to the top row of your boards, and consider inviting followers to contribute to them. When your followers add pins, your boards will show up in their profile, which could greatly increase your exposure.
Integrate Pinterest with your overall marketing efforts
Make your Pinterest activity visible on your other social networks. You can tweet your pins and share them on Facebook, and you can also add a link to Pinterest from your Twitter and Facebook profiles.
Also be sure to add your Pinterest “follow” button to your email marketing templates and consider sharing a favorite image in each newsletter you send out (link the image back to your Pinterest account).
Hold a contest
Set up an especially fun contest, and you could really turn up your brand visibility. Offer a great prize (cash is king), and require users to follow you in order to enter the contest.
As part of your promotion, create a pinnable image that includes your logo, a call-to-action, contest end date, prize, and the words “contest” or “giveaway” (important for search!).
