Perfecting Pinterest... the perfect business guide!

You’ve mastered Facebook and Twitter... Pinterest should be next on your list!

Lots of business owners have still to discover the value of Pinterest to business and it all seems a bit daunting. But Pinterest is less intimidating than Facebook and Twitter where you actually have to write stuff...

As a more visual medium, Pinterest should be easier to populate and look better for less effort. It’s really just a question of finding your way around and adding it to your social media marketing strategy.

It’s also the one social network where potential customers actively look for pictures of products and price tags – and they’re looking to buy! Pins with price tags get 36% more likes than those without... and Pinterest has been described as a new type of social shopping experience. All that’s left to do is convert those browsers to buyers...

Plus, there are already more than 48.7 million users on there... so you can’t afford to miss out – particularly if you’re in furniture, fashion or food – all visual industries where appeal is everything.

Follow The Web Bureau’s guide to perfecting Pinterest for business... or better still, ask us - we can help!

Pinterest for Business

You don’t need to set up a business account, but it will look much more professional and credible – essential if you want to showcase and sell your products.

Get in it for them to Win it!

A great way to build interest in your Pinterest page quickly and easily is with a giveaway. Use apps like Woobox or Votigo to run your contest and make sure to check Pinterest’s terms and conditions.

Get the Right Tools

Just as with the other social media networks, developers have created tools to help you schedule and post – helping you to co-ordinate all your social media activity. Check out Piquora, Pinstamatic, Pinpuff and Repinly – while Shopinterest will guide you through setting up a Pinterest shop in minutes.

Check the Analytics

Make sure to monitor your activity, views and repins. Also keep up to date with what’s trending on Pinterest’s most repined list – your best guide to seeing what’s popular and recreating this for yourself.

Check the Competition

Take a look at what the big guys in your marketplace are doing on Pinterest and think about how that compares with your own activity. Just as importantly, take a look at your direct competition. If they’re on there, assess what they’re doing well, and if they’re not... well, what an opportunity to steal a march and take the lead!

Pin your Website

Allow people to pin direct from your website by making it and your blog as visual as possible and adding the Pin it button. It can be a challenge to find and create original content but that’s also half the fun! As a general guide, you can use other people’s images as long as you give credit – it’s also the right thing to do! Check out Flicker and Photo Pin – and the copyrights! You can also purchase imagery for a one off fee on sites like Shutterstock, Fotolia and iStockPhoto.

Research Your Customers

Find out what your customers want and like... and then give it to them! It’s crucial to creating engagement and converting browsers to buyers. Take a little time to find out what your audience likes to pin and create the kinds of boards they’ll love to share.

Share the love

Pinning is one thing, but to really drive engagement you’ll have to, well, engage! Regularly liking, commenting and pinning will be seen by others and shows you’re actively interested in other boards. It’s a good idea to cultivate relationships with like minds and brands that you admire and fit with your product or service’s ethos.

Infograph it!

Information is key – give people the stuff they want to know and they’ll come back for more. And in such a visual medium such as Pinterest, infographics are a great way to share that information in a fun way. Original content is always good too – and highly shareable! Create your infographics at visual.ly or infogr.am

We hope our guide is helpful in mastering your pinning abilities, let us know how you’re getting on and if you need any advice get in touch!