Pinterest is a social media site that is possibly the only one being powered by women. Many of the social media networks have more female profiles than male profiles, but Pinterest figures show that 90% of the profiles on Pinterest are female ones. It is a legitimate social media network, which means that Google is going to sit up and pay attention when making up its search index. Google takes note of the items on social media, and this network is no different. So, as part of a social media campaign, you should use Pinterest, and you should use it as part of your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) campaign too.
What is Pinterest and what does it do?
You are able to create boards. These boards are supposed to be similar to cork boards that you may have around your house. You create a board and then pin things on it from the Internet. Pin things that either tickle your interest or things that go along with the theme of your board.
Create a Profile and Pin your own website and blog stuff
This is frowned upon (supposedly), but it makes perfect common sense. You cannot rely on other people to pin things from your website. So, create a profile and start pinning things from your own website. It is going to enable you to get your message out there, and it is free, so there is very little stopping you. Try to pin things that are going to tickle your potential customers’ interest. Do not post for the sake of posting.
Pins have links that give a small SEO benefit
They have a small SEO (Search Engine Optimization) benefit because each pin comes with a link to the website responsible. The search engines read your boards and attribute a small search engine optimization benefit to your site as a result. The more people that pin things from your website, then the bigger the search engine optimization benefit is.
Encourage your friends to pin things on their Pinterest sites
This is another one of those common sense things, but do not just stop at your friends. Ask people on your Facebook page, your Twitter profile and your Google+ profile. There is nothing wrong with asking. Tell them to do it as a favor, and offer to pin things of theirs to one of your boards. This sort of reciprocal linking between Pinterest accounts is not uncommon.
Appeal to the female mentality
Over 90% of the profiles on Pinterest are female, so targeting women is a very good idea. You do not have to go all “girly” about it, as it will most likely put most women off. But, try to aim for more neutral or female friendly themes. Also, remember to appeal to all age ranges, but be aware that the very young and very old are not famous for attending Pinterest.
Show your products in action
You may show images of your products, but it may come across as a little too promotional and not very inventive. So, why not try showing your products in action? You can show them working, being used, or even show them resisting certain elements. For example, you may show your product working underwater or in a freezer.
Create a board that is simply one big promotion
This is a little bit uninspired, but is still another way of getting your message out there. Pretend that one of your boards is a big poster, and arrange and label your pins as if you were setting them out on a poster. Do not forget that Pinterest is more about images than it is about text, so try to fill it with as many related images as possible.
Create other boards that are genuinely entertaining or educational
In order to draw people in, you are going to have to create something of substance. A board or two that is entertaining may draw in a little bit of traffic. They may then filter onto your more promotional boards. You may also add your logo or brand tag line to the board so that people know it was made by you.
If you create a series of boards that are educational, then you may be able to convince people to look through many of your boards. Hopefully, they will come across a few boards that are more promotional. This will then help to disseminate your marketing message. Do not forget to add your logo to the educational boards too.
Kate Funk is a passionate blogger and online tutor at Tutortop. She coaches individuals in SEO and business networking skills