To pin or not to pin? That’s the question many brands ask when completing their collection of social media pages. On the surface, Pinterest may simply look like an online scrapbook for images and recipes that people love. But underneath it all, Pinterest is a powerful tool for driving traffic and extending a brand’s reach.
In fact, with 100 million monthly active users, it’s one of the fastest-growing social media platforms around. Still not convinced? Just take a look at these statistics straight from Pinterest:
2/3 of pinned content is from business websites.
Mobile devices make up 80% of traffic.
There are 50 billion pins on over 1 billion boards.
Users pin over 14 million articles every day.
That’s a lot of social hustle and bustle. So how can your brand take advantage of all that activity and ride the Pinterest wave? Follow these ten tips and tricks when you start pinning.
1. Use Keywords Wisely
Pinterest titles and descriptions are great places to utilize relevant keywords that will boost your content in search results. Create eye-grabbing titles that are short and sweet but give just enough information to entice readers into sharing your pins. Keywords in board titles can also help you create clear, distinct themes for each of your boards, which is an important element that followers want to see.
2. Pin Several Times a Day
The more you pin, the more exposure you’ll have on Pinterest. Gaining followers is key to getting coveted re-pins, so make sure that you’re pinning new and unique content as much as possible. A good rule of thumb to follow is to pin 5-10 times a day in the afternoon and evening, although you should adjust your pinning schedule to fit the habits of your audience.
3. Categorize and Organize Well
A messy Pinterest profile with disorganized boards isn’t going to garner followers. Spend some time categorizing and organizing your boards and pins into something neat, tidy, and attractive. You can change the cover image of each board by clicking Edit on the board itself. Then, click Change Cover and choose a new image, adjusting it before you hit Save Changes. Take a look at your Pinterest profile to see how the boards flow visually and move them around if you need to.
4. Choose the Right Images
Just like other social media channels, certain image sizes and shapes look best on Pinterest and are more likely to be re-pinned. Whether creating your own images or looking for content to share, choose photos that are vertical and at least 600 pixels wide. Taller images work well for grabbing the eye, which makes infographics a perfect fit for Pinterest. HelloSociety suggests making sure images are bright and saturated before pinning to increase their visual appeal.
5. Follow Others and Join Groups
Sometimes when looking to gain followers on any social site, the struggle is real. One of the best ways to grow your community on Pinterest is to follow and pin as much as possible. Search Pinterest for profiles with themes similar to yours, and seek out communities of Pinterest users on the Internet to promote your own page.
6. Use Rich Pins
Rich Pins from Pinterest are a great option for adding enticing information to app, place, article, recipe, movie, and product pins. Rich Pins are designed for retailers and allow businesses to include real-time details, like pricing and stock availability. That valuable info shows up on the pins themselves and makes it easier for customers to shop your products.
7. Invite Collaborators
If you’re struggling to pin several times a day, then select a collaborator or two. You can invite other Pinterest users to collaborate on a specific board by clicking on the Invite button, located on the top-left corner of that board. If you decide to part ways with said Pinner later on, you can easily remove them as a collaborator and take back full control.
8. Verify Your Profile
Getting verified on Pinterest is pretty simple. You can either grab a meta tag to insert into your website’s HTML, or upload the proper HTML file to the website following Pinterest’s instructions. In addition to having a more official page, your profile photo will automatically be attached to any pins that come from the website, which is great for extending a brand’s reach.
9. Understand the Pinterest Audience
Like many other social networks, Pinterest has a specific audience of its own. It leans drastically towards women with about an 80% female audience, while the most popular categories include food and drink, DIY and crafts, and home décor. If you’re able to tailor any of your content to popular topics on Pinterest, then you’ll have great success with your pinning adventures.
10. Connect Your Twitter and Facebook
Another fruitful way to cast a larger audience net is to link your Twitter and Facebook profiles to your Pinterest page. Simply go to your profile’s Settings and click Social Networks on the menu, then connect your pages. Once complete, small social icons should appear on your profile page underneath your brand’s name.
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