Pinterest – a secret shame or helpful promotional tool?

Sarah Lichterman

I am a frequent user of the social media platform Pinterest. If you are not familiar with this platform, Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing things you love. For more information, click here. 

This platform can be utilized in many ways for personal or business use. As a personal user, I pin photos at random, whenever the moment strikes. However, I also use Pinterest in a completely different way for a couple of my clients. As a social media tool, there should always be a strategy behind your usage for a business. 

On my own Pinterest page, you will find that I have 17 boards, 333 pins and 0 likes. Your first thought might be, “No likes? She must not be very good at this.” Due to the social norm for social media, the popularity of people and pages is determined by your following. Nevertheless, this is not the case with Pinterest because I will only receive likes if I upload a photo myself. Some personal users do this, however, I believe that the majority of pins are posted originally by companies. I use Pinterest in three ways:

1. As it was originally intended, a means of entertainment. I enjoy looking at beautiful photos, silly quotes, the latest fashion trends and cute animals. (I mean, who doesn’t?)

2. For ideas for practical uses. This includes recipes, DYI projects, fitness tips and decorations.  

3. To organize my aspirations in life. Whether my goal is to have a closet full of the hottest fashions or to own a vacation home on an exotic beach or tucked away in a mountainside castle, Pinterest has helped discover the “billionaire me” (my secret shame).

Using Pinterest for a business is very different. There are two main things that you need to consider for your company page: a strategy and original content. The main goal behind a Pinterest page is to engage with users to get them to “pin” your photo. This is where it gets a little difficult, trying to make your photo stand out. Below I have summarized a few tips from PR Daily on how to create viral Pinterest posts. 

Write your post as a list. People love lists and see value in them. It is proven that lists are pinned frequently.

Use text on your photos. This can stimulate pins because it helps users understand your photo and makes it stand out among the hundreds of photos they are scanning through. 

Use searchable tags. Similar to other social media platforms, you should try to use common key words and hashtags to show up on as many search requests that relate to your product or service as possible.

Be relevant. Be aware of the timeliness of your post. There is no reason to create post about DYI Halloween decorations in February. Be strategic in the timing of your posts, even if they don’t pertain to a holiday.

Connect to other social media platforms. If you have a Pinterest presence, you most likely have a presence on at least one other social media site, if not more. Intertwine your social pages by sharing links from your Pinterest page on other platforms.

These are just a few of the many simple tricks and tips you can use to help grow your Pinterest presence. From your personal page to a business page, always remember to have fun and be creative!