When I think of my favorite social network, I think of Pinterest. What is Pinterest and who uses it, you ask? Simply put, Pinterest is a photo sharing website that uses a pin board format. It allows users to create and manage “boards” of hobbies and interests. Users can browse other users’ boards for images and re-pin them to their own boards. Users can also like and comment on photos. There are an estimated seventy million users on the unique site. You read that right. I said, “seventy MILLION!”

So, are you using Pinterest to promote your business?

Here are a few tips for effectively using Pinterest for business:

1. Organize your boards and put keywords in the board names

It’s really quite simple. If your board names contain keywords, they are easier to find when searched for. Examples of this would be “Delicious Desserts”, “Social Networking Tips for Business”, or even “Halloween.” If you spend a few minutes doing this, your boards will get higher placement results when searched for.

 2. Make your website Pin-friendly

In order to encourage consumers to share your company’s information, you need to have a “Pin It” button on all content on your website. The “Pin It” button works exactly like the buttons that enable users to share things on Facebook or tweet information on Twitter.

 3. Engage

Engagement on Pinterest is just as important as it is on other social networking sites for your business. Answer users’ questions on your pins, re-pin content that is relevant to your boards, or even take a few minutes to comment on other users’ content. It doesn’t take long to do and your customers/followers will appreciate it.

 4. Brand your business

It can take a little bit of extra time, but it is well worth it. If you include your logo on the photos you upload to Pinterest, the users that re-pin your content will be sharing your logo. (Do not use a huge watermark because that can turn users off. However, a small logo in the corner adds a faint touch.)

 5. Don’t over-do it

Pins can remain in a user’s view for days because feed time is not limited on Pinterest. Do not pin more than a few minutes a couple of times per day. Keep your pins relevant, but vary the content you pin.

What other Pinterest tips would you add to this list? Did you see any that you will be using on your boards?

Comment below or on our social media: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Pinterest