Facebook started out as a social networking site that was heavily reliant upon photographs and short
profiles but has increasingly evolved to become the complex social networking tool that it is today.
Arguably, Facebook has lost its way amongst all of its apps and its relationship with search engines
etc. so that it is not as user friendly as it once way. Pinterest, however, is a very easy to use social
networking site that looks to fill the void that other sites have left.
An image-based networking site
Pinterest is not a new site but has done well out of the idea that an image-
based site that is not heavily dependent upon text, as perhaps Twitter might
be. It is thought that the bill-board set up that uses pictures instead of reams
of text is more visually appealing and becoming more attractive to users.
Users can act on what they get to see on the site as opposed to pages of
information that they have to read and so it is little wonder why the site is
growing in popularity.
Why is Pinterest growing in popularity?
There are a number of reasons why Pinterest is becoming so widely used.
Although it may not have the same functionality that sites like Facebook have,
it is still a viable business tool in a number of ways. Pinterest can be used to
engage with the customer base so that they might become more familiar
with a business’ branding and logos as a result of the fact that their billboard will be based around
these images.
Sharing images of products with your target audience
Images of products can be uploaded and shared with other people who are interested in the category
to which these products belong so that people who these products target get to see what they look like
first hand. In terms of marketing, pinning images of products and sharing them in this way could prove
profitable.
Linking in your Social Media Profiles
You may well be using other forms of social media such as Facebook and Twitter. If this is the case
then try linking them in with Pinterest. It is always wise to keep your online marketing channels open
and have them working together to drive traffic towards each other. People may react better to
Pinterest than Facebook in terms of responding to images of your product so if you do have a Twitter
or Facebook account, include a link to your Pinterest profile.
Generating interest with online contests
A contest is a great way to drive traffic to your site and create interest. If you can do this through
Pinterest then you can encourage people to spend time looking at your billboard and sharing
content, perhaps even pinning images of their own.
Creating backlinks to your site
If you include a link back to your website through the images that you include then if people see
something they like they have the opportunity to buy from you. You can include some pricing
information too so that people know what kind of rates you charge for what you sell. You can
include these products with their price tags in the gift section.
Using SEO with Pinterest
Remember the SEO principles when using Pinterest so be sure to put information and a link to
your site. This will encourage people to click to your site, providing you with backlinks that will
increase your listings in search engine results. Keyword use will also apply here so make sure that
you include relevant words.
Pinterest is still relatively new and so having a Pinterest billboard could give you a competitive
edge and position you as a provider of exclusive new information for your customers.
