“What should our business do with Pinterest?” This is one of the popular questions that socially aware businesses are trying to answer. The reason I say socially aware is because companies who have been ignoring social media are still trying to figure out if they should be on Facebook. So, is there room to promote your business on Pinterest, who according to comScore just Hit 10 Million U.S. monthly unique visitors? The way Pinterest is gaining popularity, our clients will be using it in no-time. So, what can you do to be proactive and leverage Pinterest to gain advantage?
1. Experience Rules
My guess is that Pinterest will have Boards for companies in no time. However, while they are getting there, let’s use what we have. The first step to creating a successful presence on Pinterest or any other hot social platform is drafting your value proposition. In essence, value proposition is answering the following questions. If I am your ideal audience, then why should I like your Pinterest Board and not your competitors? What will you offer your audience that will not be available anywhere else? Use your Board to tell a story. If you are a restaurant owner, do not just post pictures of random items on your menu. Tell a story.
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- Share what ingredients are used to make your top dishes.
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- Share best food pairings – how to pair an appetizer with the main dish or what wine to choose for each main dish.
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- How your desserts are crafted?
2. What if my business is not photogenic?
That happens. We offer web analytics and CRM integration services to companies – we do not sell cupcakes, do not make clothes and do not give advice on interior design. In case your company does any of these, Pinterest is an ideal marketing channel for you. So, what can we do in a complicated world of B2B sales?
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- Add value. We may not sell cupcakes, but we can post the 10 most important analytical charts that your business needs to measure its importance.
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- Pin the best infographics on web design, conversion optimization and web analytics.
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- Share some of our best slides from the the presentations that we offer.
The best thing you can do when thinking about content is to listen. Companies often ask us to share the best charts that they need to look at when tracking their marketing performance. Our seminar attendees often ask us to publish slides online. If we are careful at listening to what our audience wants, we can produce content that will add value.
At the end of the day, Pinterest is not right for everyone. However, we first need to try it out, see if our audience responds and then make a decision.
3. Do the research
You just might be the first organization in your industry to have a Pinterest board. However, there is still room for research. Here is a great article from Mashable on 21 Must Follow Pinterest Users. Review what others are posting. Research what some organizations are doing, and make a list of what people seem to like. However, the most important research is asking your client base.
4. Think beyond marketing
You might not be sold yet on using Pinterest to market your services, but think about HR. Pinterest is a great platform for building an HR brand and telling a story of what it is like to work at your organization. It is still marketing, but it is focused on a different audience. Remember that last company outing that you had, consider posting pictures from the event on Pinterest and explaining why your company is such an awesome place to work at. Even web developers are seeking out Pinterest. Our web developer, Alyssa Roll, finds Pinterest fascinating and very “design focused.”
5. Keep an eye on metrics
It might be too early to have a complete measurement strategy for Pinterest. But, it is always a good time to look at your Google Analytics and if people come to your website from Pinterest. Also, keep track of what pictures people like the most. This will help you figure out what to do next.
There are no experts in Pinterest, we all are just users. Let’s give it a try and learn from each other. HAPPY PINNING!
