In the social media kingdom, Pinterest is an entirely different species. Not all marketers know how to master and capitalize on its image-driven nature. In its new Pinterest for Business: A Best Practice Guide report, Econsultancy, a market research consultancy for digital marketers, reveals that brands that invest time, talent, and resources in Pinterest often reap the most benefits.
As of this month, Pinterest has more than 20 million users, each of whom spends more than 90 minutes per month on the image-driven site, according to the guide. Matt Owen, Econsultancy social media manager and report author, lists consumers’ use of “image-based search”, or using images to help influence click-throughs, as part of Pinterest’s appeal.
“Is it more effective to read a recipe title or see a delicious meal in front of you? It’s a shift in behavior of many users,” Owen says. “Images and video are a very fast, very easy way to consume content, as evidenced by YouTube’s success. Add in personal recommendations [and] curated collections, and the chance for users to keep up with the in-crowd, and it’s a combo that’s difficult to beat.”
Owen acknowledges that content marketing poses a challenge for all marketers but says Pinterest can help ease their pain. He says Pinterest serves as a perfect “hub” for marketers to upload, curate, and share images and videos and that Pinterest’s vast audience makes the channel intriguing to all audiences.
“Pinterest users are also very active and engaged with content, so it’s an incredibly valuable source of feedback for brands and chance to really communicate your core brand values and personality without many of the restrictions that other social channels offer,” Owen says. “The opportunities for crowd sourcing intelligence and user-created content are huge.”
Here are Owen’s five pinteresting tips that every marketer should know:
1) Don’t forget about the copy
“Images are your primary concern, but be sure to take time to add some useful descriptions, and ask for comment from your audience,” Owen says.
2) Spread your activity out throughout the day
Rather than bombarding your followers with images, Owen advises marketers to keep their Pinterest account open on their desktop and to add images periodically or “whenever the fancy takes you.”
3) Show the love
Pinning images you’re interested in gives consumers a glimpse into your brand’s and your own personality, which is a great way to drive engagement and make a corporation seem more personable, Owen says.
“People like people, not faceless corporations.”
4) Don’t be too “sales-ey”
“Avoid adding too many CTA’s or pricing info,” Owen says. “People want to know that you are using Pinterest and sharing content because you care about it, not because you want their money. Resist the temptation to go for the hard sell.”
5) Have fun
Owen encourages marketers to feel free to “go off-road” with their pinterest boards and pins.
“Pinterest is fast and fun, and so should your account,” he says. “I’d much rather buy something from someone I actually liked!”
If a brand is a complete Pinterest noob, Owen advises the organization to let its marketers create and experiment with personal accounts. In addition, he recommends resisting the urge to use Pinterest as a push messaging source.
“It’s really important that you have the resources, time, and interest to maintain regular engagement. Share content from multiple sources, even from your competitors,” Owen says. “Make sure your Pinterest account isn’t a silo, instead, work to be a valuable source of information and member of the community.”
