6 tips to grow your business using Pinterest
Pinterest is a great social media platform and if you’re a small business or startup, it’s an amazing way to promote your products or services for free!
Here are my top tips for making the most of Pinterest.
Top Tip Number 1: Share links to your company’s website
It might seem obvious, but you would be surprised how many businesses fail to link their websites on their social media platforms. The great thing about Pinterest is that users are able to create boards which show off the kind of things they are interested in. So when you create your Pins, it’s the perfect opportunity to showcase your products, show off pictures of your website or even pictures from events or product launches. So here’s where it gets interesting, when users click your Pins, it redirects them to your site! What a great way to increase traffic and drum up potential business, right?
Another great way to encourage users to click on your pins is to draw them in by what I call “Hint Pins”. This basically means you create a Pin with a little bit of information or an enticing picture that draws the user in, then just say something like “click here for further information” or “take a look inside to find out more”. And that’s it! It’s a great way to lead your audience to your site. Thank me later!
Top Tip Number 2: Be interactive!
It’s always great when businesses make the effort to engage with their audiences. It makes the company more approachable and it’s a great way to talk to customers directly, get feedback on your products/services and even address customer service issues. For bigger and more established businesses it’s easier to monitor the company’s social media platforms as there is usually a dedicated individual or even a team who deals with social media but for smaller businesses it could be tricky. Smaller businesses might not have the resources to have a dedicated social media person but that doesn’t mean you can’t be interactive.
Dedicate time to talking to your audience as often as possible and announce your presence. Let them know you’re there and that you want to talk! Be engaging, perfect your tone and be prepared for anything so that you’re never caught off guard. If you find yourself in a sticky situation or if you feel like someone is about to say something negative then send them a private message or get them to contact customer services privately.
Get it right and who knows? You might even go viral! Check out how Sainsbury’s went viral back in 2014.
Top Tip Number 3: Giveaways and Promotions
Another great way to increase traffic on your website and to create new business is to reward your customers by having contests and giveaways! Everyone loves free stuff and there is no better way to reward loyalty than by giving away free stuff. Get your audience to Re-pin your boards, comment or even get them to get others to Re-pin your boards. You’re raising your company’s profile and giving back. It’s a win/win situation!
Top Tip Number 4: Integration
Why not use Pinterest to promote your other social media platforms? You can easily link your Pinterest boards to your Facebook page or even share your boards on Facebook directly. Or why not link to your Instagram or Twitter? The possibilities are endless!
Top Tip Number 5: Re-pin your customer’s pins
Another great way to engage your audience is to re-pin their boards. It shows that you’re paying attention and that you’re interested in your audience and not just their money! My top tips for re-pinning are simple; keep it relevant and keep it positive! If a customer posts an image of them using your product, re-pin the hell out of it! It’s all about raising the company’s profile and showing off how much people love your products.
Top Tip Number 6: Keep it fresh!
It might seem obvious but you will need to keep your Pinterest updated and relevant! Create new pins whenever there is something new to share. Your audience is more likely to re-pin your boards if they haven’t seen the same thing before. So give them good content on a regular basis and remember to keep it fresh and engaging!
So there you have it folks! Use these tips and you’ll see results, better still, use them altogether and things should definitely take off!
