Up Your Pinterest Game
June 22, 2015
If there’s one thing I know about social media platforms, it’s that they can always be optimized.
Pinterest is not just for your mom who wants to find the latest Crockpot recipes or for your friend who has been planning her dream wedding since birth. You can use the platform to drive traffic to your website, bringing you more business and widening your audience. #winning
So how can you use Pinterest effectively for your brand? Here are some great places to start.
Up your photo game
The first thing to know about Pinterest is that it’s all about the visuals. Winning visuals entice more users to view and repin your content. Pinterest favors vertical images because they appear larger on their platform. The longer, the better.
Whether you shoot your own photos, use free stock photos, or design graphics on Photoshop, your photos must be high quality and visually appealing, especially to your target audience. If you’re looking for a free way to edit your photos and take them to the next level, I recommend PicMonkey.
Pick your categories carefully
If you’re using Pinterest for business, you must be smart about which categories you choose to use. It’s okay to show personality, but be sure to pin regularly to boards related to your business. Also, because you can move your boards around into a specific order, put your business-related boards front and center.
I pin style and DIY projects but keep those boards toward the bottom of my page so the focus is on my niche: blogging, branding, biz, and social media.
Post original content
Pinterest may be a curation tool, but creation is still king. If you can post content you’ve created that no one else can create, you become a credible, go-to source. Whether you sprinkle your content in each of your boards or create a board solely for your blog content, it will make a splash because you are offering your unique perspective.
Share the Pinterest love
Posting original content is a great strategy, but it can’t be the only thing you pin. You don’t want to come off as self-promotional or sales-y, especially in a fun online environment like Pinterest. Instead, repin posts from outside sources that you believe your audience would be interested in. If you loved that piece of content, chances are your audience will fall head over heels for it too. This will also help to build trust, the number one thing you need in order to build a loyal community.
Organize your Pinterest boards
Organization is big in business. If you feel like your Pinterest boards are looking a bit messy, here is your excuse to block off some time and clean them up. Check for broken links and content that just doesn’t fit the board anymore. You’ll feel so great afterward.
Utilize secret boards
Are there things you want to pin that just aren’t on brand? I know the struggle, but luckily you can keep a private board of outside interests. For example, I love cute, lacy delicates as much as the next girl, but is it something I lead with on Pinterest? No, I keep those for my eyes only. If you have to ask yourself if it makes sense with your brand, it probably doesn’t.
Follow your influencers
Pinterest would be rather boring if no one followed anyone. Our home feeds would look tragically empty. Search for your favorite bloggers because chances are they have a Pinterest. Also, routinely check to see which followers are pinning and interacting the most with your content and think about following them to show your mutual support. It’s all about community building.
Focus on aesthetic
Is your color palette bright, cheery colors or edgy, cool colors? Does your audience like sleek and modern or light and feminine? Because of Pinterest’s accent on visuals, it’s more important than ever to focus on creating an aesthetic with your boards that fit your audience’s tastes. Make Pinterest your happy place so posting won’t ever feel like work.
