THE PINTEREST MARKETING BASICS
If you have been living off the grid for the last few years and not familiar with Pinterest, to put it simply, it is a visual search engine where you can create albums or portfolios (called boards) of images (called pins). You can upload your own images or share images you find online. You can also repost other people’s images from their Pinterest boards, which is called ‘re-pinning’. Even better for businesses, you pin product photos and blog graphics from your website which will links back to your website. Basically, if you are an artist or creative entrepreneur you should get to know Pinterest. Here are the absolute basics…
WHY SHOULD I USE PINTEREST?
Since its launch date in 2010 Pinterest has built an audience to 150 million active monthly users, and two-thirds of pins on Pinterest represent brands and products. And interestingly Millenials use Pinterest as much as they use Instagram!!
Stats also show that Pinterest users tend to spend more time on the site than other social media sites, they are more likely to ‘repin’, and pins can generate traffic to your website for months on end, while Facebook posts often get lost in the news feed shuffle. Still not convinced? Check this out – Pinterest surveys show that over 90% of Pinners used Pinterest to create shopping lists and 87% said they’ve bought something because they saw it on Pinterest.
Read more Pinterest Stats here.
THE PINTEREST MARKETING BASICS
GETTING STARTED ON PINTEREST
Signing up for Pinterest is a piece of cake. You just enter your email address, choose a password, select the Business option, fill in your company details and you’re in. We know it sounds obvious, but be sure to write a clear and succinct description of what your business is all about and definitely include a link back to your site.
Set up your Pinterest Business Account now!
Now that you’ve got your account set up you can start creating your boards, but before you do there are a few tricks of the trade to keep in mind.
Choose Vibrant High-Res Images
It should go without saying that the best and brightest images will attract the most viewers. Try to choose shots that are vertical, as those will take up more real estate on feeds. And here’s a strange but interesting fact: images without people’s faces in them get way more likes and repins than those that do show faces. You may also want to think about using a watermark on your images to raise brand awareness.
Divide Your Pins Into Searchable Categories
Rather than whacking your images all onto one board, try to divvy up the goods so that they are easier for people to search for and find. For example, if you sell fashion illustration art prints, you could create a board just for your prints. In addition, try to be super specific with your board names so that you don’t get lost in the hustle. For example, instead of ‘Fashion Illustration’, try something along the lines of ‘Spring Summer 2017 Fashion Illustrations’.
Stick to a Comprehensive Theme
Sure you may love that pinned image of a cat and a chicken curled up together, but does it really have a place on your business profile? Think of your Pinterest profile as the front window of your art business, where everything on display represents your brand. Try to tell the story of your brand through your pinned images, and stick to an ongoing (albeit dynamic) theme.
Get Engaged in the Pinterest World
One great way to draw-in a Pinterest audience is to get involved in other people’s Pinterest activities by following like-minded businesses and liking, commenting and re-pinning people’s pins. You can also repin cool images that fit your brand, and create group boards where you can invite other users to pin along with you.
Check out our Artist Marketing Tips Pinterest Board!
Take Advantage of Pinterest Extras
Pinterest offers tons of tools to get help you generate interest in your profile. You will definitely want to add a ‘Pin it’ button to your site so visitors can pin images that link back to your website, as well as a Pinterest ‘follow’ widget so people can check out your Pinterest profile. In addition, Pinterest offers Promoted Pins for a fee so that you can push more pins to a wider audience, as well as a Buyable Pins service for those who want to sell items directly through Pinterest, although this service is not available in all markets.
Interested in learning more about how you can market your creative business on Pinterest? Read Our Complete Guide To Marketing Your Art on Pinterest
