Use Pinterest as a Brand Builder for your Business -is it right for you?

How to Use Pinterest

as a Brand Builder

Your Pinterest Makeover

1. Convert your account to a Business Account Log in & select the About tab From dropdown menu, select For Businesses Hit Convert button when business page opens up

Should You Convert?

Disadvantages Can’t be undone Can’t verify a WordPress blog Only 1 admin can manage the

account Only 1 email can be linked No custom URL – yet Can’t move business boards

from another account

Advantages Can verify website & add “Pin

It” buttons Verifying website adds social

validity Can change business name Target specific areas of

business Can add a widget to your site

for followers

What You Can Do Right Away

Some people say a Business Account helps; others aren’t so sure

Next Steps

2. Install the ‘Pin It’ bookmarklet Install on YOUR browser so you can pin other people’s pictures easily www.pinterest.com/about/goodies

3. Install apps for iPhone, iPad or Android Found in same Goodies section Snap original photos & pin them immediately

Next Steps

4. Install a ‘Follow’ button on your site Found in the Goodies section Encourages other people to follow you on Pinterest

Next Steps

5. Install a ‘Pin It’ button on your site Found in Goodies section Grants permission for other people to pin & share your images Helps build traffic, loyalty & trust

Set Your Goals

Having an objective & staying focused will increase your satisfaction with Pinterest Etsy.com They wanted to provide visual inspiration to increase sales They featured Guest Pinners Overall, Etsy.com is happy with results

You won’t waste time pinning haphazardly

Ask Yourself These Questions

1. How will photo sharing & pinning help me?2. What will photo sharing do for my audience?3. How will this increase my visibility as a resource?4. What do I want to achieve & how?5. Will allowing others to Pin my photos detract from my business?6. Are there any hidden pitfalls I haven’t thought about?7. Is photo sharing relevant to my business? Is this the strategy I

should be focusing on right now?

Which Strategies Work Best for You

1. Provide permanent posting power Pins & pinboards are kept forever Twitter & Facebook posts disappear very quickly Pinterest makes it easy to search through your past pins allowing for

others to repin your images

Which Strategies Work Best for You2. Provide information

Target your visual learners with images

Create powerful & easy to understand infographics

You can also share videos on Pinterest


3. Connect with other pinners Create optimized pinboards Pinterest attracts visual learners who may not like text or audio content Reach out to people who are hugely popular in your niche Repin, like & comment on your audience’s & peers’ pinboards


4. Make Pinterest your own Be original; don’t follow the crowd Create your own categories (with keywords) Make your own formats, themes & interpretations Give entire Pinterest collection a strong identity


5. Consider Pinterest advertising Create brand awareness & visibility Connect with more pinners www.repinly.com/advertise You can appear on:

A sponsored pinner’s list Category sponsorship Sponsored pins Rectangle banner or sponsored newsletter

Each Pinned Photo Should BeOne of the Following and ALWAYS on Message

Make Full Use of Resources

1. Tracking & Tweaking Which pins go viral? Which have the most shares? Type http://pinterest.com/source/[yourURL].com into your browser Find your URL in your Pinterest Settings See all your pins & their activity Use Repinly for stats


Using Repinly for stats www.repinly.com You’ll get a Pinterest

score & popularity rank Number of followers Activity information on

Boards, Likes & Pins Free to join!


2. Protect Your Images Take credit when credit is due Watermark original images Use an App to create a digital watermark Use PicMonkey or iWatermark

Note: never pin an image that doesn’t have the ‘Pin It’ button…this means the creator has not given permission to share


3. Enhance your photo pins Edit your photos or create infographics Use online infographic creators such as Visual.ly, Easel.ly, Piktochart, or

Picmonkey Be creative!


4. Use word clouds www.wordle.net

5. AGBeat’s article about 37 Resources to Jumpstart Social Media Efforts

www.agbeat.com/lists/37-pinterest-resources

Top 10 Takeaways

1. Invite a guest pinner to your site2. Use images on your site your audience would love to share3. Create a separate ‘Photos You Can Pin’ gallery on your site;

schedule a new post daily to draw traffic4. Use keywords, categories & hashtags to reach your targeted

audience

Top 10 Takeaways

5. Pin consistently – you will become a habit, a part of their lives & someone they know

6. Don’t clutter your boards – give each one a theme & stick to it7. Use calls to action8. Watch what your competitors are doing9. Strive for quality10. Engage the emotions