Pinterest – a beginners guide for business

“There’s not enough social media”

....Said no one, ever

Fear drove you here

What is it?

What can you do with it?

Discover, dream,aspire

Curate and Collate a Collection that Lasts

Connect to people... just like you

A virtual high five

Spread the Share .....further than you can reach

BUT...WHY BOTHER?

Who is using it

• 11.5 million unique visitors per month• 70 million users worldwide• Over half a million in Aus• 1.5 million unique visitors per day• 80% female• 15 minutes per visit• Over 80% aged 25 to 54• 70% earn less than $75K• Pinterest drives over 40% of ecommerce

traffic

Referral Traffic

Engagement and positioning

Direct sales

Awareness

Word of mouse

4,000,000 Plus Followers!!!

Drives traffic to their blog – and positioning of their brand as leaders in travel advice

Pinned over 375,000 times

www.effecientlifeskills.com

How to get started• Sign up at www.pinterest.com• Once you have “person” account, sign up a

business account• Perfect your “About”/ “Profile”• Find boards and people to follow (check your

‘friends’ recommendations from Facebook)• Visit the “Goodies” page on Pinterest &

install “Pin It’” button to your browser• Create your boards

Find Pinners, Boards or Pins to follow

Use #Tags

Search on people or businesses you know – competitors, clients, suppliers, industry media

HOW TO CREATE GREAT PINS• Highly visual• Colourful (Red pinned more than blue)• Text on image• No faces• Vertical – 2:3 aspect ratio• Break rules to standout

• Where to get images:– Your own– Dreamstime– CompFight– Getty

What to pin?• The tangible benefits of your business product

or service• Communicate the essence of your brand –

values, colours, interests, beliefs, features• Acknowledge the lifestyle of your customers

Think like a publisher

• White papers• Articles• Blog posts• Infographics• Videos• Reviews• Testimonials• Competitions

“The trick to succeeding on Pinterest isn't necessarily about showing off your products or services directly. It's about finding creative ways to show how those products and services fit into the lifestyles of your target audience.” Hubspot

Connect your other social media accountsCross promote between them

consistent

Be super specific

Super specific

Creative nameCreative names

Groups

Group boards

Integrate into your site

• More is best – be regular• Pick the right time of day• Engage with other Pins• Put links in your descriptions

A Pin keeps giving over and over again

To pin or not to pin?

• Are your customers there?• Does it suit your objectives

(traffic, branding)?• Do you have the time?

Some further info prompted by questions asked on the night....

You can connect your Pinterest account to your Facebook account. This will give you the option to post your pin automatically to Facebook. You have the option to select this for each Pin (Just tick the box).

• You can’t pin your Facebook posts to Pinterest. You need to go into Pinterest and upload your Image as a new pin.

• You can’t pin other people’s Facebook posts to Pinterest. You have to right click their image, save the image, and Upload as a new pin.

• There are services that can help with this: http://www.pinvolve.co/pricing

Sold out products???

• You Pin a product you have for sale, the product sells, but the Pin is still out there?

• Delete the Pin so you don’t drive any more traffic OR update the page that you have Pinned from to tell visitors “Sorry – this product has sold out...but here is one just like it”.

• If this is a one-off product or you have little stock make note of that in the original pin – perhaps even noting the date.

Houzz Vs Pinterest

• Houzz is specifically about home design/decor• It includes a directory of professionals (based on

your location)• It includes articles and discussions within the

platform• It includes a listing of products for sale• It is a ‘fuller’ experience – and ideal for those in

the home• decor/design/remodelling/architecture space