subject: 3 Crticial Keys When Considering Pinterest For Business [print this page] Pinterest is the latest social media crazePinterest is the latest social media craze. Its high volume of users, activity and resulting buzz have now ranked the social network in position 3 behind only Twitter and Facebook. It is therefore no surprise then that marketers would like to get their product in front of all of that traffic. Yet, all social networks have their own culture, their own language and their unique aspect that calls for marketer to think differently about how they will make the most of how that platform works.
Pinterest is no different; it has its own language (really just names for things, e.g. a post or an update is a pin, the people doing the pinning are pinners, etc.) and its culture is purely visual. Here are 3 tips to help you maximize the culture of Pinterest so that you can effectively add the community to your marketing mix.
1. Visual
While you can pin articles and Google documents, Pinterest is mostly pictures. Funny, cute or beautiful pictures appeal more than dull photos or clip art. This is why info-graphics have become so popular: a narrative of statistics and facts can now be digested in a purely visual way. The more emotional a photo is, the more descriptive, the greater the chances of it being liked and repinned onto another board... which is how you gain traction, or go viral, with Pinterest.
2. Like-able vs. Comment-able
The wide display of pictures on the each user's screen is set up so that a lot of information can be scanned at once. Pinners will quickly like something more often than re-pinning or commenting. Engagement on Pinterest is a good idea and wins friends quickly, but it is not the norm. Therefore do not use Pinterest for a debate. Your goal is to generate likes, so that you get into followers of follower's streams and grow your visibility that way as opposed to traditional conversations.
3. The Social 80-20 Formula Still Applies.
As with all social networks, you do best when you only promote yourself 20% (or less) of your time on the platform. And, it is even more effective when you use phrases like "share an opportunity", "did you know that I offer" and "you might find this useful"...i.e. when you provide value to your community, it's okay to make them aware of what you're offering. That other 80% is you demonstrating your expertise by curating the best ideas from others in your field, or on your topic. Third party endorsements work well here. When you promote someone else, their material is promoted and comes with your implicit recommendation, and the same happens for you when they reciprocate.
I have long encouraged my students to go stand in front of traffic rather than try to create it from scratch. In this way, Pinterest is a terrific vehicle for business. Keep in mind that Pinterest is a visual, social community of mostly women, browsing. Think: morning coffee where the girls are sharing the latest deals on kids' sneakers, or which summer they are going to be signing up for this year. Think: large conference where massive deals are made on the sofas outside the main ballroom. Think: guys on a golf course chatting about putters, balls, and swing videos. That's the mindset of Pinterest for Business.
