Using Pinterest for business is a great way to engage with your customers on a personal level. Plus, this visual platform is uniquely populated by users looking for new ideas and new products to buy. In fact, 93% of pinners use the site to plan purchases. It’s an excellent platform for marketers to add to their social media strategy. But don’t limit yourself to just pinning your own products and blog posts. There are as many clever ways to market a company on Pinterest as there are businesses using the site.
5 Out Of The Box Ways To Use Pinterest For Business
If you’re new to Pinterest marketing, or are looking to take your strategy in a new direction, you’ll love these 5 unique ways to use Pinterest for business.
#1: Sell A Lifestyle, Not Just A Product
Don’t just show people your great products and services, show them how those items will fit into their lives.
Lowes is using Pinterest to show their customers how to create a lifestyle with the products they offer. The home improvement giant uses Pinterest to post gardening tips and bathroom decorating ideas. They share weekend DIY project ideas and gift ideas.
It’s time to get to brainstorming. How does your product fit into people’s lives? How can you use your Pinterest marketing to speak to that lifestyle?
If you sell juicers, share juice recipes. If you’re an insurance company, your followers might appreciate safety tips.
#2: Play Matchmaker Between Your Social Media Platforms
Your Pinterest marketing isn’t a solo act. Don’t think of your social media accounts as completely separate platforms. You can play them off each other. Use your popular Facebook account to strengthen your Pinterest following. Use your Pinterest to send traffic to your Twitter profile.
Using your social platforms to feed into each other can be as simple as a link to your social accounts in your profile description, or as complex as a cross-platform contest.
Ready for some inspiration?
In 2012, Jetsetter celebrated a million followers with the contest “Pin Your Way To Paradise.” They used clues they posted on Facebook to send their fans on a scavenger hunt around their website. People created Pinterest boards for the contest where they saved the answers to the Facebook riddles. Jetsetter’s favorite board won a trip to Bali. The campaign boosted Jetsetters referral traffic by 150%.
So how can you use Pinterest to get customers engaged across all of your social media platforms?
- Share popular pins to Facebook or Twitter.
- Run a contest and post calls-to-action on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. (Just make sure you follow each platform’s rules!)
- Promote special events you’re hosting on other platforms. Having a Pinterest contest? Post about it on Facebook. Hosting a Twitter Q&A? Pin about it!
#3: Pinterest Isn’t Just For Cyberspace
Want to get more of your customers connected to your Pinterest? Want to help your Pinterest followers conveniently find and purchase the pins they love?
Try taking your Pinterest marketing into the real world.
Nordstrom used Pinterest to inspire their customers offline and on. They attached Pinterest cards and clips to dresses, handbags, and shoes that received the most engagement on Pinterest that week. Their salespeople used an internal app to show customers which items were trending on Pinterest that week. Nordstrom’s in-store Pinterest marketing made shopping there a more personalized experience.
So bring your Pinterest marketing to life! This is a great way to engage with your customers and encourage your pinners to give your store a visit.
You might flag popular pins like Nordstrom does. You could even recreate your most inspiring boards using an actual corkboard. Get creative!
#4: Add A Human Element To Your Marketing
Marketing can sometimes come across as uber-sleek and polished. Showing off the people that make up a company can help customers connect not just to the brand, but to the story behind it.
Ben and Jerry’s are experts at weaving a down-to-earth, human element into their Pinterest marketing. They use boards titled The People Behind The Pints and History to share information about their company and employees. They even share the faces and stories of their fans with the board Fan Photos.
Use your Pinterest boards to connect with customers on a human level. Pin a photo of the customer service rep that’s been working for you for 30 years. Create a visual collage about your company’s history. If your customers share selfies of themselves with your product, pin those too!
#5: Create a Pinterest Portfolio
You want your clients to be able to see samples of your high-quality work. Why not create a Pinterest portfolio?
Pinterest allows you to collect pins from multiple sources in one place, so it’s the ideal spot to save samples of your professional work from around the web.
For inspiration, check out Moz’s Pinterest. Moz makes marketing analytics software and shares great inbound marketing resources. They use the Pinterest board Design Work to show off work done by their design team.
Building a Pinterest portfolio is also a great strategy for freelancers and independent contractors who want to connect with potential clients on social media.
To build a successful social media marketing strategy, you’ve got to stand out from the crowd. There are tons of businesses on Pinterest trying to build a relationship with your customers. Share what makes your brand unique! These 5 creative ideas can get you started, but don’t be afraid to really get clever with your Pinterest marketing.
Have you come up with an imaginative way to use Pinterest for business? Share it with us in the comments section!
