This was originally posted in 2011 and has now been updated in 2024 to promote ways to use Pinterest for your business.
Many of our clients were buzzing about using Pinterest back in 2011 when we first wrote this article. We're not ones to fall victim to the "bright and shiny object" syndrome, so we carefully vet each "next big thing" before recommending it to our clients as part of their own digital marketing strategy. What did we find? That Pinterest is a viable avenue to drive website traffic, increase SEO value and ultimately appeal to many vertical markets. The bottom line? We think it can help your business.
Now in 2024, all these years later, it's still a viable marketing tool for small businesses, including B2C and B2b!
Here's how to make the most of it:
1) Add the "PinIt" button to your blog or website: Let's start with simple first. Add a Pinterest "Pin It" button to your blog, like our Virtual Assistant team has done for many of our clients. Make it easy for your readers to show you off.
2) Use hash tags: Just like you would on X or Instagram, make use of hash tags on Pinterest to tag the topics of your pin and generate more exposure from followers.
3) Utilize the crowd: Pintrest has terrific collaborative functionality, what used to be called the “me+contributor” posting capability is now a group board functionality. This allows you to have others to contribute to your boards - it is like they are pushing the content for you! To take advantage, encourage customers to share visuals of your products in action, and then repin the content on your own boards.
It’s a win for them too. They’ll get a lift from having their content shared and feel a sense of belonging (so inducing brand loyalty for you too!).
4) Drive traffic: You can drive traffic to your website or blog (yes - even B2B companies) by getting creative with your use of Pintrest. Pinterest isn't all about outfit ideas, sourdough starters and keto recipes! Drive traffic by creating charts to share industry statistics, designing eye-catching info graphics and always including an image along with your blog. The latest statistics say that 433 million people use Pinterest every month so it's a great choice for content distribution.
5) Pin regularly: Pin new content and maintain your Pintrest boards regularly to help you stay on top in the search results. Utilize your Virtual Assistant team for this. Need ideas on what to pin - other than your own content? For B2B companies, think: success quotes, industry statistics, case studies, etc. If your blog post is a how-to type, create a how-to pin! Create a visual that summarizes the main steps, and invite people to visit your blog for the full lowdown. If the post is a list of tips, turn each tip into an engaging visual that can be shared as a Pin. Create a handful of engaging quotes based on your post, and use these as the basis of Pinterest posts.
6) Consider the half-life: Pinterest stands out as a top choice for many content marketers due to the remarkable longevity of its pins. The concept of a content's half-life measures how quickly it garners 50% of its total engagement. Typically, social media posts enjoy only a fleeting existence. For instance, a Tweet's half-life hovers around 20 minutes, while a Facebook post extends a bit further to about 90 minutes. In stark contrast, the half-life of a pin extends over approximately 3 and a half months. This prolonged duration means that every pin you create continues to work for your brand over an extended period. Think about it, since each pin directs traffic back to its original source, it opens up ample opportunities to enhance visibility and drive traffic to your website.
If this all seems overwhelming to add to your digital marketing strategy, consider hiring a Virtual Assistant team to help with this.