How to Use Pinterest for Business: A Visual Search and Productivity Tool

Are you currently just using Pinterest to plan your dream vacation or find delicious-looking baked goods to try or are you using Pinterest for business? If you haven't already, it's time to start using Pinterest for business.

As the visual search engine and productivity tool that it is, this platform offers businesses of all sizes a unique way to market themselves and expose new potential customers to your brand. If you're not convinced yet, read on!

It is estimated that Pinterest has over 50 million users, with an average of 2.5 billion monthly page views and around 40% are from the US. These numbers alone make Pinterest a platform that you should be tapping into to market your business.

In this article, we'll give you some tips on how to use Pinterest for business and find out if it's right for your company.

There are also helpful tools mentioned throughout the post including free browser add-ons and apps which will allow you to manage your Pinterest account on your computer or smartphone, so let's get started!

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual social network, available on the web and mobile devices. The site allows users to create boards around specific interests like fashion or recipes (to name just two).

Users can then pin images onto their boards from websites across the internet. One of Pinterest's defining features is that it allows you to search for items by image rather than by text.

The site has evolved into a visual search engine that allows users to find new products, recipes, and places without having to read about them or watch videos first.

With Pinterest, you can get an idea of what certain clothing items look like before even clicking the link in their description! What makes Pinterest so unique is its simplicity.

Pinterest for Business

Before we delve into Pinterest marketing tips, let's take a look at why you should use Pinterest for business in the first place.

Pinterest is great for visual preparation purposes. Many businesses can benefit from this type of imagery. Whether it's to create new logos or other graphics or have reference images available for anything, Pinterest is an easy way to bookmark these pictures.

I've personally used Pinterest for business by using it to plan my wedding! This was one of the more stressful events I was preparing for, so being able to have all my ideas in one place helped immensely.

Businesses can use Pinterest in several ways to market themselves. Here are some tips on how your business can make the most out of this visual search engine.

1. Professional Profile

Build a professional profile with your business logo, website link, and a short bio. Pin images of products you sell or services your company offers to show customers what they are in store for when they choose to buy from you!

Make sure that the image is high quality so it's clear enough to see all details. Do not use copyrighted material without permission. If you use someone else's photo, make sure to credit them.

Always have a link in your profile description that takes the user to your website, this will boost traffic for you! Also, make sure that whatever board you pin from has an active link back to its source.

2. Build a Strong Community

When you're just starting with Pinterest, it's important to build your following. The more people that follow you and like the content you pin, the better chance there is of having large exposure for your brand!

One way to boost engagement on Pinterest is by running contests or promotions where users Pin different images related to your brand to be entered into a drawing to win something.

You can also create boards for your current customers and ask them to pin images of themselves using or wearing the products you sell! Community over competition is the winning concept.

For example, if you're selling high-end women's clothing, happy customers would likely love an opportunity to share their style with other Pinners by simply putting together some boards!

3. Create Boards Specific to Your Brand

Pinterest is a place where users come together and share ideas around specific interests, whether that be fashion or home décor. For brands, it's important to be specific to get your brand out there.

Create boards that showcase the products you sell, images of places where your product is used, or popular recipes involving your food items.

This way you can show off your brand to new users that are interested in certain things. If you are a fashion retailer, make sure your boards are specific to fashion and allow for some creativity!

Users want to see different types of designs rather than basic T-shirts with logos on them. Pinterest wallpaper HD will help you to achieve it.  

By creating these boards around topics more specific than "fashion" or "food," you'll find yourself showing up more often on users' feeds and potentially increasing your brand awareness.

4. Establish Brand Image

One of the easiest ways to utilize Pinterest is to find popular images related to your product or brand and pin them onto boards specific to those products.

These will allow you to be exposed on different feeds as users search for items similar in nature (and style) to yours!

For example, if you're selling handmade scarves with popular patterns and styles on your site, Pinterest is a great place to find related images.

You can create boards for different pattern types (stripes, polka dots, etc.) or act as an affiliate marketer by finding other products that go well with the scarves you sell!

You could create boards for different colors (red, pink, etc.) or styles of scarves (turtlenecks vs. short sleeves), allowing you to be exposed on feeds with users searching for these types of items.

5. Captivating Content

With Pinterest, you have to keep your audience in mind. You want people clicking on the links that direct them back to your site, so it's important to ensure that the images and descriptions of items are captivating enough for Pinners to be interested!

Think about what kind of content tends to do well with users who would also be interested in your products, and Pin similar types of images.

For example: If you sell luxury women's clothing it would be wise to create boards around aspirational content like celebrities wearing high fashion outfits or beautiful photos from exotic locations.

Pinterest users are pretty savvy so the more interesting the image is, the better chance that they'll click on it and be directed to your site.

6. Aesthetic Appeal

While it's important to ensure that your boards are related and engaging, don't forget about the aesthetics of Pinterest.

The instant impressions you give with Pinterest are the ones that will stick, so make sure you have a clean and cohesive look to your boards!

One of my favorite things about Pinterest is its simplicity. The site itself has very few distractions which means users can focus on finding images they love rather than getting caught up in ads or other irrelevant content.

Make it easy for users to be interested in your images by having a clean look with fonts that are easy on the eyes.

Aesthetics play a large part in Pinterest's search algorithm, which means that the more appealing and visually engaging your boards are, the better chance you'll have of showing up on feeds related to your content.

7. Following Popular Pinners

Just like following other brands or Pinterest influencers, you can find popular Pinner's whose style matches yours and follow them! Their boards may not always include content related to what you sell but it will still be relevant to your brand.

For example, if you sell women's clothing it would be smart of you to follow some popular fashion bloggers who are known for their classy style and good taste!

By following these Pinners they'll show up more on your feed which means users will also see them when they're looking through Pinterest. This is a great way to get exposure to your target market's feed.

8. Promote Your Business with Pins!

One last way to utilize Pinterest is by creating ad campaigns for your brand. This can be done through the "promoted pins" option where you'll have complete control over the location, budget, and more!

Promoted Pins are not yet readily available so reach out to customer services at Pinterest if interested in this feature or try using Facebook ads which can be used to direct users back to your Pinterest account.

Although you may not think of it in this way, Pinterest is a powerful tool for businesses looking for exposure and new customers online.

If you're already using other social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, adding images through Pins might help increase your brand's exposure and attract new customers.

9. Different Pin Patterns

Pinterest is a platform that users love to explore, which means it can be easy for your content to get lost in the shuffle if you're not utilizing different pin patterns.

To make sure people are seeing and engaging with your pins, implement Pin It buttons on all of your product pages as well as other areas where potential customers may be.

People are more inclined to Pin something if it's readily accessible, so make sure your customers know how to Pin from where they're shopping!

You should also take advantage of different pin patterns since the only other option is "repinning" which won't help you grow your brand awareness at all. By using a variety of pin patterns, you'll be exposing your brand to more potential customers.

10. Optimize it For SEO

Another way to utilize Pinterest for business is through optimizing your site for SEO.

You can do this by using keywords in the description of pins, including links back to product pages on your e-commerce website, and ensuring all images are "rich" with keywords.

These simple things will help you show up more frequently when users are searching for items related to your brand!

Pinterest is a great tool that not enough brands are using. If you're looking for an easy way to drive potential customers back to your site while also engaging with other users who could be interested in what you have on offer, then it's time to get pinning!

11. Pinterest Analytics

One of the best ways to utilize Pinterest is to start tracking how many people are engaging with your pins.

You can do this through a variety of different analytics tools that will give you key insights into what types of posts work and don't work for your brand, as well as which pin patterns should be optimized going forward!

The more you track your Pinterest activity, the better you'll be able to utilize this tool for business.

To start tracking your Pinterest activity, you can use a free web analytics tool like Google Analytics, which will give you the tools to track your website's most popular content.

Several paid tools provide more in-depth data such as Pinpuff which is another user-friendly option with huge potential for business growth!

12. Set Realistic Marketing Goals

Don't expect to see results overnight in fact you probably won't! Pinterest is a medium that takes some time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it.

If you want your pins to be seen make sure they're relevant and timely don't Pinterest old content or images that aren't up-to-date with what you sell.

A great way to find new customers is by pinning images that you know your target market will be interested in!

Pinterest can also help build brand awareness, which means it's time for you to get started with this visual platform and start growing your business today.

13. Pin More Than Once

Pinterest allows users to repin an image into their feed which means that if you pin your image once, then delete it, that same image can show up multiple times in other people's feeds.

Pin often! Make sure to keep your content fresh by repinning images regularly; this will help increase your brand's exposure to a wider audience.

14. Add a Pin It Button

Adding Pin It buttons onto your site is a great way for customers to help spread the word about what you have on offer!

This can be as simple as placing a "Pin It" button on some of your website's major content pieces such as blog posts, product pages, and pretty much anywhere else you want your customers to be able to Pin!

Make sure the button is easy to find; usually on the top or side of a page. If it's buried, then there's little chance that potential customers will find it and Pin from your website.

15. Pinterest Buttons for Websites

Pinterest Buttons add a "Pin It" button to your website, which allows users to Pin content from your site without ever having to leave.

They can be set up in an HTML code format, and are relatively easy for beginners to implement on your site. The more Pins you have from within your website, the better!

16. Pinterest "Pin It" Buttons for Mobile

Adding a Pin It button to your mobile website is another way to make it easy for potential customers to Pin items on the go!

Just like widgets, buttons can be added via HTML code or through an app like ShopTab. This is perfect if you're trying to build brand awareness through Pinterest while you're out and about.

17. Write Product Descriptions

As well as writing descriptions for your images, you should consider adding a description to each of your product pages!

This will help drive more traffic back to your site, which in turn means that Pinterest can be used for business growth.

Don't just stop at the product name and price - include some marketing benefits that will entice users to buy your products!

18. High-Quality Images are Key

To get the most out of Pinterest, you need to have high-quality images that attract users to click through to your site.

• Using images with eye-catching contrasting colors.
• Finding the correct image balance with your product sometimes less is more!
• Adding logos, patterns, and styling to complete the look of each item.

19. Implement Rich Pins

Rich Pins are a new feature that Pinterest has rolled out which allows you to include extra information about each image.

This can include price, descriptions, and reviews; all of which will help drive more traffic to your site!

Rich Pins do require you to display structured data on your website. You can automatically generate the code for this or it can be done manually with an HTML editor.  You'll also need a valid SSL certificate, which can be purchased from your server host.

20. Create Pinterest Specific Pages

Pinterest has implemented custom URLs for user profiles which means that specific usernames are now available to promote your brand!  

These should be used on all other social networks as well because they create an online presence for you to be discovered, and make it easier for other users to share your brand.

Pinterest also allows businesses to create business profiles. These profiles allow you to add descriptions of what you do, which is great for SEO purposes and if you're trying to attract potential customers who might be looking for a local business in your area! Don't forget that Pinterest drives a lot of referral traffic!

21. Pinterest Analytics

Pinterest analytics is another new feature that was launched to help users understand the demographics of each of their pins, as well as where traffic is originating from!

You can use these tools to track your engagement and growth on the social network. This information will be invaluable for future marketing strategies, so don't ignore it!

22. Pinterest is Both Visual and Social

Pinterest has its own distinct culture, which means that you need to use the social network in a way that will optimize your chances of creating content virality.

• Users use Pinterest to discover new items and search for ideas on what to buy.
• You must add a "Pin It" button to your site, as well as links back to Pinterest from social media profiles and blog posts.
• Through content that is relevant and keyword optimized for search, you can attract new users to your site and increase brand awareness.
• Pinterest is a unique social network that requires different marketing strategies to any other platform!

23. Pinterest is a Visual Search Engine

Pinterest acts as a visual search engine, which means that your images will help bring users to you directly through Pinterest itself.

This also means that Pinterest can drive referral traffic from other websites, such as news articles and blog posts, which have embedded 'Pins' onto their site!

24. Pinterest Can Help Drive Sales

Pinterest has been proven to drive direct sales, thanks to users pinning your images which then send traffic back through to your site.  This is great for online stores that are looking for revenue growth!

When it comes down to Pinterest specifically, you need to adopt a visual marketing strategy.  The social network's culture is based around images and finding items to buy, so this needs to be reflected in your marketing strategy.

25.  Pinterest Drives Referral Traffic

Pinterest is both a search engine and social platform.  Users on Pinterest are actively looking for ideas, styles, brands, and products!

This means that Pinterest itself will send referral traffic directly to your site.  This can be through your profile or boards which have been 'repinned' onto other people's Pinterest pages who are either trying to find ideas or have decided that your content is worth sharing!

This is not only great for increasing online presence, but it can help you attract potential customers as well.

26. Pinterest is Unique to Each User

You should remember that other social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are public platforms that have their own rules for users to follow to create a pleasant user experience with minimal trolling or spamming. Pinterest on the other hand has its own culture of mainly women users!

This means that you need to tailor your content and marketing strategies to be successful within this community.  Don't just repost images but add value through original, quality content!

27. Pinterest is Mobile

Pinterest is mainly used through mobile devices. According to Infodocket, Pinterest drives more referral traffic from mobile than any other source including Facebook!

If you're not using Pinterest for your business then perhaps you should be!  Your audience may well already be active on this network, so don't miss out on this easy traffic.  It's important to make sure your website is mobile-friendly first though!

Conclusion

Pinterest is a great platform to use for marketing your business and is one of the easiest ways to drive traffic back to your site. If you're looking for an easy way to engage with potential customers, Pinterest is it!

The most valuable thing you can do when using this visual search engine is track how users are engaging with your pins so that you can optimize your future posts accordingly. Make use of this powerful tool and start marketing your business today!

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