15 Ways to Use Pinterest for Business

As a social media trainer; I am using Pinterest to find and share valuable tips, tools and resources so I’ll probably be a bit more formal than most people.

I think the whole point of Pinterest is visual, whether it’s ideas, products, images, resources or blog posts. I use Pinterest for ideas for my own blog posts and updates so I use Pinterest to share content (repin, comment on and like) 

Pinterest can work really well for small businesses, bloggers, designers, retail outlets, cafes, shops as well as for people who want resources, images, decor ideas, food tips, health tips, inspirational quotes/content and as a platform to share anything you love whether it is for business purposes or for your own personal inspiration.

So Here are 15 Ways to Use Pinterest for Business:

1) Set up a few boards - click on the add button then Create a Board

2) Give each board a name which relates to each board and easy to find in search; so if it’s Social Media Humour or Social Media Tips or Places I Love or whatever. Then describe each board and place a relevant link in the description (remember it cannot hyperlink and you cannot view this content on mobiles but it helps to have a clear description especially if it is a board promoting your business/brand)

3) Choose a board (or however many make sense for your business/brand) where you can pop content to link back to your site, articles, portfolio, blog, Facebook,Twitter etc – using images and direct links to the content itself. This is how you can drive traffic to and from each platform. Use each pin to describe whatever the content is.
On the board itself use different pictures and keep uploading content – e.g. you can also add a Facebook image to direct people to your page by using a direct link with image like this one http://pinterest.com/pin/76631631129967721/

4)  Use other boards which are not business/brand related because Pinterest is essentially about sharing pins/repinning other users content/inspiring interest.
If it’s only/all about you it doesn’t make sense from a social media marketing point of view ( this also applies to Tweets on Twitter, Facebook updates, Instagram photos but your blog can be essentially only about you/your brand)

5)  Pin whatever you like in the boards, either by clicking on other pins and repining or finding your own pins to pin. (Use the add feature to add a pin (a link) or to upload a picture)  Ensure that each board makes sense to other people and can be easily found in the search bar. I think that’s why so many of the boards have got such basic names.

6) Check the images and links - that the content in question does in fact link to the relevant source as described; before you repin. This will help when others repin your content; by clicking on the image, users find a direct link to the picture and the original source (there are plenty of spammers online setting up fake/malware links)
Avoid repining anything until you have checked the content.

7) If I like the image and the link is wrong (or does not go to an external page with a direct image/link); I repin the image, then I find the original source, edit the link (add the correct link) to help drive users to the correct source. This means you are directing other users to the right links.

8) If you upload a picture (by clicking add), pin it and then click edit to insert the link; don’t leave the image without an external link directly to the image and content itself. People are learning to only pin/repin after checking and finding the proper links and sources. It also means that if you use links for blog posts, updates or Tweets  - it will be easier to cite the original source.

9) Comment and like on other pins as well as repin pins (after checking sources) onto your boards - this is the way to build trust and build a community of followers who will repin your pins.

10) Describe content and links you upload or pin in the description section. Keep the information short and concise (about a sentence or two)

11) I use my business logo when sharing content without relevant images; to promote my Twitter account and when I want to promote some blog posts without images – perhaps you can choose some images to do the same

12) Check how everything looks on a mobile (it helps because I think Australians are avid mobile users)

13) If a board gets too full; start other boards (and make them sub - boards as I have done with Social Media Love) and then divided boards up into sub-boards such as Facebook, Twitter etc. I didn't want to have a single board with great content/info so chose to divide up my boards to assist other users with repinning relevant content.

14) And pin whenever you like! Make it fun, interesting, inspiring, unusual, personal, educational, funny … it’s really addictive.

15) Have a look at http://pinterest.com/fatmumslim/ or George Takei http://pinterest.com/georgetakei/ to see how Pinterest can be used to create a community.

I use Pinterest for training purposes and to drive links to my Facebook, blog and Twitter accounts.

If you want to use Pinterest for business; download this free eBook from Hubspot called How to Use Pinterest for Business - http://www.hubspot.com/how-to-use-pinterest-for-business/

If you are curious about Pinterest; here are some links that will help you with using this platform for pleasure or business:

1) 8 Rules of Pinterest Etiquette - http://www.flowtown.com/blog/8-rules-of-pinterest-etiquette

2) The Copyright Question: How to Protect Yourself on Pinterest - http://mashable.com/2012/03/21/pinterest-copyright-legal-issues/

3) How to Use Pinterest for Marketing - Infographic http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/33272/A-Simple-Cheat-Sheet-for-Using-Pinterest-for-Marketing-Infographic.aspx 

4) And a Pinterest 101 Tutorial from GFC LernFree.org - http://www.gcflearnfree.org/pinterest101

If you have any questions about Pinterest and how to use Pinterest for marketing purposes; please contact me ebbyeryan@gmail.com

source: http://www.j6design.com.au/ClientArea/MakePinterestworkforyourbusiness.aspx