As I previously wrote, any company or website incorporating Pinterest into its social media campaign needs to pin things that pop. These are a few things to keep in mind when trying to stand out on the digital-corkboard site:
1. A pin is worth a thousand words.
Pinterest is a visual website; eye-catching and captivating images get people talking (or repinning, rather). This is a great example of a vibrant, bright pin:
This has been repinned over 9,000 times. Cute, colorful, delicious-looking food is Pinterest gold. More proof that beautiful images are highly repinnable:
If a company wants people to move from Pinterest to its website, it has to intrigue and interest them. The best way to do that is to grab their attention with a unique image or photograph.
2. Pinterest users love tips.
Any pin that offers people useful and handy tips can become popular. Here is a great example:
Pinterest is a goldmine when it comes to these types of tips. Also, pins that teach often get repinned. I’m talking about pins in the DIY category or those that link to a tutorial or step-by-step instructions. Another example:
This pin links to an article entitled “52 Uses for Coconut Oil,” which teaches people something new and useful that they can incorporate into their everyday lives. These two pins aren’t as visually appealing as the Rice Krispies Cupcakes or the gorgeous (and extremely expensive-looking) bathroom, but they don’t need to be because they offer information. Pinning beautiful photographs is one way to get repinned, and offering tips or how-tos is another.
3. Keep it light.
Pinning is akin to a leisure activity, so light, entertaining, funny, and cute pins become popular. Looking at the “Popular” page, these are the kind of pins I see: pictures of food that link to recipes, photos of scenic landscapes and landmarks, pets, organizational tips, and wedding-related images (a cake, wedding invites). A few of these pins:
No Pretty Pictures of Petit Fours? No Problem
Yes, some brands and Pinterest go together like teen girls and Taylor Swift songs. If a company sells women’s clothes, baked goods, or home goods, Pinterest is a perfect choice. If an individual has his or her own Etsy shop, pinning to the site is a smart move. Some of the most-followed brands on Pinterest include Kate Spade New York, Real Simple, Whole Foods, and West Elm. For some companies, devoting time and resources to Pinterest doesn’t make sense. But, just because a company doesn’t bake red velvet cupcakes or sell nude pumps doesn’t mean it can’t do well on Pinterest. Take Mashable for instance. Mashable has over 36,000 followers on Pinterest, and it is not ultra feminine. It has 36 different boards, all of which are unique and creative. Many of its infographics (which cover topics such as “How Amazon Saves a Ton of Money” and “20 Reasons to Switch to Google+”) get well over 200 repins. Pinterest is dominated by food and fashion, but brands that stray outside these lines can garner solid numbers of followers.
Piecing Together the Pinterest Puzzle
When it comes to pins that pop, it’s all about images and info. A pin that inspires repins usually does one of two things: it captures a captivating and appealing image and it offers relevant, useful, applicable information. Pinterest might seem confusing at first glance with its unique jargon, but the beauty of the site is its simplicity. Though, on second thought, its beauty might also be the marketing potential it offers those brands who can successfully become pinteresting: the site grew over 4,000% last year alone.
Post by Olivia Roat – Inbound Marketer @mainstreethost
Twitter: @MSH_Olivia
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