Pin Your Way to Success: 5 Tips for Pinterest Growth

If you don’t know what a board is, or how it can drive your social commerce, you may be missing out on a great opportunity to market your brand. With a very specific demographic and a user base that will reach 47.1 million in the U.S. alone this year according to a recent estimate by eMarketer, Pinterest provides a unique opportunity for many companies not afforded by other social media platforms.

But just creating an account doesn’t mean that you’re maximizing your presence on Pinterest. Try some of these tips to more effectively engage with your audience and market your brand.

1. Pin regularly

It may seem obvious that pinning regularly is an important part of using Pinterest, but many people are very active on the platform initially, and then tend to slow their use once their brand has established a presence. Be sure to update your content regularly so that your pins stay in your followers’ feeds.

2. Make sharing easy

If you want people to repin your content, be sure that sharing is as easy as possible. Be sure that your website contains pinning options so that visitors can add items to their boards to share with their own followers. Don’t give people an excuse not to promote your content, especially when it’s such a simple way to promote brand awareness.

3. Make single topic boards

A board titled “Our Products” isn’t going to get a lot of attention. Make multiple boards with single, specific topics to engage your followers. Boards like “Kitchen Organization Tips” or “Women’s Raincoats” give users a clear idea of the content they’ll find, and will lead others who are interested in those categories to explore your brand. Be sure that each board you create is filled with pins. An empty board will give your account an unfinished look.

4. Take advantage of visual content

Pinterest provides the opportunity to create a lot of image-driven content. Take advantage of that by posting pictures that will catch your viewer’s attention. Your visual content will especially stand out because so many people view pins on tablets. Business Insider reported that in 2014, Pinterest users accounted for nearly 50 percent of all social media sharing done on iPads. It’s often more important on this platform to have a great image than a gripping caption.

5. Promote your account with social media

Social Media Examiner reported that many marketers are surprised to learn that Pinterest users aren’t likely to just stumble upon their account. It’s critical to make sure that your customers know about your presence on Pinterest. If you have Twitter or Facebook, occasionally share pins with your followers to connect people already interested in your brand to your boards. You can also include pins on your company’s email newsletter. If the recipient likes the content that you share, they can click on the link and it will take them directly to your board.

Got a favorite Pinterest account? Or want to share your own? Tell us all about in comments below!