There is no doubt that Pinterest is HOT making it a top performer – with 25M and growing passionate users – in social media marketing. And, since it’s inception, in 2010, image-based-marketing has exploded. Have you seen the memes? What about those cute ecards? I do not recall seeing those before Pinterest.

If you sell online products, have a visual business or otherwise wish to attract a targeted audience of women buyers, then Pinterest is for you!

Here is how to get started.

Start off with the techy-geeky stuff. Do you have a web person who can help?

Optimize Your Profile for SEO: Using keywords and phrases.

Get Verified:  By having your Pinterest page verified, you’ll be able to create a linked/clickable website URL in the header of your page. In addition, verified accounts receive a red check mark next to the URL link.

Add the Buttons, Bookmarklet, Follow: Add these buttons to make your Pinterest-ing easier.

Now comes the FUN part.

Create your first boards, start off with twelve, so folks can get to know you. Pin  the best visual content currently on your website.

Promote others: repin, comment, like. Repeat.

Keywords: Use keywords in pins for SEO. Think about your “long-tail” keywords as well.

Placement: important boards should be front and center.

Giveaways: offer free stuff to drive folks from Pinterest to your website, capture their email address.

Create a collaborative board: invite relevant pinners to pin to it. You could turn a board into a Focus Group.

Price. Selling something? Add prices to pins.

What else to know…

Timing. The best time to post on Pinterest is Saturday morning.

Longevity. A Pinterest post lasts longer, about a week. Think about what you are posting and the time urgency of it.

Video: Don’t forget about videos!

Resources

Image Resources:

• Canva is an online image creator with built predesigned templates to help with an creative blocks.
• piZap is a super fun photo editor and collage maker that also offers a whole slew of “stickers” and other creative ideas.
• PicMonkey is a fabulous online photo editing tool that gives even the least creative of us the opportunity to be Pinterest pros.
• Here is a great cheatsheet for Image Sizes

Other resources:

• Reachli is “the simplest way to market your visual content across the web.”
• ShareAsImage is a quick easy way to turn any quote into an image. Quotes are pretty popular on Pinterest.
• TailWindApp is a post scheduler. We all know how hard it can be to keep a consistent schedule – this tool makes it easy!

As always, social media marketing should be a part of an overall, holistic marketing strategy. I always recommend small business owners think about their buyer and find a way to connect directly with them through the channels we now have available. Just like you wouldn’t walk up to stranger at a cocktail party and start pitching your ideas, nor should you abuse social media to SELL, SELL, SELL (!) There is a time and a place.
For more tips and tricks for marketing your small business online, email me!

Click here to download a Pinterest Checklist.

Follow Me on Pinterest and I’ll Follow Back!