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Pinterest offers its users a unique experience: to organize and share the things that catch their interest. The third most-used social networking site, Pinterest’s unique pinboard format capitalizes on people’s need for beauty and being able to create, share, and connect.
“Our goal,” states the Pinterest website, “is to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people.”
When focusing on the number one goal of interacting with the customer and potential customer as a person with interests–rather than a statistic, many companies are finding website traffic and sales naturally follow.
Here’s a look at seven ways to engage your audience.
1. Know your audience
Perhaps the most publicized Pinterest campaign to date, the lesson from Kotex is the most basic marketing lesson: research your audience, know what they like, and talk about what they want to talk about.
Kotex researched 50 influential Isralei women on social media and issued them a challenge. They each received a custom gift box and were asked to share it on Pinterest and other social media outlets. The small cost of 50 customized gift boxes yielded a whopping 2,284 interactions, and 694,853 impressions, reports Smoyz, the ad agency behind the “Women’s Inspiration Day” campaign.
What works: Kotex appealed to its audience individually and the results resounded across social media sites. It also doesn’t hurt to find influential people, give them a sample or gift, and invite them to review your product.
2. Appeal to creativity
People yearn for ways to express themselves and Pinterest is a creative outlet. This spring, Guess launched its “Color Me Inspired” campaign and asked Pinterest users to create boards with at least five images based on one of four spring colors. Pinners could use images across the web in one of the four colors and were told to title their boards “Guess My Color Inspiration.” The results, monochromatic eye candy, included collections of clothes, shoes, makeup, home décor.
What works: Guess’ campaign shares a lesson any company using Pinterest should heed: People would rather be listened to than marketed at. The customer-created pinboards reinforced Guess’ trend-setting collections without copywriters having to say a word.
3. Browse to win
MLB.com, with 6,060 followers, engaged pinners with what every mom wants for Mother’s day: MLB apparel. Followers were asked to create a board with at least four products from MLB.com for the chance to win the pinned products.
What works: Directing traffic to your website for a virtual online scavenger hunt not only brings in website traffic, it brings in engaged visitors. And hey, while browsing for products to pin, why not get Mom an Oriels scrum T-shirt instead of a toaster?
4. Spread the optimization
Life is Good engages pinners with feel-good messages and charming stick figures. The Massachusetts-based clothing company that uses the tagline “Help Spread Optimism” engages customers through upbeat messages, pictures from T-shirts, and news stories of their cause, the Life is Good Kids’ Foundation. A recent contest asked pinners to find ten products on the Life is Good website that show what they like to do. Contestants aiming for a prize of ten Life is Good products needed to tag each entry with the phases “life is good” and “do what you like” preceded by hash marks.
What works: Having followers browse the website increases brand awareness and the overall positive vibe of Life is Good. Asking contestants to use a specific phrase with each pin increases reach and ranking for a very affordable contest prize.
5. Eye-popping ideas
Pinterest is about sharing common ideas and interests. Anything about animals, food, travel, parenting, inspirational quotes, or home organization will often be well received.
Modern Parents Messy Kids has a devoted following of 22,864. Brilliant colors, organization ideas, clever DIYs, and fun games, and useful partentling tips keep pinners pinning. Followers naturally go to the website for continuation of the pinned idea and even more related ideas. The coordination of Pinterest pinboad and website make browsing ideas—and products pleasant. Patterns can be purchased for a modest fee ($3 for the knitted hot air balloon pattern). Modern Parents Messy Kids even has an online bookclub where guests post comments. Website visitors can buy or download the book from Amazon. (This month’s selection: Buddhism for Mothers of Young Children: Becoming a Mindful Parent by Sarah Naphtali.)
What works: Great ideas showcased in stunning pictures is a sure draw. Moving visitors from the pinboard to the website happens gracefully as followers look for related ideas. Modern Parents Messy Kids does what Pinterest is intended to do: share ideas and beautiful things. All while providing a great experience in browsing creative ideas.
6. Content—and plenty of it
Fashion retailer, Nordstrom, boasts over 180,000 followers on Pinterest. That number is up an astounding 40,000 since last week. With thousands of original pins of fashion-forward products, recipes, ideas, events, inspirational quotes, Nordstrom’s following is among the largest on Pinterest. West Elm and Mod Cloth are also leaders, each with nearly 60,000 followers.
What works: Original pins and catchy photographs reinforce Nordstrom’s already strong brand name. Sparse copy puts the focus on the look of the picture and leaves the marketing to the shopnordstrom.com site, linked to each pin.
7. Define yourself
Why does Nordstrom have so many followers? Because Pinterest is about allowing users to define their own style. Re-pinning others’ content and pinning original material onto organized boards helps define—and share—your company’s image. Use recipes, products, pictures (gardens, cute animals, and travel are most often re-pinned), DIYs, and quotes to define—and share—your own style.
What works: Be genuine and don’t forget Pinterest is a social medium to interact with people who have common likes and interests. If you have enough great ideas in one place, you’re certain to garner followers who share your interests, and that’s entirely the point of Pinterest.
BONUS
The Pinterest Effect 2012 – The Effects of Pinterest on Business
My biz partner, Matt Siltala, just returned from Search Engine Strategies (SES) San Francisco 2012 where he presented on Pinterest and the effects it can have on a business. His presentation below includes several case-studies for review, along with some Pinterest-leveraging tools and data that can help you use Pinterest to the max.
Thanks for sharing this post Andy & for sharing my presentation here. A lot of great info packed into it AND this post in regards to Pinterest.
Hi Andy,
Yes – Defining yourself and your style on pinterest is important for having
followers with the same interest and affiliate field of business. This is an important aspect to a user who visits your profile – Have relevant
and specific boards instead of cluttered space and images is important for having
them follow your activities, not only on pinterest , but the other social media
channels as well.
Thanks for sharing this great information about using Pinterest. Actually many people still don’t know about Pinterest, i mean how to use so for them you give a step.
Great post,
Found it at right time as I am not able to put my thoughts into words but this tips will now help me to put it in words thanks
Pinterest is great tool to share anything. And after reading post i feel like savvy to use Pinterest. I like this post really helpful to everyone.
the most publicized Pinterest campaign to date, the lesson from Kotex is
the most basic marketing lesson: research your audience, know what they
like, and talk about what they want to talk about.Thanks for sharing it.
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that appeals to a broad base of users. Thanks for sharing this lessons of using pinterest.
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