There’s no doubt about it that Pinterest is a completely visual platform. If you’ve ever used Pinterest for personal use, then you know how powerful the images you come across can be. With all the visual content that comes up from doing one search, it’s easy to spend a lot of time on the platform pinning your favorite ideas.
Pinterest is generally considered a social media channel by most people. But you’ve more than likely also heard it referred to as a discovery platform or a search engine. Most pinners use Pinterest as a space to find and discover new ideas. Users search and learn about new products, articles, recipes, trends and so much more. Then they save (or pin) their ideas to boards for later, when they are ready to buy – which means good news for businesses!
But as a business owner or brand, are you aware that you can use Pinterest to boost brand awareness? Having a presence on Pinterest benefits your business in many ways, and it goes well beyond the emotional appeal to pinners. Below are 6 reasons why you should use Pinterest to build buzz around your business and boost your brand awareness.
Search-Friendly
As I mentioned above, people use Pinterest as a search engine to research their ideas. However, in order for Pinterest to show your pins to those who are searching for it, you need to optimize your content for search. So how can you optimize your content to boost your brand awareness? By focusing on SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Take time to focus on your Pinterest profile, boards, pins, and descriptions. If you optimize your profile in each of these places, you’ll be sure to see an increase in engagement and followers. You will not only attract loyal customers to your business but also create strong brand awareness in the process.
In order to optimize your content so it will rank well on Pinterest, here are some quick tips to get you started:
Focus on Your Account and Domain Quality
- Switch from a personal account to a business account or create a brand new business account. With a business account, you’ll get access to some cool features that you don’t get on a personal account. Business accounts include analytics and the ability to create ads.
- Claim your website.
- Enable Rich Pins.
- Pin/post consistently
Use Targeted Keywords
The only way a search engine knows what your content is about is by using keywords. And like Google, keywords influence what appears in searches on Pinterest.
- Include keywords in your username, bio, and business name. Note – you can add keywords after your business name so people know what you do.
- Include keywords in your board titles and descriptions.
- Include keywords in your pin titles and descriptions. Also, include keywords in the page content where your pin URL directs users on your website or blog post.
- Use Pinterest’s Guided search feature to help you find relevant keywords. You want to use keywords that people are actually searching for and typing into Pinterest. If you only use phrases that are cute or fun, it’s less likely that anyone will be searching for those exact phrases. And if that’s the case, Pinterest won’t show your content to anyone.
Pay attention to both the related keywords that show up in the dropdown list and also the keyword tiles that show up under the search bar. Both of these results are showing you what people are actually searching for on Pinterest.
While domain quality tells Pinterest how important your pins are, keywords tell Pinterest what your pins are about. These two parts go hand in hand, so be sure to focus on both aspects to get the most reach and engagement out of your content.
Potential to Drive Sales
Visual marketing is a powerful tool. Informative images that tell a story appeal to both the senses and the emotions of users. And because Pinterest is so visual, it has shown to be quite successful in sales conversion.
Pinterest tries to make suggestions for people based on searches and content interaction. For example, if you search for party decorations, Pinterest might also show you party themes, gift ideas, or party-friendly recipes.
Being introduced to different visual ideas may invoke a quicker purchasing decision. If an individual engages with content and pins it to their own boards, they’re more likely to actually make a purchase later. And when someone purchases your products or services you are building brand awareness with them. This is how they become more familiar and comfortable with your brand.
Product Exposure
Pinterest not only shows your content to your followers but also to other users. So how does this work? Pinterest first distributes your new pins to your followers. The engagement your pins receive helps Pinterest determine how your pins are resonating with your audience. If your pins become popular, (i.e. close-up looks, click-throughs, repins, or comments) Pinterest will start to show your pins to other users looking for similar ideas.
Your pins and public boards can gain quick traction if they contain content that appeals to a wide variety of people. Pins that tend to take off, or go viral, can seem random. But if you take the time to create content that is both visually appealing and informative to many people, it will increase its chances of being repinned by other users. When your content gets repinned by a user, it’s then exposed to their followers. This gets you in front of an audience that’s larger than your own followers, resulting in strengthening your brand awareness even more.
Social Influence
Pinterest is also a socially influential platform where users often form group boards. These communities bring together individuals interested in a similar hobby, lifestyle, or idea. These social connections, combined with the emotional pull of visual material, can lead users to plan for future purchases.
If fact, did you know that 90% of weekly users actually use Pinterest to help make their purchasing decisions? 85% of women use Pinterest to plan big or small life moments, including home decorating (43%), vacations (1 in 2 pinners), birthday parties (34%), workout routines (35%), and meal and snack ideas (67%). So, if you can get your content to show up in front of the right users (who are planning events or are ready to make a purchase) you have a good chance of making sales.
Users Sharing Pinterest Ideas
Users sharing the inspiring and useful ideas they find is what drives Pinterest activity. Because of this, businesses don’t have to invest a lot of time to see some benefit on the platform. Of course, maintaining your boards and sharing good content will help your account see more engagement. More engagement results in more brand awareness.
Yet, the actual time and energy you need to spend on your Pinterest marketing are far less than that of other social media platforms. In contrast, other platforms need constant monitoring and frequent addition of new material. However, be aware that Pinterest marketing is a slow game. Don’t expect immediate account growth, because it may take weeks or months for your content to start gaining traction. Once it does, it’s possible for your content to circulate on Pinterest for much longer than it would on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Social Media Integration
Because your content doesn’t live very long on most social media platforms, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t market your pins and content on them as well. It’s easy to share your pins to other social media sites. You can tweet your pin, share it to Facebook or Instagram, or even send it to another user through a private message. This gives you more versatility and increases your reach with one click of a button.
And remember, just because you share it once, doesn’t mean you cannot share it again and again. Don’t worry about “annoying” your fans on all these other platforms. With so much information passing by them every day it’s likely they didn’t see your shared content the first time. So don’t be afraid to share so you can expand your reach and get more eyes on your content.
Boost Your Brand Awareness
Those are just some of the most common and universal reasons why you should use Pinterest to boost your brand awareness. There are a lot of other features and benefits that apply to various types of business. Pinterest often adds new capabilities to improve the discovery, shopping, and purchasing experiences for users. Consider giving Pinterest for Business a try and see what an impact it can have on your brand awareness strategy.
Still not convinced? Continue reading about whether Pinterest is right for your type of business or not.
If you know you should use Pinterest to Build Brand Awareness for Your Business, but:
- Are feeling overwhelmed
- Don’t have the time to Manage a Business Account
- Need help Setting Up Your Account
- Want help with Pin Design
Be sure to check out all of my Available Services to see how I can help you grow your business today!
