Over the past few months, Pinterest has exploded in the social media world.  While the majority of its users thus far have been women in their 30’s-50’s who love crafting and planning weddings, things have changed a bit, now that more people are using the site.  Brands have begun tapping into this market with subtle product promotion and brand identity creation.  If your company has a product or service that relates to women of this age and interest, you should get on Pinterest right away. What is Pinterest? It’s a visual-based site which allows users to create boards (think virtual bulletin board) and “pin” items of interest to them.  The idea is that you can separate craft ideas, products you love, etc. into categories using different boards.  You can also “re-pin” things you find on other people’s board and save them for later.  Pinterest has become a very popular social media site that allows people to save projects, home-improvement ideas and the like for later, in a magazine-style layout. How Does This Affect My Brand? HGTV PinterestWhile brands are just beginning to play around with the idea of promotion and sales on Pinterest, it proves to be successful for those who are tapping into its specific market and engaging with users.  It turns out that brands who post images on the site have dramatically increased traffic to their blogs and websites.  But don’t think that posting any old picture will influence people to click; you have to post something relevant, tag it appropriately, and give your followers a reason to check it out.

How Should My Brand Use Pinterest?

  • Post relevant, creative content that your demographic would be interested in.  This could be anything from recipes using your product to your staff’s favorite vacation spot.
  • Make sure all images are attractive.  Because Pinterest is image-focused, all of your content should be visually interesting.  Posting a tiny, blurry picture won’t drive any traffic to your site or influence people to learn more about your company.
  • Don’t only post your own products.  While images of your products might help drive traffic to your site, you should also mix it up by pinning DIY projects and other items that would be relevant to your customers.
  • Show some creativity!  Don’t simply post images of your office or your employees, show your brand’s fun side.  You can still think outside the box while maintaining your company’s professional image.

So while it may not be clear how your company fits into the Pinterest scene yet, you can still play around with it as a brand development tool.  Many sites are using it to show the personality behind their brand and its employees.  Either way, it is another great social media tool that could potentially drive traffic to your website, so take a shot at it!