What is Pinterest And Why you Need It
So you’re not currently using Pinterest, heck you don’t even have a profile and in all honesty: why should you put the effort into learning yet another social media platform? I totally get it. I have a love-hate relationship with social media too. The good news is that Pinterest isn't even a social media platform and you shouldn't be treating it like one either.
Let’s start with the basics: PInterest is actually a search engine, similar to that of Google, but in place of all the words and text you see images. It’s a visual search engine. Here’s what it looks like:
Just as you would with Google, if you were wanting to find something specific you’d type what it was into the search bar. If I wanted some dinner ideas I might type “Budget Vegan Dinner” or if I wanted to plan a vacation to Italy I could enter “Travel to Italy”. Images related to these searches will then show up on the page and you’re ready to get exploring. These images are known as “pins”. You can see how the concept was derived from the old-fashioned pin board we used to have in our bedrooms and offices. You’d pin up cut out magazine pictures and quotes that were inspiring, right? Well Pinterest is just like that except each of those images, or pins, come from a source readily available to you with a click of your mouse.
Click on a particular image that grabs your attention and it will enlarge. You’ll also be able read addition information about the pin like a description or title of a post, or perhaps what a product is made from like the product pin below.
If you were to click the image above and you'd be directed to the source of the image - a blog with an article related to the title of the pin or a website selling the product you clicked on. There is a direct (and easy) link between this platform and the source of the content. It’ll soon become apparent how very different and powerful this is when you compare it to other social media platforms. The direct link means you’re able to access content, products and services straight away.
You’re able to go straight to the source of the image straight away, or you could also choose to pin this image to a “board” on your profile. A board is just a group of pins that have a similar topic, like a category of sorts. If your 30th birthday were coming up you might have a board with party ideas where you’d pin images related to food recipes, cocktail mixes, party decor and game ideas. You’d use it as a reference whenever you were planning your birthday party.
These are what my boards look like below. Keep in mind my business focuses on Pinterest, so those are the boards (or categories) I'm going to focus on. You have the freedom to create boards, title them, and place any kind of pins inside the boards.
Okay, I get it. But what's in it for me?
With around 2 million current users on Pinterest - users who are actively saving pins, clicking to websites and looking for products to buy - why wouldn't you take advantage of such a profitable marketing strategy?
The magical thing about Pinterest is it's search engine qualities. If you ensure your pins have keywords targeting at your ideal clients, readers or customers it means they are very likely to find what you are putting out there. You can basically reach your ideal target market through Pinterest - people interested and actively seeking what you are selling! How amazing is that?You'll need a good approach of course: appealing product images or well-designed blog graphics, catching titles that make people want to click, and a keyword dense description. Read more about these finer details here.
As your profile grows and people start clicking to your website, your content is even more likely to be found. It's definitely not too late to begin with Pinterest marketing for your business, and I would definitely start today - you really have nothing to loose.
Hello, I'm Megan!
An introvert at heart, Pinterest is the perfect platform for me. Simply posting your content using the right marketing strategies gets you an abundance of website traffic? No engagement or ‘showing up’ needed?
Who wouldn’t want to use this powerhouse of a platform …
