Guest post: 5 ways to up your marketing using Pinterest

English: Red Pinterest logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The following is a guest post by Ellie Simmons. Her bio is at the end of the article.

It seems like Pinterest is everywhere these days. Whenever you log on to Facebook, you are very likely to see “such and such has pinned the following on Pinterest.” So, what’s the big deal?

Pinterest is one of those guilty pleasures that allows you to view items and topics that interest you without paying the money, or cluttering up your house with extra magazines. Between October and December 2011 alone, Pinterest saw over 3.3 million visitors. That number has since gone up. Knowing this can be very beneficial to helping to increase your marketing. Here’s some great tips how to do that!

1. Learn the demographics

Like any social networking site, you want to spend the time really learning who is checking out your products. If you are gearing your items towards a certain age or demographic, really learn what appeals to those groups, and use that to guide your “pinning.”

2. Don’t overwhelm your potential clients

What draws people to Pinterest is how simple it is to use. The idea behind the site is that you have a board and you can “pin” ideas, or feature items, to it. If you choose to use this site, make sure to post pictures that have a link back to your site. Also, don’t allow your board to get so cluttered that clients feel overwhelmed and opt to look elsewhere. On Pinterest, simple is better.

3. Feature other topics and ideas on Pinterest

This is a great way to keep viewers on your board for longer, and encourage them to return more frequently. Say, for example, you run a bakery and want to use Pinterest. You will, of course, feature your products. What else though? How about articles on great trends in baking? If it’s the holidays, how about a recipe for a delicious sugar cookie, or an article about baking in Sweden? These articles give viewers another reason to check out your site, so why not?

4. Connect the dots

If you have a store or a website, make sure that is part of your board. You may want to feature pictures of your store, or include special “in-store” promotions on the Pinterest site. This encourages people who check out your board to take that extra step, and check out the store. Or, similarly if you are a web-based site, encourage viewers to check it out by offering special on-line discounts or coupons.

5. Connect with your other social network sites

Does your business have a Facebook or Tumblr page? Use those to promote your Pinterest page, and vice versa. That way, you are driving traffic between the three. This is incredibly important, given the popularity of all three. This will increase those viewing your site.

All in all, Pinterest is a great addition to the social network sites. Embrace it, and use it to your advantage!

Ellie Simmons is a consignment shop guru, fitness enthusiast, and loves fresh flowers from flowerdelivery.net