Do’s and Don’ts of Pinterest Marketing
by firstlaunch_admin on Monday Apr 02
Pinterest is a visual-based search engine with social media elements.
But it always makes me wonder…
Because a lot of people use images with text overlay and they serve merely as the secondary element.
Is it really visual-based? Really?
Perhaps it’s just an excuse for people to want yet another social media site.
But that’s a good thing if you are not in a fashion, home decor, art, design, food, travel niche or other industries where images can speak for themselves.
Pinterest may have some social media elements, but there is a set of rules that are unique to this site.
This post covers some basics of Do’s and Don’ts of Pinterest Marketing, and I hope you find out what this unique visual search engine can do for your business.
Do’s of Pinterest Marketing
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Include Keywords in Your Profile and Description
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Write descriptions with a long-tail keyword
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Use hashtags
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Write an Irresistible Headline
Don’ts of Pinterest Marketing
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Over-promoting Yourself
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Taking Advantage of Trending Hashtags
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Using Stock Photos We’ve All Seen Hundreds of Times Everywhere
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Don’t Ignore Male Users
Do’s of Pinterest Marketing
If you are going to use your name or company name, it’s important that you include a keyword in your name.
In this example, Yahoo Travel and BBC Travel have the word, travel in them, but Jetsetter doesn’t, so they included a keyword.
As search results bring up not just keywords, but People who use a keyword in their profile, that just shows you how important keywords are.
You also need to include a keyword in a description if you want to be found in searches.
Did you know that Pinterest is a visual search engine?
Yes, although people think of it like social media, the keyword is an important element just like a long-tail keyword is important in search engines.
For example, if you are selling running shoes, simply writing descriptions like “shoes” doesn’t help you increase your visibility.
Whether your goal of being on Pinterest is increasing brand awareness, driving traffic or generating leads, you need to be as specific as possible and pick a long-tail keyword.
Fortunately, Pinterest makes it easy for you to find it.
As you type “shoes” in a search bar, it will bring up second-tier of keyword choices.
It will also show you with colored tiles.
Yes, I said it.
Use hashtags on Pinterest.
Previously, you may have read that you shouldn’t use hashtags on Pinterest, but that changed around August or September in 2017. Now you can use hashtags in your pin description, and technically up to 20 of them.
But seeing nothing but hashtags in your pin descriptions can make you look spammy.
In the public feed, only four hashtags are visible. Louise Myers of Louise Myers Visual Social Media recommends about 4 hashtags in a pin.
A headline is important on social media just like on a blog.
With an endless number of images vying for your attention, your copywriting skills will be tested.
A magnetic headline can capture people’s attention and might help get clicks even if the image is not that unique. Of course, you want to have a beautiful image, but I personally think the need to have a beautiful image is kind of overrated if your copy is the main element.
Don’ts of Pinterest Marketing
You may have heard of 80/20 Rule or Rule of Thirds, which tells you not to promote yourself all the time.
But I think it depends on what type of content you are sharing.
Sharing an informative how-to blog post that helps people and sending out pushy ads are totally different.
While informative articles help people educate themselves, ads can annoy people, especially when seen repeatedly.
I think it’s all up to your context, so you should experiment and find your own sweet spot.
We all know hashtags can increase your reach.
But using trending or irrelevant hashtags just to show up in as many feeds as possible is not a good strategy and could make you look cheap.
There are times when you can add your own unique angles and insights to a trending topic, and if that is the case, you should use hashtags by all means. But you shouldn’t use them just to increase your visibility.
Yes, we’ve all seen photos of a man working hard on a laptop typing something with a mug cup and perfect latte art.
Mr. Smile and Mr. Sunshine in impeccable suits with full of smile, shaking hands and looking like they have finally reached a business deal with their assistant managers on the side full of hope about where their business is headed.
These kinds of images are overused, and while they still serve the purpose, you want to strive to be as unique as possible.
You might be thinking Pinterest is all for women. But according to Pinterest, more than 50% of new users signing up are men. While women are still a big part, some categories are equally popular among both genders or attract more men.
Popular Categories among Men
l Clothing and apparel are equally popular both among men and women (37%).
l Entertainment (books, music, etc.), 48% for men and 30% for women.
l Sporting goods, 44% for men and 7% for women
l Home, Garden and Spa/Pool, 41% for men and 47% for women.
So, it’s more about the industry you are targeting rather than thinking of it like male or female.
Conclusion
A research by Millward Brown reveals that 87% of Pinners have purchased a product because of Pinterest. With Facebook and Twitter more and more saturated, relatively underutilized Pinterest presents great opportunities for businesses.
Author Bio:
I am Takatomo Homma. I am a freelance Writer, blogger, general Translator based in Tokyo. Digital marketing, language learning,music, travel niche. You can read my blog on https://digitaldigizen.com.
