I know what a struggle it can be to operate a successful online business. It takes a lot of time and energy to build brand awareness and drive traffic to a specific site. That is why I wanted to share one of the best resources I know of to do this, Pinterest. I have been using Pinterest for a few years now, but really focused on building my audience on this platform over the last 7 months. Within that time, I have gone from 18K monthly viewers to over 315K! Pinterest also went from being my third best social media traffic driver to number 1! All without spending one dime on promotions! Here's how to get started...
First, it’s crucial to understand that Pinterest is NOT a social media site like Facebook or Instagram.
It’s a search and discovery platform where people go to curate ideas.
For example: If I wanted to remodel my art studio, I would go to Pinterest and search for the look, products, and finishes that will help me complete my art studio. I don’t go to Facebook or Instagram to find this kind of content.
- Pinterest content is “Evergreen”, meaning that once you post content, it remains active (searchable) on the site forever.
- Creating an account and posting your content on Pinterest is free and can help drive traffic to your website.
- There are over 250 million users making and saving billions of pins monthly.
So How Should You Get Started On Pinterest?
Step 1.
Open up a Pinterest Business account and make sure to use the name of your business in the URL. If you already have a Pinterest account, but it is not a business account, make sure you switch it over to a business account (it's free and by having a business account you get access to analytics).
- Mine is www.pinterest.com/schowachert
.
.(You can only use 14 characters so if you need to shorten your name, choose something that people will recognize).
For your business name/profile name, you can use the full name and even some keywords.
Step 2.
Add a board devoted to your content or products. It can simply be your name. Pin only your content or products to this board so when people find you they can easily access your content. If you have both a content side AND a lot of product you could create two boards.
- After that create at least 8-9 additional boards (I have 32) related to topics that you create content for using targeted keywords.
Once you have opened an account and created your boards you can start to "pin" content. Pinning content is easy, here are 7 things to keep in mind when creating pins:
- Your Pins should be "Rich" Pins
- Each Pin should have a COMPLETE description
- Keywords should be included in the description
- Images matter - make sure yours are top notch
- Use 4 to 5 relevant #hashtags
- Text overlay on your images can be an effective way to engage viewers
- Ensure your Brand Identity is clear and easy to understand
It does not take a lot to get started on Pinterest and it is a terrific platform for artists! It has really worked well for me, and I know it can work for you as well. If you want to get started but would like a more detailed guideline to creating a successful Pinterest account, I do offer an in-depth 30 page "How To" guideline for only $25.
Click below to link to the product page.
