How to Use Pinterest For Business: Engage Your Customers & Boost Your Following

MeetEdgar is now a Pinterest Marketing Partner! We're sharing all the best practices and strategies on how to use Pinterest for business. There’s a reason why Pinterest is often compared to an “endless rabbit hole”: the social media platform, known for its visual curation of content, is eye candy at its finest. And the best news is, when you start using Pinterest for business, you'll see that it is possible to harness this superpower for your own use.

What is Pinterest for business?

The platform is not only for eye candy, mood boards, and sharing inspiration with friends. Pinterest is a visual search engine that makes it easy for users to search for content, collect the posts they like, and organize things in a way that is personalized to their needs. Unlike Instagram, the biggest advantage is that content can be linked to another source, allowing the potential to drive free traffic, reach new audiences and increase conversions. Using Pinterest for business marketing should be part of your more comprehensive marketing strategy.

Why use Pinterest for business?

The platform is constantly revitalizing its user experience and e-commerce options. Now people can shop directly from Pinterest (which is great, because Pinners spend twice as much on monthly purchases on Pinterest than they do on other platforms). There’s never been a better time to use Pinterest for business!

You can now schedule and automate your Pinterest strategy with MeetEdgar! Get started with a "free Pinterest Starter Pack" with 3 checklists and 11 Pinterest Pin templates.

How to use Pinterest for business in 7 steps

We’ve outlined some steps to help you with Pinterest best practices for brands. The key is a mix of audience analytics, amazing visuals, and planning ahead. Once you master that, you can experiment with new formats, options, and ideas, to grow your Pinterest presence.Before you get started with business on Pinterest, you will need to make sure you have a Pinterest business account. Do this by heading to:

• Sign up
• Create business account
• You will then fill in all your details to get started

You can also convert your personal account into a business account if you'd rather not start a brand new account.Why do you need a business Pinterest account? Because it gives you access to things like analytics, the ability to create a shop tab and access to ads.Here are our top tips for succeeding with Pinterest for business:

1. Use Pinterest’s analytics to help define your content

To get started using Pinterest for your business, you need to claim your website. You can follow Pinterest instructions for claiming your website here. Once you’ve claimed your website via Pinterest’s meta-tagging, there are lots of great stats you can glean about the kind of content you should post.Looking at audience data, such as age, location, and gender, can help you define what kinds of Pins people might like to save. If your average user is female between the ages of 18 and 40 and primarily reside in Los Angeles, you can get creative with your Pin content to specifically attract those users.

Keep in mind: what works for one brand might not work for yours, so while it’s ok to be inspired by other peoples’ content, it’s important to keep experimenting with styles, formats, and topics. You never know what might end up being a home run on Pinterest as a result!

Once you know who you are creating for, keep track of the type of content that performs best for you. It may be videos, carousels or simple images. If you keep a record of what works best, you will create more content that achieves your goals.

2. Create content at the right time

A lot of content posted on Pinterest has the advantage of generating traffic long after it's been posted. This “long tail” effect is what makes Pinterest one of the highest traffic drivers for many brands.

But how do you know what to Pin before it becomes popular? Luckily, Pinterest has a trends tool to help users create content that will resonate on their site. The key to taking full advantage of these trends is to create content ahead of time so that it surfaces at the right moments.

For example, if you have some great blog posts about Halloween decorations, don’t wait until October to create Pins for them on Pinterest. Post them in August or early September so that users can find the content in advance. Similarly, if you run a clothing brand and you want to advertise summer styles, start posting them in the early spring.It can be helpful to create an editorial calendar for Pinterest content to get ahead of the game. Pinterest results no longer show up in search feeds chronologically; they now post based on popularity algorithms. Creating new Pins for older content (or using Edgar’s variation tool) can work in your favor if the timing is right.

3. Use Pinterest best practices for business

Pinterest is different from social media because it’s visual-first. It’s not uncommon for users to have boards that simply make them “feel good” just by looking at an image they’ve found. When people turn to Pinterest, they are looking for inspiration, not to engage in conversation.

As a result, having the highest quality of image or video possible will help increase the odds of someone saving and sharing your Pin, especially if the image inspires them or elicits an emotional response.Fashion, beauty, weddings, food, and travel: these are some of the most popular topics on Pinterest, and it’s easy to see why. If users are collecting images to fill their virtual “Pin” boards, the more visually stunning the Pin, the more likely they are to save it and return back to it for inspiration.

Remember that most users will be browsing their app on their mobile, so use vertical images. Make it clear what your pin is about by using a text overlay on the image. If you want to optimize your Pinterest posts, ensure they have captivating copy underneath them. This will provide value to the reader and encourage them to click through to your site. Ensure all links work before pushing your post live!Make sure the kind of content you publish has high-quality imagery attached to it. Clean, clear photos or graphics will catch the eye of Pinterest users and will stand out in search feeds. You might even be able to reuse this kind of content on other social platforms or your website.[sc name="ad1"]

4. Show products in a lifestyle setting

Posting about products on Pinterest can be challenging, especially if the product itself is more utilitarian than inspirational.

But if you are able to control how the product looks in photos and videos, you’ll be ahead of the game.A good example is a coffee maker: it’s a product most people will eventually purchase but is very technical in its design. A shot of a coffee maker on its own might build some awareness for the product, but if the coffee maker is placed in a lifestyle setting — say, on a kitchen counter or in front of a sunny window — it is more likely to be saved and shared and clicked through.

That’s because people like to envision how products fit into their personal lives. It’s easier to convince someone to purchase if they know how the product will be used. Think about creative ways you can showcase your products while integrating Pinterest’s e-commerce options, so users can buy from the platform once they are hooked on your brand.

5. Create content with clear messaging that provides value

If traffic is your main goal, crafting informative and educational content is key. You need to give users a reason to click through a Pin, not just save it. Also, informative or educational content helps establish authority for your brand. If users feel like they are getting value from both your Pinterest content and your website content, it’s a win-win.

What are you really trying to achieve with each Pin you post? If your goal is to build awareness for a new product, but that product is nowhere in the image, it may give users the wrong impression.

Some images speak for themselves, but in most cases, adding text overlay to your images will help further the message you want to convey to Pinterest users. This can be as simple as replicating a blog post headline or something more optimized for SEO. Experiment with text on your images and see what people respond to.Not sure how to start creating valuable content? Here are some common avenues that can be directed to your website to help boost traffic:

• How To’s/DIY: Show users how to do or make something using your product, and you’ll increase brand loyalty (and hopefully, conversions)
• Tips and tricks: Is there information your brand has that can make someone else’s life easier? Or a neat function of a product that isn’t obvious from everyday use? Make a Pin about it!
• Recipes: The key here is to show the final product, or a visual step-by-step guide, leading users to click through so they can learn how to replicate the recipe themselves
• Makeup tutorials: Similar to recipes, makeup tutorials are proof people want to know how they can get the perfect “look”
• Money and finance tips: Everyone could use a little extra cash. Be the brand that helps educate Pinterest users on how to make smart financial decisions, start their own business, or even make money from Pinterest!
• Travel guides and trip planning hacks: Take the guesswork out of the pre-travel experience so users can enjoy their vacations with peace of mind
• Fitness routines: A better butt is only a click away...

6. Create infographics

Infographics are super popular on Pinterest, and their format makes them easy to apply to almost any topic or industry. And because of their vertical format, they fit well into Pinterest search feeds.These kinds of Pins take careful planning — designers need to make sure the graphics coincide with the information presented, and copywriters need to make sure the information makes an impact in a concise way — but the payoff can be huge. Users who post infographics can see up to 12% more traffic, and 200% more shares.

7. Experiment with paid posts

As with most other social media platforms, you can create sponsored posts on Pinterest. There’s no silver bullet when it comes to how to best use Pinterest for business, and some companies will benefit more from paid posts than others.

The best way to find out? Experiment! You can promote your profile to people who already follow you on other platforms. You can create video ads or pay to promote specific pins. The world of Pinterest ads is versatile and can be a great option to boost the number of eyeballs you get on your Pinterest page and, in turn, your website.

How can Pinterest help your business: The TL;DR

There’s room for everyone on Pinterest, and it's a smart move for everyone to learn how to use Pinterest for your business, but it all comes down to the kind of content you want people to find, as well as your end goal.

Every user is different, and every profile is different. By creating a thoughtful strategy, your Pins will stand out from the rest and also keep Pinterest users coming back for more.

How do you use Pinterest for business? Let us know in the comments.

Get more Pinterest resources and sign up for a free trial and start automating your Pinterest strategy with MeetEdgar!