There is a new and very popular kid on the social networking block. Experian Hitwise reports that Pinterest is now the number 3 social site on the web for total visitors, just ahead of LinkedIn. Pinterest was also named one of the “50 Best Websites of 2011” by Time magazine only one year after its beta launch in 2010.

This is impressive, no doubt, but can you use Pinterest to market your business?

Let’s start with an understanding of what Pinterest is. This new social network is described as “a content sharing service that allows members to “pin” images, videos and other objects to their pin board.” Anywhere you can share content, you can market your business. Pinterest offers another network with heavy traffic, and so putting your brand on display there simply makes sense.

Just as with Facebook, Twitter and other social sites, you have the chance to reap the rewards of reaching more customers, driving more traffic and selling more products. According to Shareaholic, Pinterest sent more referral traffic to websites than Twitter did in February of this year.
Tips for marketing on Pinterest:

Relevance: Pin photos that relate to your brand and are organized in the proper board. Random photos that are not relevant to the themes and topics on Pinterest may not perform as well. Get your pins seen by tailoring them to the topics popular on Pinterest. These popular pins show on category pages that receive many more views and can result in increased traffic and reach.

Optimization: From file naming to description, each area that can be optimized is important. *Remember to add a link to every pin in order to send traffic to your website and other social networking sites.

Interesting Content: Just adding a few boards and pins to Pinterest will not have much impact. You will need to find ways to create your own niche on the site. The best way to do this is to become known as the expert in a specific niche or topic on Pinterest by sharing interesting content.

Hashtags: Pinterest understands hashtags. Use categories or keywords as hashtags, or even add some humor just like on Twitter.

E-Commerce: When you add a “$” in front of a price, Pinterest automatically adds the pin to the Gifts section on Pinterest. Remember to add “$” to your pins, where applicable.

Understanding how to use Pinterest and what marketing potential the site offers requires getting started and familiarizing yourself with the site. Test, measure, and track your efforts. Brainstorm with your team and look for opportunities. Tailor your efforts continually until you find what works best for you. There is plenty of room for experimentation with Pinterest, so let your creative juices flow.

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About IGM Creative Group 

IGM Creative Group provides advertising solutions, marketing strategy and web development for Fortune 500, mid-market and small businesses.

166 Main Street, Suite 202, Lincoln Park, NJ, 07035.
Contact by phone at 973.709.1126

Send an email to  creativeteam@igmcreativegroup.com
Visit our website at www.igmcreativegroup.com