Many of our readers ask about Pinterest. Here is a guest blog by SocialMonsters that highlights many of the tools and uses for Pinterest.
Like all branding plans, you must have a strategy. From offline marketing to social media, the essentials remain the same. Pinterest is just an additional marketing vehicle, and it should look and feel consistent with all of your existing marketing materials.
According to Rich Relevance, 25 percent of retail referral traffic comes from Pinterest. Venture Beat reported Sephora sees Pinterest followers spending 15 times more on their products than their Facebook fans. Its not a fluke—Pinterest is a skyrocketing force behind retail traffic and conversions.
Pinterest ROI
According to a study by Piqora, Pinterest pins get repinned an average of 10 times and are 100 times more viral than Tweets. Twitter typically sees an average of 1.4 percent retweets. What may be even more impressive than the number of repins is how long the activity lasts. Piquora reports 50 percent of sales happen 2.5 months after repinning. This means unleashing pins, working on promoting them and interacting can yield long term results that work as a ripple effect for your brand. The more users who repin, the longer the sales cycle will last.
Add Text to Your Images
Whether you’re selling products or services be sure to add text to your graphics with an engaging headline or simply your company’s URL. You don’t have to be tech savvy to add branded text, just use a service like PicMonkey to pick fonts, colors and layout options that match your brand.
Remember your pin description also needs some text. Add a description that tells why you like the image or why you pinned it, any tips you have and information about how to buy it. Avoid anything too sales-focused and keep your text natural and flowing, but include a call to action. Tell the audience what you want them to do, whether it’s to visit your website, order something or download a free e-book that tells more about your service.
Don’t Neglect Other Channels
Unlike Pinterest, channels like Google+ and LinkedIn host company pages and groups. Take advantage of both and carve out your niche using all the business tools at your disposal. Set-up a company page and feature images, promotions and tips on how to use your products or services. For ideas, look at how Joss & Main include photos, press and updates about their company, all while staying true to their unique brand.
Learn From Others
Take a second to think about your favorite brand. What makes that brand so great? Successful companies consistently produce meaningful and impactful messages that encompass their core values as business owners. For example, Coca-Cola has been a household name for decades, but the Atlanta soda giant didn’t achieve success overnight. The Coca-Cola Company has gone through a resurgence of marketing makeovers through the years, perfecting the brand during changing times. Part of what makes Coca-Cola’s iconic brand so great is their authentic branding plan. Their plan makes consumers from all over the world not only trust the company, but have the desire to be part of the Coke happiness—and guess what, Coca-Cola is active on Pinterest. The Coke page features cohesive boards that feature images that capture the brand and the photos host “feel-good” text captions.
Coca-Cola is active in spreading their brand values around the world—promoting charity, partnering with sporting events, volunteering and even inspiring snapshots, featuring the brand. Whatever your niche may be, position yourself for success by uncovering your core values, just like Coca-Cola, and apply them to your corporate or personal brand.