A guest post by Carol Wilson
Whether Pinterest is a flash in the pan, or a social media diamond that is here to stay, the site’s popularity is growing steadily and it may not be long before it becomes one of the top ways to market your business and products. While many users post nothing but found images from around the web, divided into particular sections, called pin boards, there are also ways to use Pinterest to do a little more calculated marketing. If you run a website or work online in any capacity, there are many methods for using Pinterest to promote your business and elevate your status on the web. Here are a few simple ways to get started:
1. Display your Products
One great way to make your Pinterest boards visually interesting and promote your business at the same time is to post images of your products or customers. While not every business owner can do this (it depends on the type of products and services you offer), for those who can, there is no better way to use Pinterest. If you’re a web designer, for example, take screen shots of your designs and post them on various boards. Anyone who creates can use this idea, from hair dressers and stylists, to architects and interior designers. Capture some great images of what you do, and, if you share as many as you can, they may be picked up and pinned by others.
2. Start a Press Pin Board
Another way to market yourself or your business via Pinterest is to start an “In the Press” pin board. Instead of relying on other media outlets to write and share stories about your business, keep track of everything that is printed or posted online about your services and collect them in one press space. This way, potential customers can see your PR, without you pressing yourself on them, possibly by stumbling upon your press pin board while viewing your Pinterest account.
3. Support Complimentary Sites
One of the best methods for establishing a presence online and gaining higher levels of traffic is to associate yourself with like-minded sites and businesses. While you may not want to constantly shout out a direct competitor, you can make some great connections by associating with sites that complement your own. For example, if you run a beauty website, you can associate with other bloggers and websites within the fashion and style niche. Try using Pinterest as a way to promote other websites and businesses that you admire and would like to associate with by pinning images of their work or screen shots of their sites. If they notice, they may also return the favor.
About the guest author:
Carol Wilson is a freelance insurance business writer who is in the midst of creating her own business insurance guide for consumers. She likes to share her knowledge of business related topics such as marketing to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other corporate moguls. She welcomes your comments.
My only concern with this is the lack of control you have once an image of your work is posted. With a small business, copy cats are everywhere on Pinterest and for this reason I have removed the items I had posted sadly.