How can a marketer use Pinterest differently than they would Facebook or Twitter?

Posted February 13th, 2012 / By Francis in Social, Social Links, Trending

There is certainly no shortage of social networks on today’s internet. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, there are also hundreds of other options, most of which you’ve probably never even heard of. If you are an online marketer, one service you may want to make yourself familiar with is a friendly new site called Pinterest. Perhaps the best thing about this little tool is that it can be used much differently than the usual suspects, yet still deliver good results.

Showcase Your Products

You have to be very careful when marketing your products and services on sites like Facebook or Twitter. Not only are there rules you must abide by, you also don’t want to be so aggressive that you scare potential customers away. Pinterest on the other hand, seems like it was carved out for this very purpose. This social network is great for pinning up the items from your store and letting users see what you have available in the catalog. The cool part about Pinterest is the targeted element that allows you to create different categories, meaning you can segment your items in sections that accommodate groups such as Kids, Adults, Gadgets, Designs, and so forth.

Sell Yourself

From a visibility perspective, social networking is great for companies and individual entrepreneurs alike. However, the rich visual aspect of Pinterest offers unique opportunities for establishing your presence. For instance, if you are a photographer or website designer, you could use the site to create a digital portfolio showcasing your best work. Thanks to a nice collection of user-friendly tools, you don’t have to worry about needing to be an expert programmer just to put together a presentation that looks nice and professional. Include a link to your website, blog, or social hangout, and this could be a highly effective way to boost your traffic numbers.

Optimize Your Presence

Facebook and Twitter are both vital for SEO to a degree, but not as important as they could be due to competitive issues with Google. Pinterest brings tremendous SEO value to the table. When users pin your content to their board, or you pin your own stuff, you are creating quality backlinks that can help you rank higher in the SERPs. Of course, good rankings bring traffic, and traffic is necessary for conversions. When optimizing your presence on Pinterest remember that the same SEO rules apply – use relevant keywords and encourage your connections to help you create quality links.

We know who’s on top, but Pinterest is arguably the hottest ticket in town as far as social media goes. Statistics show that the site has grown by an incredible 4000% over the past six months. As far as keeping users engaged, it comes in at number three behind Facebook and Tumblr, yet ahead of both LinkedIn and Google+ with an impressive 88.3 minutes spent on the site per visit. Anything can happen in the unpredictable social space, but Pinterest is definitely the train to watch.

Francis Santos is a best practices activist and an advocate for free email marketing and html email. Francis can also be contacted via Twitter.