Pinterest is a "hunt and gather" tool heavily used by retail companies; however, businesses in other industries, as well as those looking to build their personal brand, can make good use of this growing platform to drive sales, engagement, and increase awareness.
A few tips to remember when posting to Pinterest
- Quality trumps quantity. Post great content less often, rather than mediocre content all of the time.
- Use different boards to create a lifestyle around your brand (personal brands count, too!).
- Offer a behind-the-scenes peek into the day-to-day workings of your business.
- Curate pins that complement your brand, but pepper your own products throughout your boards.
- Do you have predominantly male customers? Then consider pinning content in the photography, design, home decor, and art categories.
- Use product pins to show pinners real time pricing, availability, and purchase information, as well as to send notifications when the price of your product is reduced.
- In the retail business? Check out 7 Steps to Pinterest Stardom For Your Retail Business.
Ten pinners who got it right
1) Joy Cho
Joy Cho is a Los Angeles-based designer, blogger, and food enthusiast who has grown her brand, Oh Joy, to include a number of different product lines, how-to videos, and a daily blog. Her Pinterest account embodies all that Oh Joy stands for.
Pinterest: ohjoy
2) Asos
The Asos Pinterest page is the self-proclaimed "land of all things fashion, menswear, interiors and food." The company's page is full of things Asos loves, including interiors, tattoos, and even swinging sci-fi.
Pinterest: asos
3) Andrew 'Oyl' Miller
Miller is a Tokyo-based copywriter whose early Pinterest success includes gaining 25,000 followers in three days. How? "I think you have to be willing to be obsessed and really dive into some kind of niche," Miller advises.
Pinterest: oylmiller
4) Joanna Hawley
Joanna is a creative director and blogger based in Seattle whose main focus is fashion, home interiors, and donuts. Her Pinterest boards range from fashion and recipes, to gift guides and tech. With almost four million followers, we think she knows what she's doing.
Pinterest: jojotastic
5) Astrid Campos
Campos is a designer and founder of Aesthete Curator, a repository of creative work. Her Pinterest is filled with everything fashion, interiors, and graphics related.
Pinterest: astrid
6) Free People
"The Free People woman lives free through fashion, art, music, travel and everything in between." By taking one look at the company's Pinterest page, you undoubtedly see the Free People woman.
Pinterest: freepeople
7) Man Repeller
A Man Repeller is "she who outfits herself in a sartorially offensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex." Started by fashion blogger, Leandra Medine, in 2010, the quirky fashion blog's Pinterest account is bursting with bright colours.
Pinterest: manrepeller
8) Fitness Magazine
Fitness Magazine uses Pinterest to share the latest in health, fitness, food, and beauty with boards like "Fun Fitness Adventures" and "Bridal Bootcamp."
Pinterest: fitnessmagazine
9) Nasty Gal
Nasty Gal, an online women's clothing store founded by Sophia Amoruso, has previously curated boards using images sourced from around the web featuring real women wearing Nasty Gal clothing. You'll also find a "BTS" board on Nasty Gal's Pinterest page taking you behind the scenes of the business.
Pinterest: nastygal
10) Ordinary Traveler
What better way to share your travel adventures than through Pinterest? The Ordinary Traveler feeds our wanderlust while giving audience-specific travel advice, including boards like "Solo Female Travel Trips" and "Getaways for Couples."
Pinterest: ordinarytravelr
If you're in the retail business, be sure to check out 7 Steps to Pinterest Stardom For Your Retail Business.
