Using Pinterest for Business Promotion

Are you pinning yet?

Most people I talk to fall into one of three categories when it comes to Pinterest:

1. What is Pinterest?
2. Yes, but its artsy and creative and I'm not
3. Yes and I'm totally addicted - How do I use it for promoting my business?

1. What is Pinterest?

Pinterest defines itself as “virtual pinboard that lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes. Best of all, you can browse pinboards created by other people. Browsing pinboards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite."

2. Yes, but its artsy and creative and I'm not  

I started looking at Pinterest because I wanted to share recipes, but initially I felt like it was just for creative and crafty people.  I really just ignored it for a while but people just kept talking about it all over the place, so I dug a little deeper. 


I started "pinning" (think of it like bookmarking) my blog posts and found that I was getting more blog traffic from Pinterest than Facebook or Twitter! (Simply put: more people were clicking on my links posted to Pinterest than those posted on Facebook or Twitter.)


3. Yes and I'm totally addicted - How do I use it for promoting my business?



First, build your personal boards - Use the getting started guides and start pinning things that interest you.  I have boards for Weight Loss, Social Media, Organization, Home Decor, etc.

Second, follow your friends (the getting started guides will help you find them) and others whose pins interest you. Also be sure to comment on others pins.  This shows them that you have similar interests.

Next, start thinking like your target market (Simply put: the people you want to attract to your business). What are your ideal clients interested in?  Home school? Scrapbooking? Weight loss? Workouts? Fashion? Party planning? What kinds of things would they appreciate?  Time saving tips? Money saving tips? You get the idea.  Take 5-10 minutes each day to pin things that would be helpful or interesting to these particular people you are interested in reaching.

So, how do I promote my business?


This comes last because I don't want you going into Pinterest giving your self a bad rap right off the start.  Well, I don't want you doing that at all.  By bad rap, I mean I don't want you to look like a slimy marketer.


Once you've established some followers and built some interesting boards, start pinning for your business.  Perhaps just adding some pins to the Products I Love board to start.  Don't add every product or service you offer all at once, spamming your followers with sales pitches and don't forget to keep building on your other boards too.

Ready, Set, Pin!