How To Make Pinterest Part of Your Social Media Marketing Plan

Posted by Jessica Bedore on Wed, Apr 11, 2012 @ 12:48 PM

Pinterest is now the third most popular social network in the United States, according to a recent report by Experian, a global leader in providing information, analytical tools and marketing services. The report, “2012 Digital Marketer: Benchmark and Trend Report,” also said that social networking has made a new record, as 91% of adults now use social media regularly.

What may be even more surprising is that 21% of Pinterest users have purchased an item that they found on the site, according to a report on Insider. The only problem is that the site has been reluctant to release information about its users. We know that most of them are women, but we don’t know much beyond that.

However, PriceGrabber has recently released its survey results about people who use Pinterest regularly. The survey revealed that the most popular interest for people on the site is cooking (70%), followed by home decorating, crafting, fashion, entertainment and gardening.

Also useful is the finding that 37% surveyed log into the site a few times a week and have created anywhere from 1-10 pinboards, which shows that users are actively sharing and creating new content on the site.

So, even though Pinterest is primarily popular with a certain demographic (women), it can be expected to change drastically in the future. Pinterest has become a major player in the social media landscape of our society. It can no longer be ignored by marketers.

The most common thing that I hear from people is that their company has no reason to be on Pinterest. If you don’t sell clothes, food or wedding dresses what’s the point, right? Maybe, but I would argue that the point of Pinterest is not just to pin things for “fun.” Here are 5 creative ways that your company can have a presence on the site.

Pin for charity

Take Lindt Chocolate’s lead and pick a cause that hits home. The company announced that it would donate $1.00 to Autism Speaks for each #Pin4Autism pin that was repinned. The company’s goal is to reach $10,000.

Create customer engagement boards

While it can be expected that Whole Foods would have a slew of yummy looking foods on their Pinterest boards, they also have boards where their followers can pin anything from recipes to recommendations. Whole Foods promises to respond as often as possible.

Make people less stressed

Southwest Airlines has an incredible Pinterest presence. Here’s a company that sells neither food, nor clothes nor wedding dresses, but they have found a way to leverage the site. Instead of simply pinning pictures of beautiful vacation destinations, they make their boards a place of advice for their customers. One of their most popular boards, “Advice for Travelers” updates customers on everything from TSA requirements to recommended travel items. This could work for a number of companies who provide a service instead of a tangible product.

Show your company/office culture

I’ve been noticing a trend lately. Companies that are trying to attract top-notch employees have been leveraging social media to show off their company barbeques, Christmas parties and attractive work-spaces. It would be a great way to communicate your company’s values, beliefs and brand to your followers.

Share content from others

Like all social media sites, Pinterest is about sharing!Parenting Magazine does a great job of this on their Pinterest boards. Many of their pins are from various blogs and websites that their readers talk about. They also make their followers laugh, with questionably titled boards like “WTF?” and “You got Elfed.” This approach to Pinterest could work for any company with a strong brand community. 

If you’d like to take a step back and get a basic overview of Pinterest (lingo, terms, etiquette, etc.), before you dive in, download our free tip sheet, How-to Guide to Get Your Business Started on Pinterest.