Now Facebook has rummaged around in its collective pocket for some small change to buy Instagram, everyone is scouring the web for the next big online start up, and many eyes have rested on virtual mood board maker and general collage collator, Pinterest.
Talking about social media, when it comes to communicating with your audience you’re probably already a Facebook guru and Twitter, well when it comes to Twitter you could tweet till the cows come home, but maybe your head has been turned by the new site on the scene and you’re starting to wonder whether it’s about time you added Pinterest to your content marketing strategy.
If you’re not sure what Pinterest is, think of it as a bulletin board perfect for sticking up pictures and inspirational fluff without the risk of standing on one of those painfully sharp drawing pins, then imagine carrying around said bulletin board and whipping it out to show all your friends and you’ve got the idea.
Like all good ideas, it’s so simple you often think ‘why the hell didn’t I think of that?’, and its growing success saw it recently ranked as the fifth most visited social media site for the week ending 24th March (beating Google +).
A number of companies have already made use of the creative opportunities Pinterest holds for content marketing strategies – showing their products in a new light and confirming their position as an opinion former in their relative sectors (hell, even Liverpool Football Club has one). But before you hop onto your laptop and sign your company up to Pinterest, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:
Does your brand lend itself to visual representation?
Pinterest is basically a big collage of pictures, so it’s perfect for brands that already use images to showcase their products, services and knowledge. Fashion brands, major retailers, high-end grocery companies and aspirational or luxury brands have reaped the rewards of Pinterest, but don’t be too quick to discount your business just because it doesn’t fall into these categories – there are plenty of ways to utilise if you get creative!
Will Pinterest help you drive traffic to your site?
It’s all fun and games pinning pretty pictures to your virtual drawing board for all to see but the main reason you’re doing this is to get customers visiting your website and returning time after time, thus strengthening your brand’s reputation.
Have a sit down and think about ways that your Pinterest board can improve your traffic and take a look at other companies using Pinterest in your sector to work out how they’re using the new social media site.
Does your target audience use Pinterest?
The majority of Pinterest users are currently female, often between 25 and 54 years old, so consider this before spending too much time on creating an account. If this isn’t your audience then your time and effort may be better spent elsewhere, but ask your customers if they use Pinterest and make a decision based on how many like the idea.
Pinterest is the ‘next big thing’ and can work wonders for your content marketing strategy, as long as you answer the above questions and use a bit of creativity to represent your brand on this newest of platforms.
