Dorien Morin-van DamUsing Pinterest To Grow Your Business
You probably know enough about Pinterest and what it can do for your business, to have checked it out, I am right? If you are new to Pinterest, I am sure you’ve Googled and found articles on growing your Pinterest following, how to create the perfect pin and how to use Pinterest Analytics to create your pinning (and winning) strategy. There are theories and studies about when to pin, how often to pin and what to pin. I say most often, people who are starting out on Pinterest are in overwhelm-mode for a while…!
In case this is all very new to you, and you haven’t found these articles I am talking about…
Here’s my Pinterest Blog Articles board!
Follow Dorien Morin | Social Media Consultant’s board Pinterest Blog Posts on Pinterest.
Let’s Get Concrete About What To Pin For Your Business
Now that you either
- have acquired Pinterest knowledge and are confident in knowing how to use it, or
- have the resources (my Pinterest board to start!) to find everything there is to know about Pinterest and how to use it.
We can get a bit more concrete!
Today I want to show you examples of boards you can create on your own account. These are boards that can be used to market your own business so putting a bit of thought and time into these boards can yield great results. Once you’ve set up these types of boards, you can now:
- share the board in a blog post – like I just did,
- share the board in an email to a potential client,
- share the board in an email to a potential employee,
- share the board while you teach a workshop,
- share the board to your other social media platforms,
- share the board with your employees to keep them motivated,
- refer back to the board when planning and strategizing about your business marketing and growth,
and more!
So What Are These 7 Stellar Pinterest Board Ideas?
1. Media Kit
First thing to mention is that I didn’t get this idea on my own. I read an article last year by Jimmie Lanley called ‘How to use Pinterest Boards with your Media Kit‘ Jimmie includes ideas for boards like
- my reviews and sponsored stories,
- my hangouts on air and videos,
- my post on other sites,
- my most viral pins,
- my products,
- my milestones.
I think these are all great ideas and if you incorporate some or all of these boards to your media kit (put a link in your – digital – media kit) you’ll be adding excellent social proof and a whole new dimension! You could also create ONE board called ‘Media Kit’ and add all the components of a media kit to this one board! Here is an excellent example by Heather Tallman aka Basilmomma:
Follow Basilmomma (Heather Tallman)’s board My Media Links on Pinterest.
2. Vision Board
First I want to highlight this post by Tehmani Zaman called ‘How to use Pinterest to create a vision board for your business.’
She says,
“Very few people realize that Pinterest can also be a powerful way to help them achieve their goals by creating a dedicated Vision Board. Not only does Pinterest give you access to millions of photos, but if your board is public you can also use it to engage your audience, store useful pins and garner support and feedback for your business, product or services.”
Three powerful reasons to create your own vision board to grow your business are:
- To visualize your goals.
- To help you focus your mind.
- To be a constant source of inspiration.
Our colleagues at B2 Squared Media have a neat Vision Board
Follow B Squared Media’s board B² Vision Board on Pinterest.
3. Staff & Team Members
Creating a board to highlight your in-house experts makes a lot of sense! In this CopyBlogger article called ‘56 ways to market your business on Pinterest‘ we found #35 to echo our thoughts exactly!
#35 Create a special board to highlight your company’s team members. Use the description under each photo to write a bio of each person.
Another article puts it this way:
“Introduce your experts – If you’re marketing or selling professional services, or trying to position your senior staff as thought leaders, use Pinterest to introduce your experts. Post photos of your consultants or technical support staff, along with bios describing their experience. Include links to their blogs and/or any white papers they’ve authored to illustrate their subject matter expertise. “
Read ‘How to use Pinterest for B2B marketing‘ to learn more. I found a local example of a Staff Board from a Myrtle Beach Campground. Neat!
Follow Myrtle Beach KOA’s board Myrtle Beach KOA Staff on Pinterest.
Note the descriptions. I am ready to camp there and meet these folks, aren’t you?
4. Current Clients
A board with current clients could spark a potential client to contact you! In ‘4 tips on how to use Pinterest as a marketing consultant‘ the writer states,
“One of the best ways to convince your prospective clients or customers that they should go with your business is by highlighting the fabulous work you’ve already done. By creating a board with your current clients and projects, you not only get to brag about the work you’ve done but, you also have the opportunity to drive more traffic to your client’s websites. This is a win-win in my book.”
Here’s an example board by Sarah Cole. With one quick look, you can see she is a VA for Realtors!
Follow Sarah Cole VA on Demand’s board Current Clients on Pinterest.
BONUS TIP: Put your clients on a Pinterest board with a map! Even more impressive…
5. Client Testimonials
Make it fun, interesting, promotional, flattering and just plain awesome, so much so that everyone who sees that board wants to have a spot on it! In an article by Fuel Lines we read ‘10 ways to use Pinterest to reach prospects.’ When I look at #2 I read this,
“Pinterest gives you the opportunity to collect visually charged testimonials from clients. Instead of just typical quotes, provide a photos of them. Think more creatively than to include just head shots. You can publish photos from more casual or fun settings such as photos of the client’s engaged with your staff, or highlighting their products or services. It could simply be a photo of a client with a huge smile along with a brief description of how your agency has helped.”
Here is an example of a testimonial board. This one includes video testimonials.
Follow Neil Ginger’s board Testimonials on Pinterest.
6. Local Business Community
Creating a (map) board with other local businesses pinned to it only makes sense if you are a local business, but if you are, this can yield big results.
Start pinning and highlighting local businesses who have a presence on Pinterest first, then slowly add those businesses whom you network with in person and then add local museums, attractions, favorite eateries etc. Warning: This might become a very popular board. 😉
Sharing is giving and highlighting other businesses sheds a good and bright light on you.
Here is a board from a mommy blogger in Knoxville. How cool would it be to move to (or visit) this new town and follow this board to find the best deals?
Follow Knoxville Moms Blog’s board Knoxville Local Businesses on Pinterest.
7. Your Own Content
Pinning your own content is extremely powerful! Ideas of content to pin include:
- Your blog articles,
- Your videos,
- Your slideshares,
- Your client work,
- Your guest blogs,
- Your products pictures,
- Your promotions,
- Your contests.
Here is one of my own boards with all of my More In media blog posts.
Follow Dorien Morin | Social Media Consultant’s board Social Media by MORE IN MEDIA on Pinterest.
I hope these ideas will inspire YOU to create a few new boards to market your business on Pinterest so your business can grow even more! Now I am off to add many of these board ideas to my very own to-do list… 😉
If you have any additional board ideas that would fit in this list, please comment below! I’d love to share with my audience.
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