I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Pinterest lately, and it’s become a big topic of conversation as the fastest growing social media platform at the moment. Everyone wants to know THE SECRET. I figured I’d post my advice and feel free to use or discard as you see fit.
Oh. And it’s probably not what you want to hear.
The “secret” to using Pinterest effectively as a brand is first using it personally. THAT’S IT. This goes for any social media platform. So many companies are going in backwards and jumping in blind as a brand. That’s a great way to look corporate/douchey/completely disconnected.
Use it first yourself, as a consumer. See what you like about it, how things are received, the pins you respond to. Do this for a couple weeks BEFORE doing anything with your brand. Don’t be concerned about getting in “late.” You must first have an understanding of WHY your future customers are even using Pinterest – by using it personally yourself – in order to get any use out of Pinterest at all. Next, sit down and create a strategy for your brand using the platform that you know – how can you contribute to the Pinterest community? Or SHOULD you? THEN start your brand page.
After your personal trial (at least 2 weeks), you’ll know if the platform is right for your brand and how best to use it. If you choose to do a brand page then, you’ll be way ahead of the competition because you’ll have a better understanding of WHY consumers use Pinterest. You’ll be able to actively communicate and engage them naturally – ideally converting them into customers. And isn’t that what using social media as a brand is all about?
That was a trick question. That’s exactly what using social media as a brand is all about.
ps: Personally, I love Pinterest. You can find me all up in it HERE (pinterest.com/lehennessy)
For those interested, here’s a great article on Mashable on the same subject. They point out Whole Foods as an example of great use of Pinterest… because the brand is using it as a consumer would: http://mashable.com/2012/03/07/pinterest-brand-marketing/
I’m a big fan of Pinterest, but I do have to question the quality of the referral traffic. For me at least, visitors from Pinterest seem to linger for a shorter time on my website than any other social media site I use. I don’t know if this is the case for all, but it’s something worth taking into account…
Hey Kris – I think this is a challenge of moving from a visual driven space to a text driven space (like a blog). Pinterest as of right now is used for inspiration, purchase-based planning and DIY. Inspiration is pretty self-explanatory and that’s what I see most men using pinterest for. For purchases: What bridesmaids dresses to get for a wedding, your next tattoo, or a Spring wardrobe. For DIY: useful tips like how to keep brown sugar fresh or interesting recipes. These are the kinds of interests that drive Pinterest users right now. It would be interesting to know which pins are driving folks to your site from Pinterest: humor? wine photos?