Should you build Pinterest for business?  In an effort to continually clean-up my own social media (and maximizing it for business growth) I put some time into learning about Pinterest.  And, without further ado, here is what I found.  First the common questions:

Should I have a Pinterest account for my business?

Absolutely.  If you are a business of any size a Pinterest account can work wonders for you in terms of exposure, traffic and SEO in general.  Also, compared to other social media accounts you can start reaping the benefits of Pinterest with little effort. In fact, when worked into your overall social media and blogging plan, what you need to do for Pinterest will be a very small add on.  Content creation and all interactions require little additional effort.  So…let’s get you started.

How do I build a Pinterest Presence?  Here is my plan:

1. Goal:  Help others in sharing information and get to 10,000 followers by the end of 2020 (currently at 190)  – yes, I have a vanity metric goal.
2. Start off ensuring I have a business account (check) and update the information (picture, bio…check, check).
3. Select three places where I can send traffic (my blog here, YouTube Channel, and Podcast).
4.  What types of content are you going to share?  I have blogs on my website, podcast, YouTube videos, course information, Medium articles, when I am featured on a podcast or through guest blogging,
5. Follow a few group boards in core business areas.  I selected Social Media, Attorney Marketing, Divorce Attorney, Blogging and SEO.
6. I cleaned up my boards – my core business areas went first (social media, blogging, SEO) and then I condensed all of the personal stuff into two boards – one for challenges (exercise and recipes) and then one for pins I am just interested in.

Pinterest Pinning Tips:

1. Fill out all sections of a Pin with keyword rich information.
2. Your image should have a very clear and concise text overlay.
3. Have a CTA which should be a link to high value content to get them on your email list.
4. Image is critical – you want an image that clearly conveys the idea of your topic.
5.  Always include a keyword rich description.
6.  Pin from the users point of view.  Pinterest users are on the platform to get information when planning a project.  And they are looking for visual representations of the issue they want to solve.

Remember, you are utilizing Pinterest to help build your business, so have a clear plan.

1. All experts seem to be using Tailwind for Tribes.  I’m mentioning it because all are, but not sure I’m going to jump in just yet.
2. Get involved in Group boards.  This is easy to do – just search on “Group Boards YOUR TOPIC” and follow a few with the most pins.
3. Paid ads that are cost effective can be very beneficial for learning.  Also, when you have a successful ad campaign the algorithm automatically places more importance on those topics in your future pins.
4. Be authentic.

As with all blogging and social media planning, this effort should be authentically based around helping your ideal clients.  Through very thorough keyword research, a  detailed editorial calendar, and clear workflow plans, adding a Pinterest strategy will require very little additional work.

I would like to thank Jennifer Priest, Peg Fitzgerald, Kate Ahl who gave outstanding presentations at Social Media Marketing World in March, and Angie Gensler for the unending amount of great information on her website (include a detailed webinar).  Digesting their content has greatly informed my Pinterest strategy as we move into 2020.