Pinterest has high potential for building your email list and increasing small business sales, but far too few business owners actually use the site. You’ll need a strategy if you’re going to make it work, just like every other social media site.

Why Pinterest?

Pinterest was originally a place for moms and crafters to share their dinner ideas and craft tutorials, but it has turned into much more than this. You can find just about any business category on the site now and the audience has expanded to include men, as well as women, from a wider variety of backgrounds. Over 150 million people use the site every month. If that’s not enough to make you want to market there, consider that 87% of Pinners have bought something as a direct result of Pinterest. Also consider that roughly 5% of all referral traffic online comes from the popular site. You’re missing out if you aren’t marketing on Pinterest.

Strategies for Small Business Sales on Pinterest

1. Use the Business Account Feature

By signing up under a business account, you’ll have access to some valuable analytics. Use the statistics to help you create better pins that more people will want to share.

2. Pin Discounts and Coupon Codes

Want your pins to go viral? Give users a way to save money. Keep in mind that there is no way to recall all your pins once they’re shared, so it’s best to use a coupon code or discount that doesn’t expire. Once people see they can save money, they’ll pin the code and it should spread like wildfire.

3. Use Keywords

When you pin something, you can edit the description. This is a very important detail, since you can write up a description that includes keywords to help others find your pins. Use colors, styles and any other relevant information. The added bonus? Most people don’t bother to change the description when they re-pin, so your description, complete with keywords, will soon be everywhere on the site.

4. Add Pin It Buttons to Your Site

Make it super simple for your readers to pin your products and posts themselves by adding a button. This should appear when an image is moused over and can help boost the number of pins. Not only will your images get shared, they will be spread to a whole new audience . . . one that you may not have reached otherwise.

5. Create Pinnable Images

Did you know that vertical images tend to do better in Pinterest? Taking the extra time to create longer, visually refreshing images for your blog posts can result in a lot more pins and re-pins. Take a look at some of the more popular pins on the site to get an idea of what is getting shared most. Use those techniques for your own images.

6. Join Group Boards

Throughout Pinterest, you’ll find boards that allow others to join them and pin. These have a lot more followers than most single person boards and can be a good way to boost your visibility. Find a few groups that match your products and join up. Try not to be spammy, but make sure to pin regularly to the boards you join.

7. Reply to Comments

Did someone comment on your pin or board? Go ahead and respond to them. People take notice when companies speak up and they tend to feel more comfortable when buying from a company they’ve interacted with online. Check your pins on a regular basis and respond to any messages that have been left for you.

8. Show Your Human Side

Some businesses come across as robots online, because they simply spout sales copy and promotions. If you want to appear more human, which can be very beneficial to your sales, go ahead and pin some less businesslike items and tips. You can also respond in a human manner to the comments left on your pins. Just be friendly and don’t constantly try to sell to everyone. The results will be an increased level of trust.

9. Create Videos and Pin Them

Pinterest allows for Rich pins in several categories. One of these is videos. If you make a video and put it on YouTube, then your followers can watch the video right in Pinterest. It’s easy to market to anyone on the site with a basic video ad that is interesting enough or useful enough to get attention. Pinterest can be a powerful part of your small business sales strategy, if you let it. Originally, it was best for products aimed at young females, but it is now an excellent source of traffic and sales from all walks of life. Give it a try.

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