above the fold (social media)

You may have heard the phrase “Pin it!” already – especially if you are often around twenty and thirty-something year old women. When I heard "Pin it" in casual conversation more than once is when I realized the relatively new image-based social network, Pinterest, was hitting a critical mass.

About Pinterest

For those not familiar, Pinterest is a fairly new social network. It revolves around a virtual ‘bulletin board’ users can ‘pin’ links and/or images to. Like any of the other social networks, Pinterest also thrives on building a following around the curation of your bulletin board.

                     

Marketers can use Pinterest…

Like Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, Pinterest can be a very powerful tool for marketing a product, service or retail establishment IF your audience is active on the network. Like any social marketing, you shouldn’t jump in expecting to reach your target market instantly – especially if you even don’t know if they’re there.

… if their audience is there

Do your research. If your thirty-something, female indie-rock crafting niche is on Pinterest (and it’s very likely they are), come up with a long-term social media strategy to engage them that is centered on quality content and a compelling message.

Here’s a really great post from Communications Conversations profiling several active Pinterest users and why they use the social network. (It’s really worth the read if you don’t know much about Pinterest.)

Here are a couple of core functions marketers can take advantage of with Pinterest:

1- Share promotions easily

Because content can be so easily shared (or, ‘re-pinned’, rather) on Pinterest, something as simple as pinning a coupon or other image-based promotion has the potential to spread like it can on Facebook or Twitter. Pinterest works much like its predecessor, Tumblr, which allows users to instantly share images without notation. If you’re familiar with Twitter, think of it as a ‘re-tweet’ for images.

(UPDATE: Digital product manager, Amy Sanders (@teruterubouzu), pointed out to us on Twitter just this morning that marketing promotions shouldn't be a core reason for marketers to use Pinterest. This led us to investigate Pinterest's etiquette standards, where the network recommends keeping promotional pins to a minimum. Remember: social networks should be used as a channel for a balanced mix of content, including content your audience wants, not just what you want to tell them.) 

2- Shape your point of view 

Wedding planners, designers and even hair stylists can use Pinterest to curate their visual point of view. Because the network is so dense with visual content, users can also use Pinterest as a place to research for new ideas, new looks and approaches to their own creative work.

                           

 

3- Create a portfolio

The Pinterest interface is clean, minimal and creative.  Artists, such as graphic designers and photographers can easily use Pinterest to showcase their work and even find potential clients, gallery owners and fans by building their network around their brand and sharing their work with their followers.

Because Pinterest allows users to create several ‘boards’ to categorize their pins, you can even create a single account for all of the functions above. Here’s how celebrity chef Paula Dean does it… with butter.

The iE Verdict

As you can see, the many uses for Pinterest are still evolving. The biggest opportunity we see currently is for products, such as jewelry, clothing and home goods, including artwork, furniture and other decorative items (especially handmade items.) This has everything to do with the major user group who has embraced the network thus far.

Not surprisingly, another popular niche on Pinterest is that of the food enthusiasts. So, restaurants, coffee houses and cafes can find opportunity on Pinterest to market promotions and new or featured items in their stores. (Sidenote because we also love to eat: Pinterest is a great place to find and collect recipes.)

Have you tried using Pinterest in your own business yet? If so, what has your experience been? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @iexposure.

Are you a brand that wants help kicking off a social media strategy that leverages Pinterest? Contact us and we can chat about a plan to help you get there.

Photos by dabblelicious, and licensed through Creative Commons.

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