above the fold (social media)

Inbound marketers are all abuzz about the increasing value of Pinterest for niche industries. This relatively new image-based social network can be a boon to brands in the food and beverage industry and retail markets, such as home goods, health and beauty, fashion, art, interior design, the travel industry, and more. Basically, any brand, service or product that can be marketed with compelling imagery can benefit from Pinterest.

On that note, in our own travels on the social network, a few image-related things have jumped out at us that may soon establish themselves as best practices inside and outside of Pinterest.

This article will give you tips on getting the most engagement and shares out of the images you post on your website and on Pinterest. These pointers will help you grow a network around your brand, and drive traffic to your website.

1-    Post and “pin” only high-quality, gorgeous images.

There is so much to look at on Pinterest. You could literally lose several hours clicking deeper and deeper into the unending stream of eye-popping imagery users share from all over the web.

This means the bar is set high for the types of images users pin. Whether your market is travel, fashion or food, without attention to quality, your images will get you no love.

Here’s a great rule of thumb:

• Use high-quality images on your website or blog that users are likely to share on Pinterest. (There is also a handy Pinterest button you can embed on your site, which we will go into detail about in a later Pinterest post.) 

• “Pin” high-quality images on Pinterest that are engaging or your network will not grow.

                        

Image via Eat Boutique.

IRL (“In Real Life”) example:

You own a small café and coffee house downtown. No one wants to see photos of the outside of your storefront or the inside of your kitchen. Although these may be great for your website in general, this is simply out of context on Pinterest.

Instead, regularly feature a photo on your café blog of the most beautiful cinnamon dulce latte your barista has ever crafted and then share that image on Pinterest. Or, post a shot of the piping hot blueberry bread pudding you serve on Saturdays. Trust me, these images will get shared along with a link back to your website.

2-    Brand stamp your images.

Before I get into this tip, let’s just all agree there is nothing more annoying than a watermarked photo. However, in order to protect intellectual property, many artists, and especially photographers, will do so.

In the case of Pinterest, branding your photos can not only protect your images, but ensure the products or work you created can be linked back to your website. Because Pinterest operates entirely on the concept of sharing, a watermark is a little over the top. But a subtle web address or the name of your company or brand is acceptable. In fact, you’re going to see this more and more across the web – I promise.

                                   

Image via taste.com.au

IRL example:

You write a blog of recipes handed down to you from your grandmothers for generations. You post a wonderful picture of the items you make alongside the recipe and instructions. Every time you post a new blog, you also post that image on Pinterest. With a link back to your blog and your web address added to the bottom corner of the image, whether it’s shared once or one thousand times, users will always know where it came from.

3-    Mind the size of images

The images you post on your website are just as important as the images you pin on Pinterest. So, after you’ve weighed the quality and marketability of your image, make sure the sizing is appropriate. For instance, don’t feature tiny photos on your blog that have zero chance of making any type of impact. (Or no photos at all, for that matter!)

The best range to shoot for is a 300 dpi photo at a 3 x 5 size. You can’t go wrong when you keep it simple. Gigantic, high res photos aren’t necessary. Make sure your crops are clean and are a standard horizontal or vertical format. Although they are a shaped more like a cube, Instagram photos work on Pinterest, as well. In fact, they’re pretty popular.

                                  

Via The Sartorialist

If you follow these 3 key steps, you’re guaranteed to get more play out of the images on your website on Pinterest. And remember, if you don’t have compelling images to share, it’s not a good idea to engage. The whole point behind Pinterest is to inspire. And social media is all about giving users what they want and what they expect to find there. Need an image-focused Pinterest strategy for your brand or product? We help our clients use social media ‘for greater good’ (and marketing) every day. Contact us for a free consultation. We’d love to chat about what you have in mind.

Are there other tips you have for optimizing images for increased exposure on Pinterest? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @iExposure. 

Main post image via Black Eiffel.  

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• "Chuck Norris Gives Advice on Google Encryption" - Camella Mendez
  posted by: Camella Mendez - 12.08.2011
• "Google+ For Businesses and Why We're Holding Out For It" - Camella Mendez
  posted by: Camella Mendez - 07.13.2011
• "3 Reasons Free Review Sites Will Help You Rank Well" - Jason Stinnett
  posted by: Jason Stinnett - 08.11.2010