January 19, 2014

Julie Kittredge

Business Services Advisor

Arlington Heights Memorial Library

What is Pinterest? ? Social Media platform that was started in March 2010

Serves as a visual bookmarking and link-sharing platform

Users “pin” photos from websites which link the viewer back to the website where the photo was posted

Users create boards to organize and share images

Users can also upload images

80% of users are females between 25-34 years old

Additional statistics can be found here.

Why Pinterest for Business?

Drive referral traffic to your website or blog

Share content to attract new customers

Another platform for visibility

Establish your expertise in your industry

Educate customers regarding your business or industry

Gain inspiration for your own business

Keep an eye on or learn from your competitors

Did you know?

people bypass Google and go directly to Pinterest to search for products and

lifestyle topics

content is curated by actual users

results tend to be high quality

powerful way for users to discover things they might not have expected to find

Personal Account vs. Business? You can convert an existing personal account to a business

account.

Benefits of business accounts include insights and analytics

Number of unique users, repins, likes, views, etc.

Additional resources such as “Pin it” buttons to install on your website

Always include your website and/or facebook page url

Your profile image should either be your headshot, your logo, or an item that is representative of your products

Check out “Steve”

Inspiration: Content Ideas Showcase your company

Your work or services

Share links to your products (etsy, e-commerce site)

Share items that are interesting to your target market

Curate images that reflect your branding

Create inspiration relating to your industry

Create inspiration relating to educating your customer Example: Photographer might include a board of what to

wear, or ways to display images

Create a referral board for local businesses, affiliates, partners or organizations (networking)

Real Life Inspiration Photographer – wall displays

Artist – Katie Daisy

Landscape design – backyard bliss

Retail - anthropologie

Etsy shop – Studio Jewel

Interior designer – color swatch ideas, styling, lighting

Arlington Heights Library

Content “rules”

34%

33%

33%

What to share

1/3 Business

1/3 Industry

1/3 Personal

Inspiration: Secret Boards Collaborate with Co-workers

Event planning

product launch

Collaborate with a client

Great for branding ideas

Collect gift ideas for customers

Note: Secret boards can be converted to a public board, but once public, it cannot be changed.

Increase Your Followers Follow others on Pinterest

Pin regularly = visibility

Embed the “Pin it” or “Follow Me on Pinterest” button on your website or blog

Pin content from your blog to drive traffic back to it

Pin content from your e-commerce shop

Share a link to your social media (facebook, youtube)

Share a link to an individual pinterest pin or board on social media

Pinning great content will create a visual personality for your business

Install the button

Go to the Pinterest “Goodies”

Install the pin-it button to your bookmarks bar

Allows you to pin from any website

Simplifies your ability to curate content based on your surfing habits.

Image details

Image size and image quality does matter Cheat sheet for images sizing

Basically, a minimum of 735 pixels in width – height will be adjusted based on the size of the image

Beautiful images get repinned

Vertical images post best.

Mobile friendly

Pixelated or too small to view = unprofessional Example – AHML book pins

Additional assistance @AHML

One on one appointments with Business Services

Tutorials in the AHML Databases

Gale Courses – Using Social Media in Business

Lynda.com – Pinterest courses

Treehouse – Social Media Strategy, How to Market Your Business

Further Resources Book:

Pinfluence: The Complete Guide to Marketing Your Business with Pinterest by Beth Hayden

Platform by Michael Hyatt

Best Practices for Brands Using Pinterest http://bryannagy.com/2012/05/13/best-practices-for-brands-

using-pinterest/

Grow your blog with Pinterest http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/grow-your-blog-with-

pinterest/

Pinterest tips for your business http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/pinterest-tips-for-

your-business/