Should Pinterest be Part of Your Social Media Campaign?

Though it's one of the new kids on the social media block, Pinterest has built a sizable user base. In fact, according to MediaBistro, 15 percent of internet users who are active on social media now use Pinterest.

As a purely visual platform, this site is perfect for companies looking to promote products and services with a visual component.

So how can you incorporate Pinterest into your company’s social media campaign?

Success Stories

Perhaps the best case for using Pinterest in your social media campaign is the success other companies have had with the format. Here are a few:

• Women's clothing company Calypso St. Barth enlisted the help of a "power-pinner" in 2012 to create a live pinning event. The pinner attended a photo shoot for the company's summer look book, and pinned her photos of the event in real time. This created buzz around the company, and one of the photos managed to earn over 9,000 repins (the Pinterest equivalent of a like or share;
   
• UK company McKay Flooring used both Pinterest and Instagram in their promotions, in order to take advantage of the strengths of both. From Instagram, the company got the ability to connect to Twitter and use hashtags, running a hashtag contest for their followers. Pinterest, on the other hand, allows for better categorization with multiple pin boards, making it easy to create a catalog of products to promote brand awareness;
   
• From Nov. 27 through Dec. 31, 2012, Sony Electronics ran a Pin it to Give It campaign. They used their Pinterest page to build a list of their products and pin them to their Pin It to Give It board. Each time someone repinned one of the products on that board, Sony donated a dollar to the Michael Phelps Foundation. By the campaign's end, the company had donated over $12,500 to the foundation -- and had built a more engaged audience and stronger brand image.

Pinterest Strategies for Your Company

There are several ways you can use Pinterest to promote your company.

You can start a board to tell your company story in pictures, building a personal connection with followers.

You can also turn your Pinterest page into a useful resource, with links to your own and other websites. These links can provide helpful how-to information, inspiration for projects, or other valuable information your followers will appreciate.

Another excellent way to leverage Pinterest is to recognize loyal customers.

One excellent example of this is UGallery, an online art gallery that features a guest pinner every Monday. This guest pinner is also featured on the company blog, giving them exposure and building their brand loyalty even further.

These are just a few of the ways in which Pinterest can become a powerful tool in your social media campaign.

Whether you run an advertising firm, real estate office, resort or just about any other kind of business, with a little planning and creativity, you can turn your Pinterest page into an inbound marketing funnel.

About the Author

Angie Mansfield is a freelance writer covering a range of topics for both consumers and business owners, such as business management, social media, and Bluegreen Resorts.