5 Ways to Use Pinterest to Grow Your Business

What Every Business Needs to Know About How to Use Pinterest for Business Growth!

What is Pinterest? Pinterest is not just a social media platform, it is a giant source of website traffic and a search engine megaphone!

In 2012, Pinterest had over 25 million users. In 2013, that number grew to 70 million. And today, in 2022, Pinterest has over 433 million monthly active users. If you're a business owner or brand and you're not using Pinterest as part of your digital marketing strategy, you're missing out on a lot of potential growth. Here are five ways you can use Pinterest to grow your business.

"Pinterest is an underutilized marketing tool that can skyrocket your website visits." - Sarah Clarke @DufferinMedia | www.dufferinmedia.com

The 5 Ways You Can Use Pinterest to Grow Your Business:

• 1. Keyword Research

  2. Optimization

  3. Engagement

  4. Best Practices

  5. Tip and Tricks

1. What is Keyword Research on Pinterest?

Keyword Research is the process of identifying and analyzing search terms and phrases that your target audience is entering into search engines like, Google. Simply put, keywords are the words and phrases that your business is ranking for on the internet. Keyword research for Pinterest is essential to ensure that your Pins are being seen by people who are searching for the types of products or services that you offer.

 At Dufferin Media, we use a variety of tools to help our clients find the best keywords for their business. Here are a few of our favorites:

Ubersuggest - https://neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/

Google Ads Keyword Planner - https://ads.google.com/intl/en_ca/home/tools/keyword-planner/

Keysearch - Pinterest Keyword Research - https://www.keysearch.co/tools/pinterest-keyword-tool

PROtip – To garner your best results use a minimum of 25 keywords

What is Keyword Targeting on Pinterest?

Keyword targeting is an important aspect of any ad campaign, and it becomes even more important when advertising on Pinterest. Keyword research is essential to match your campaign goals with the right keywords and reach your desired audience. 

2. What is Pinterest Account Optimization?

Pinterest Business Account Optimization is key if you want to increase your reach and get in front of more potential customers. The question is; how do you optimize your Pinterest account for business growth? Pinterest for business growth boils down to a few key factors: making sure your profile name, bio, pin titles & boards are all optimized for SEO. 

PROtip: Profiles, PIN Titles, and Board Descriptions are indexed by Google; use your keywords!

Areas to Optimize for your Pinterest Business Account:

• 1. Profile Name
  2. Bio Description
  3. Boards (Titles and Descriptions)
  4. PINS (Titles and Descriptions)

Let's start with your profile name. Pinterest allows 30 characters for your profile name, so use keywords that describe your business or industry. For example, if you own a bakery, you might include keywords like "bakery," "cupcakes," "pastries," etc. This will help people searching for those terms find your profile more easily. 

Your Pinterest bio is another important factor in optimization. Just like with your profile name, Pinterest allows you to use up to 160 characters in your bio. Draft a succinct blurb about what your brand does and for whom. Be sure to add 3-5 high-priority keywords to attract your ideal client.

When it comes to pin titles & boards, it's important to be as descriptive as possible while still keeping things concise. Write titles that are both keyword-rich and give the reader an accurate idea of what they'll find when they click through and reach your website. 

For boards: Draft 1-2 on-brand sentences that speak to the board’s content, In addition, create an over-arching keyword-heavy, on-brand description about the business. Use Pinterest Trends to identify potential board titles that other Pinterest users are looking for.

For PINS: Draft 1-2 sentences to summarize the PIN – OR – describe what the Pinterest users will find on the other side of the URL. Include a Call to Action (CTA) to encourage users to try, do, and learn more about the content of the PIN. Incorporate 1-2 keywords that relate to the created content.

PROtip: Create boards using keywords & Pinterest Trends

3. Engagement

Pinterest is a visual platform that helps people discover and save new ideas. Pinterest engagement differs slightly from what is deemed engagement on other social media platforms. On social media, engagement is measured by views, impressions, and interaction with content. The higher the engagement with your content, the more favored it becomes with the algorithm and the further the reach. 

Pinterest Business account engagement is measured through "PIN saves". A view on Pinterest is when someone sees your PIN in their home feed, on a board, or in search results. When someone clicks on a PIN to get more information, we count that as an Impression. The number of Followers you have helps determine how many unique Impressions your PINs get. So the higher your follower count, the higher your chance for Impressions and Saves. And lastly, a PIN save is how we define engagement on Pinterest. This happens when someone adds one of your PINs to their board. To increase engagement on Pinterest make sure you are creating quality content, and re-pinning other accounts’ pins often.

How to improve your engagement on Pinterest:

1. Fresh content, across the board, is key! Following Pinterest Trends for inspiration, paying close attention to what is getting noticed in your niche, and consistently pumping out new content is paramount to Pinterest engagement. Quality content is what Pinterest users are looking for; they’re not just looking to be inundated with a bunch of random product photos. Relevancy is important, as well as appealing and interesting visuals. If you want to get noticed on Pinterest, make sure you are staying up-to-date with the trends in your niche, and consistently putting out high-quality, fresh content.
2. It’s about engagement and providing content that inspires users. The goal is to always create PINs that capture attention and interest so that users will be motivated to learn more. Pinterest engagement can be measured with various metrics, but the most important thing is always to provide content that is inspirational and engaging. By doing this, you will ensure that your Pinterest presence is strong and that users will keep coming back for more.
3. Pinterest is a powerful platform for driving traffic to your website or blog. One of the best ways to maximize Pinterest engagement is to repurpose your content by creating new images for existing content, like blog posts. This is a great way to freshen up dated content and keep your Pinterest feed looking fresh. Plus, it's an easy way to boost engagement and drive more traffic to your site. So, next time you're looking for a quick way to increase your Pinterest engagement, consider creating new images for existing content. It's an easy and effective way to get more eyes on your content and keep your Pinterest feed looking its best.
4. Videos on Pinterest are huge! It is a platform with a goldmine for instructional and inspiring videos. If you're not using video content on Pinterest, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to engage with your audience. Pinterest users are constantly looking for new ideas and how-to videos, so make sure your pins include informative, instructional videos that demonstrate your product or service in action. Not only will this increase engagement with your pins, but it will also inspire users to take action and interact with your brand. As video content becomes more and more popular on Pinterest, make sure you're ahead of the curve by creating video pins that deliver value and inspire your audience.
5. More followers undoubtedly result in more views and more saves. While followers and growing your audience is important, it is not the most important factor to focus on. The immediate goal for any business on Pinterest is to create inspiring and engaging content that others engage with and SAVE to their boards. Consequently, this will result in more followers, more views, and more saved PINS. 
6. Claiming your brand's domain on Pinterest is the final and most important step to increasing your reach on the platform. When you claim your domain, Pinterest secures your authority as an expert in your niche and recognizes that your website is paired with your brand. This simple act provides users with a perception of authenticity and increases the chances that they will engage with your content. 

4. Best Practices for Pinterest You Can Implement Today!

• Maintain a 2:3 aspect ratio
• Include your brand logo
• Always apply your brand standards to all your created PINS
• Add text overlay with concise, targeted copy to tell better stories
• Use 100 characters OR LESS per PIN text overlay
• Choose images that show context
• Schedule 25 PINS/day
• Create a business account and claim your domain
• Optimize your profile, boards, and PINS
• Produce a content plan and consistently push PIN to Pinterest
• Maximize all created content and push it to Pinterest
• Consistently document and analyze your metrics – you cannot build what you do not measure!
• Invest in a Graphic Design and Scheduling Tool

AND / OR

• Outsource your Pinterest Services to Professionals like Dufferin Media.

Looking for the ultimate solution to skyrocket your online business? | PINTEREST SERVICES | @DufferinMedia | www.dufferinmedia.com

FREE RESOURCES: Pinterest Marketing Services

What are the Next Steps for your Pinterest Business Account?

• Decide that you want your brand to be represented on Pinterest (that’s an easy one, the answer is YES!)
• Identify your goals – what do you want to achieve with Pinterest? Consider; brand awareness, driving traffic to your URL, positioning the brand as an authority or expert in your niche, and providing inspiration and joy for your audience.
• Identify if this aspect of your digital marketing strategy will be performed by you or outsourced to a professional
• Begin setting up your Pinterest Business Account, OR call Dufferin Media to inquire about our Pinterest Services for Business
• Sign up for a Pinterest Audit for your existing business account OR submit to receive a mini Pinterest strategy, custom-tailored to your business. Both options will highlight the 5 key areas for account growth and the steps you can take to get your brand on Pinterest. 

The Power of Pinterest

At Dufferin Media, we are always delighted to help businesses grow their Pinterest presence. If you already have a Pinterest account, we can provide a thorough audit in five key areas and offer suggestions for how to improve your Pinterest marketing efforts. If you do not yet have a Pinterest account, we can still help! We will provide a mini Pinterest strategy custom-tailored to your business, with five tactics you can implement when you are ready to represent your brand on Pinterest. Either way, we are here to help you make the most of Pinterest and grow your business. 

Dufferin Media is excited to offer our newest service: Pinterest Solutions for Business! We have trained Pinterest specialists on staff who are experienced in graphic design and SEO. We will provide a strategy to maximize your reach and search results. (Don't forget; Pinterest itself is a giant search engine PLUS boards and pins are all indexed by Google). We believe that Pinterest is a powerful marketing tool and we are excited to help you tap into its potential. 

 Let's Get Started With a FREE Pinterest Audit, today!

Think Digital. Think Dufferin Media. Digital Marketing Agency – Based in Ontario, Canada

We build brands with purpose and passion. We prove our commitment to you every day by offering great value, extremely fast response times, and by working together as your strategic partner toward your success. 

A Little History About Us...

Founded in 2012, Dufferin Media is a team of online professionals that specialize in social media management, internet marketing, and public relations. Dufferin Media has grown to service a large number of organizations both locally and internationally. The team believes in helping businesses grow through branding, strategy, and implementation. Their passion for business and entrepreneurship is the main focus in helping clients establish and achieve their goals.