Pinterest is in the news again this week as it introduced business pages for its users. Many executives at B2B companies gave this news very little thought. However, those who tend to think outside of the typical B2B social media world of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn saw this as an opportunity to bring traffic to their websites and grow their overall social footprint. Pinterest has come a long way from the days of 20-something women posting recipes, clothes and ideas for their future weddings. If you haven’t yet considered it for your business, I ask you to expand your minds beyond the recipe and future wedding boards, and consider these reasons for creating a Pinterest page for your business.
It’s another outlet for promoting content
If you have taken to the inbound marketing movement like we have, then you’re striving to consistently create great content. But how do you get people to pay attention to it? Create a Pinterest board for each of the different content types. Each time you create a blog post, E-book, whitepaper, etc., post it on the corresponding board.
You may have to change your mindset to be able to do this. You have to consider photos for use in each piece of content. You want your photo to be relevant to the piece and pique a Pinterest user’s interest. However, it also should be unique, creative and beautiful to ensure that it gets repinned by users of the platform.
It’s a great way to humanize your brand
Some of our most popular posts for clients give an insider’s view of the company or organization. People like to get to know you and your employees, and they also like to know there is an actual human behind those posts.
Consider creating a board for users to get to know your team. Post pictures along with fun facts about your employees. Don’t forget to link back to your website to ensure you’re getting traffic from the posts. Or, create a board that showcases your company culture. If you have something that makes your company unique, take a picture and share that with your Pinterest followers. You might also write an accompanying blog post to provide the followers with more information and entice them to visit your website.
It can help show that you’re aware of the latest trends in your industry (or your prospects’ industries)
Here at WordWrite we employ the one-third rule on each of our social networks. We believe that an effective social media strategy includes posts that are one-third content about your company or brand, one-third that creates a dialogue with your audience and one-third content about your industry.
Sure your followers have showed some interest in you by following your boards, but that doesn’t mean they only want to see content about you and your company. Show that you are knowledgeable about the industry you inhabit. Pin articles about the latest news or trends in your industry.
This area is also a great way to show that you stay up to date on your clients’ or prospects’ industries. Create a board for each of the verticals that you target in business development. Share important updates on the boards that might be of interest to a potential prospect. These boards will attract more of your target customers and – if they repin your content – some of their followers may be interested in you as well.
It provides another way to get to know your social following
People often forget social media is meant to foster a two-way dialogue with your fans and followers. You might be asking, “How do I do that with photos?” Pinterest has a tool to allow you to create group boards. Invite your followers to collaborate on a group board. Make the description of the board a question that you’d be interested in having answered by your followers. Show your followers that you appreciate their participation by commenting on their post or repinning it. Collaboration on a group board is a great way to grow your following on Pinterest. You also have the opportunity to increase traffic to your website by posting photos that link to your site on the group board. Do it sparingly, as you don’t want to come off as an attention hog.
If you’re shying away from Pinterest for your B2B company because you don’t see the value in it, think again. Creating a Pinterest business page draws visitors to your website; helps establish you as a thought leader in your industry; allows people to better connect with your company by humanizing your brand; and lets you know your social audience better to create better content for them. For more inspiration, see how we update and maintain our Pinterest page.
What do you think of B2B companies using Pinterest in their social media efforts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Emma Walter is an account executive for WordWrite Communications. You can find her on Twitter @emmasreallytall.
