As Pinterest continues to grow in popularity, marketers are discovering new ways to use the fun, social network to drive traffic to their sites. Since using the Pin It button automatically embeds an originating link, every image pinned on your site is an opportunity to introduce new customers and clients to your business.
Pin-worthy images tell a story and intrigue the viewer, making them the type of content people want to save and share. In other words, you need attention-grabbing, memorable images on your website to make it Pinterest-friendly. Here are five ways to help you select images that pack a punch on Pinterest:
1. Sum it up with an image: A picture is worth a thousand words, right? But, your blog posts and web copy have been carefully crafted with relevant information and targeted keywords. So, how can you use an image to convey the whole message you just wrote 500 words about?
Unless you can find a perfect image that does capture the essence of your writing, you may want to try applying text to your images. Adding easy-to-read, bold text to a photo can help it tell a story and invite Pinterest users to click through to your site. Try Pixlr or Gimp for modifying and creating custom graphics for your site.
2. Check your photos for formatting issues: Pinners may become frustrated if they love your content, try to pin it, then realize it is not pinnable. To root out pinning problems, use the following URL:
http://pinterest.com/source/YourWebsite.com/ (replace “YourWebsite.com” with your own address)
If you have the Pin It button installed, you can simply visit each page of your site and see what comes up as you click Pin It. Check each image to see how it will looked once a visitor finds and pins it. Keep in mind that Pinterest allows a maximum width of 554 pixels for all of its images – some resizing may be in order if your images go beyond that.
3. Discover your “Inner Pinner.” It’s easy to see how businesses in the fashion, home improvement, travel, and other visually-interesting industries can leverage Pinterest for marketing their products. But, what if you are an SEO company or a law firm?
It’s time to get creative and think outside the box. Social media is about people, and people have a wide range of interests. Just as you “listen” on other social networks, to learn what the community is discussing and finding interesting, spend some time browsing Pinterest to see what types of boards people are creating.
Consider what your customers do in their spare time, if they have families, or share common interests. And, don’t forget that infographics and how-to videos are also visually appealing, as well as pin-worthy.
4. Promote contests and giveaways on Pinterest. If your company uses contests and giveaways to increase traffic to your site, cast a wider net for these promotions by using Pinterest to spread the word. To see what other companies are promoting, search for “enter to win” or “giveaway” on Pinterest.
Incorporating Pinterest into your contest promotion is easy. You can share clear, compelling images of the event and the prize, so people can quickly see what they might win. Include the keywords, “contest,” “giveaway,” and “enter to win” in the description field. For added promotion, include a dollar amount for your prize, and Pinterest will automatically add a banner in the upper left-hand corner of the pin showing the amount.
5. Pin down the exact emotion you are trying to convey. No matter what your blog or website content is about, there is an emotion underlying the words. Whether it is power, simplicity, excitement, newness, affordability or lifesaving, pinning down the exact emotion to a single word or two will help you select an appropriate image.
For example, if you want to convey peaceful, relaxing emotions, you can use a photo of an adorable litter of puppies taking a nap. Cute animal pictures are very popular on Pinterest!
When you select images that evoke an emotional response, your images will be relatable to people, and therefore, share-worthy and pinnable.
Is your business using Pinterest yet? Do you have your own Pinterest page, or have you optimized your website for Pinterest? Share your pinnable ideas in the comments section below.
Image courtesy of digitaltrends.com
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