If you’re not using a Pinterest marketing strategy you could be missing out. Pinterest is an extraordinary popular site because of its ability to communicate visually. Marketing with Pinterest matters, and there are reasons why.

Pinterest is the topic of today’s discussion.

Review Question: What is Pinterest?

Other social media networks focus on personal sharing and updating personal status. Pinterest positioned itself as a social media hub for sharing images.

The world searches for billions of things, but it’s next to impossible to organize and keep up with the info.

Pinterest fills that need by acting as a digital bulletin board or scrapbook.

Millions of people have created their own boards with amazing photos. These photos can also be shared by others.

The power of visual communication is that people process images 60,000 times faster than they can text.

The same holds true for your SaaS customers and prospects.

Our brains are wired so that images are processed in long-term memory. Text is processed in the brain’s short-term memory.

People are also wired to have a stronger emotional attachment to images. Imagery can be a powerful tool in helping people become familiar with a brand.

Men Are Discovering Pinterest

Men are now the fastest growing demographic. They’re discovering the power of Pinterest.

In fact, more men now read Pinterest every than those who read GQ and Sports Illustrated combined.

An example is “Pinterest’s Manly Gift Ideas” page. At a glance, you can see many of the things that appeal to men. There are also pro sports pages! So, if you still thinks that Pinterest belongs to women, keep reading.

Pinterest Marketing Strategy #1 – Buyable Pins

Like any powerful social media idea, Pinterest is evolving. Buyable pins allow people to buy their favorite things without leaving the Pinterest app.

The checkout process is simple and secure and is mobile-user friendly. For shoppers, buyable pins is the perfect way to control their shopping experience.

The stats state that Pinterest plays a huge in influencing what people buy. 96% of Pinterest users use the site for researching and information gathering. 93% of Pinterest users plan for purchases. An amazing 87% decided to buy something because of seeing it on Pinterest.

Pinterest Marketing Strategy #2 – Creating a Pinterest Following

Creating a Pinterest following is a simple process. When people like your pins, they repin them. Repinning is a sign that people are hungry for new content. Those people post images to their board. Each repin can serve as an extra link back to your site.

Since people like sharing unique things, it’s easy to build up a following in little time.

Like any other marketing strategy, success is a function of how well your page is exposed. With research, you’ll become more aware of how many posts you need to create a day.

15 – 30 daily posts is becoming the norm, but may increase in the future.

Pinterest Etiquette

There’s an entire economy of things you can do to make sure that you become someone worthy of following:

#1. Make sure that your business name is featured on your Pinterest Profile.  For best results, make sure that your username is your business name.

#2. Add content about who you are. The “About” section on your profile can create genuine interest. The “About” section is right below your photo. The importance of letting people know who you are is obvious. People have a tendency to trust who they know.

#3. Piggyback off all your social media accounts. It’s a good strategy to connect all your accounts, like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This is a sure way of creating and inspiring new followers.

#4. Pin lots of relevant and interesting content. As stated, you should pin up to 15 pins per day. Steady pinning is the key. It’s a matter of continuing to do what works. Remember, your goal is to maximize engagement and exposure. Create a pinning schedule that works for you.

#5. Create board names that will command attention. Enticing board names will get the attention. People are on the move, and like any content marketing effort, will gravitate towards titles that are interesting.

The name you choose will also have an effect on the images you choose to pin. Just keep in mind that there’s not a lot of room for your title. Be creative.

#6. Take the time to comment on pins that you find interesting. Those you engage with are likely to engage with you in return.

#7. Search around and pin from different sources. Be sure to pin close to your own theme. People find better success when their pins are centered around a central theme. Pinning from many sources also increases the chances of increasing your followers.

#8. Don’t be stingy with your “likes.” Other people are just like you. It makes them feel good when others “like” what they’ve pinned. It’s self-gratifying and everyone wants it.

#9. Pinning on your own blog posts isn’t a bad idea as long as you don’t overdo it. People can tell when you’re impressed with yourself, and it doesn’t work in your behalf. Keep the self-pins to a minimum.

#10. Pin and use the power of videos. Pinterest offers a special section just for videos. Pictures and videos are images. As mentioned before, people’s brains are wired to respond to images.

A video just take it up an entire notch, especially when there’s sound as well. YouTube makes it easy to pin videos. If pinning an image from your own website, make sure you insert your business name in the description.

#11. Write interesting descriptions on the images that you pin. Textual content, good content, is and always will be important. If the description is good enough, it will remain when an image is repinned.

#12. Become familiar with Pinterest’s embed option. This is a good option to publish pins as content on blogs and websites.

#13. Pinterest offers an iPhone app. This is handy for millions of users who are on the go. Be sure and add a location to your pins. This makes it easier for others to find your images. Since mobile use shows no signs of slowing down, this should fit rather nicely into your marketing mix.

#14. Optimize your website’s content with Pinterest sharing in mind. It’s natural to use images on posts, so this fits into the whole concept of sharing Pinterest images. Without an image, there’s little chance that anyone will share repin your post on Pinterest.

It goes without saying that attractive pictures get the most pins. This also holds true for images that are powerful and that evoke an emotional response. Add follow-me-on-Pinterest buttons to your website. Let the world know that you’re a pinner.

#15. Seasonal and holiday boards work well. Just make sure that your images complement your brand. There are school, bank, federal, trading, religious, ethnic, religious, legal, and political holidays.There are also non-holiday days that are notable and observed. You’ll be able to pull and hatch ideas about picture content from an unlimited source.

There are also non-holiday days that are notable and observed. You’ll be able to pull and hatch ideas about picture content from an unlimited source.

#16. Use keywords in your image descriptions. Like Google or any other search engine, Pinterest employs an algorithm that aids people in finding what they’re searching for. This will help searchers find your images and boards.

#17. Every Pinterest page has an RSS feed. You can use this feed on any social media venue that allows it. Feel free to let your Pinterest readers know about your RSS feed. Then ask them to add you to their RSS feedreaders.

#18. Get contributors to add images to your boards. If you run a business, by all means let your staff add images to your board. It’s good for the staff, since they’re likely engaging social media to some extent at work. Your boards will benefit from having content added on a regular basis.

#19. Check out who’s repining your pins. http://pinterest.com/source/yoursitehere is an easy way to find out. Do a little homework analysis to determine which posts or images are the most popular with users. This is good information that helps you get the best from your content strategy.

#20. If you have gifts to sell, add prices in the pin’s description box.

#21. Keep revisiting your boards to make sure that they’re telling your unique story. If you’re a company, your board should reflect your core values. This should be part of your online sales and marketing process.

#22. Creating a thank-you-board to honor clients. The concept can be used for just about anything you want. Use it to thank a new client coming on board, or use it to thank a relative or friend for being there when you needed them. Your imagination is the only limit.
Pinterest, more than any other social media network, is all about expressing one’s self.

#23. Tutorials is another missed opportunity for thousands of Pinterest business users. They’re great for educating users how to use your products or services. How-to-videos work just as well. Create special how-to boards for this purpose.

#24. Pinterest also offers a feature that permits users to stay-on-top of what’s trending. The “Popular” link is all you need to get plugged in. Find out what’s trending and then plug it into your own marketing strategies.

#25. Keep your pins close to the heart. Pinterest, more than any other social media network, is all about expressing one’s self. With that in mind, just be yourself. Remain professional, but let your passion shine through.

The list can go on and on. The key takeaway is that Pinterest provides several opportunities to grow your SaaS.  Anything you can do or imagine by way of content can be accomplished on Pinterest. You can become a trusted source of information about your niche.

Here’s a recap:

• Pinterest is physically appealing. Its main focus is about visual communication. This is an opportunity to pin an unlimited amount of images.
• Expanding your pins to include different genres can be a good thing. Just remember to keep them as close to your original theme as possible.
• Commenting on and ‘liking’ someone else’s posts can work miracles. Other people appreciate it when people take the time to post positive comments.
• Posted links on Pinterest are easily followed. It’s all about getting people back to your page. Links can be one of the quickest ways to grow your following.
• Get used to using infographics. The rise in popularity of infographics has found its way to Pinterest. They also have a good chance of going viral.

Remember to be courteous on the Pinterest. Its rules and guidelines are evolving and exist for the benefit of everyone. Pinterest is expanding its features to better serve its users. It’s in the “race for space” for the long haul.

As a business owner, it pays to be aware of any trends or tools that can help you grow your SaaS. Try a Pinterest marketing strategy for yourself. The odds are that you’ll fall in love with it.