Pinterest may have been created in 2010, but what if I told you that people began pinning long before the World Wide Web was even a glimmer in Tim Berners-Lee’s eye? And what would the implications be for marketers seeking to incorporate this flourishing social network into their social media campaign strategy?
If you asked me what pinning was two years ago, I would have confidently responded that pinning is a vintage tradition in which a love-struck young man bestows his school or fraternity pin upon the peanut butter to his jelly, the object of his affection, the Pink Lady to his Greaser, as a symbol of his unwavering devotion. Then I’d conclude this history lesson by breaking into song and dance, performing a spastic, tone-deaf rendition of “Telephone Hour” from the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Decades later, the act of pinning has been completely redefined by the skyrocketing success of the image-sharing social media website, Pinterest. In this day and age, to pin something means to add an image to a virtual pinboard. At first glance, one might believe that the old and new definitions of the verb ‘pin’ are utterly dissimilar – linked together solely by linguistics. But how much has the concept of pinning really changed? Just as the love-struck school boy pinned his sweetheart in the good ole’ days, pinners of the 21st century pin images and ideas that appeal to their hearts and minds. It turns out that the modern act of pinning remains to be an outward expression of fondness in which each pin represents a mini-crush, maybe even love. So how do brands successfully attract consumers to a brand’s Pinterest page kindle that all-important spark in their hearts, and ultimately generate sales? Why not return to the tried and true dating world rulebook that has dictated games of the heart for centuries? I suggest a simple guide to courting your consumer that is sure to get you pinned:
1. Just be yourself.
“Tell me a bit about yourself… what’s your story?” That awkward yet inevitable first date break-the-ice question is also on people’s minds when they browse your brand’s Pinterest page. If you throw out a bland answer about your job or hometown, your less-than-stellar response could cost you a second date. That’s why it’s imperative to captivate your consumer from the get-go with a profile that reflects your brand’s one-of-a-kind personality. Think of it this way: the Pinterest profile is your brand’s identity, boards convey stories and various aspect of its dynamic being, and pins are all the tiny details that collect to form a complete personality. The beauty of Pinterest is that it offers marketers the opportunity to shed new light on brands by showing consumers a person instead of a product. Instead of connecting through the basic economics of supply and demand, you and your customers can connect emotionally by sharing and discovering. So when an interested party peruses your page, make sure that they find more than the generic, superficial information about your company and its products – they learn about the brand’s entire lifestyle.
2. Self-promotion is no love potion
No matter how handsome, smart, and hilarious you may be, bragging and self-promoting is going to strike you out of the dating game every time, right? Don’t let your brand be the Pinterest equivalent of “that guy”. Pinning up a storm of product photos and content straight from your website is just as boring and conceited as the bro who drones on about his killer biceps ad nauseum. A good rule of thumb is to keep promotional content below 20%. The majority of your content should focus on the lifestyle of the brand to emphasize its persona and demonstrate the ways in which it could be incorporated into the consumer’s own lifestyle. Strategically endorse your brand through what I like the call the ‘back door brag’ – weave in branded content when it fits with the overarching subject of your pinboards. That way, you can organically slip in information about your business into the conversation without seeming insincere. Showing a personal rather than promotional side to a brand makes it more likeable and engaging in the pinning world.
3. Do your research
A person’s pinboards are a window into the innermost workings of their soul. You can gain insights about your target consumer market – the people that you follow – by simply paying attention to what they’re pinning. When you set up your brand’s Pinterest, be sure to “follow” the people Pinterest suggests and continue to find potential consumers by following the people who engage with you. Your Pinterest homepage is personalized to display all of your followers’ latest pins, thus allowing you to identify what makes them tick simply by scrolling through the page. Get to know who your brand’s consumer market on a very personal level by observing popular trends amongst your customers. You’ll score major brownie points with your most eligible consumers if you use this valuable insight to create boards that reflect your mutual interests or even develop your business further with products tailored to their wants and needs.
4. Daily grooming is a must
On a site that’s all about image sharing, outward appearance is everything. But your brand’s Pinterest page doesn’t just wake up in morning looking like a perfect ten! It needs a daily beauty regimen to stay fresh, trendy and stand out in a crowd of pretty pinners. Pinning daily ensures that your brand will turn heads (pinheads that is), stick in the minds of consumers, and keep the attention of devoted followers.
5. Brunchtime is for lovers
Restaurants on Saturday morning are fraught with couples fueling up on pancakes for an extended date of antiquing and tandem biking. Brunch – the preferred date of lovebirds everywhere – is also the most popular time of the week to pin. Therefore, you can pin on weekend mornings to maximize your reach.
6. Play the field
When savvy socialites finds themselves ridin’ solo once again, they fill their datebooks full to capacity with a mix of events to explore a full range of possibilities before picking out a new model. A successful brand ‘dates around’ by pinning from multiple sources on the Internet. Don’t use the same old websites every time – spice up your pinning-life with variety of topics and sources. Repinning from others within the Pinterest community is the most popular pinning method and also the most social. It’s a great way to engage with people who have passions in common with your brand and to build a following.
7. Don’t play hard to get
If, after hours of telephone calls, hallway flirtations, and passing notes in biology class, your crush is finally ready to seal the deal and give you their pin, you better be easy to find for the big moment! Make your brand easy to pin by adding a “Pin It” button to your website. With the “Pin It” icon conveniently located next to your images, consumers have no excuse not to pin that item they’ve been eyeing. Bada bing, bada boom. You’ve just been pinned.
If you approach your Pinterest campaign using the same strategy that you would use on the dating market, your brand is sure to have plenty of suitors in no time! Please feel free to ask questions or add comments.