Business owners just taking the plunge into the world of online business marketing are finding themselves swimming into a maelstrom of confusing content marketing solutions. Social media websites for content marketing such as Facebook and Twitter can offer successful platforms for a small business, but they can also be time consuming without a high return on investment. Other social media websites can provide easier marketing opportunities for a fraction of the time.
Welcome to Pinterest
Pinterest is an easy-to-use social media platform that allows small businesses to market its products through images and have users “pin” them to advertise a product to others. As more people pin a product it receives more attention. It is a fast-growing social media site that can generate website traffic, offer passive marketing techniques, engage users, and integrate other social media platforms with your content.
Passive brand building
The beauty of using Pinterest in building a business’s brand is its overall simplicity. Using Pinterest will require some effort, but it is a free service that requires a relatively small amount of time. By posting products to Pinterest a business allows users to view its products. This passive form of marketing does not involve the active advertising of products that Facebook posts or Tweets require; instead it allows consumers to come to businesses.
Driving traffic to a business site
Pinterest enables a business owner to increase website traffic by “pinning” an interesting image to a pin board that links back to the business’s site. In doing this more people will click on the link to a website through Pinterest and ideally purchase products from the website.
Community engagement
It is crucial that business owners understand that Pinterest’s users are sharing more than just web images, they’re sharing their interests through those images. This means that people on Pinterest are willing to share images that they feel are relevant to their wants and needs, and this is where a business can engage users with images that strike a chord on a personal level.
Take advantage of the inherent opportunities
There are several things that Pinterest allows business owners to accomplish using the platform. For example, Pinterest can improve a business’s search engine optimization by boosting brand authority, driving keywords, and increasing website hits.
If business owners understand the social community created by Pinterest they can use it to present their products in an interesting and profitable way. People share what they love and businesses can respond by showing how its products improve one’s lifestyle.
Integrating Pinterest on a company website can create a two-way street where people can advertise a product on Pinterest and drive traffic from Pinterest to a website. Using “Pin it Buttons” and “Follow me on Pinterest” widgets will increase traffic both to and from a website and increase online visibility.
Lew N is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
