Welcomemat Team, January 25, 2017.
It’s easy to assume that there is no business value in having a presence on Pinterest if you’re already using Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms to promote your local business.
Pinterest, however, is more than just another social media marketing tool. It’s also an underused marketing solution for small businesses making it one of the most useful small business resources.
In today’s day and age where any exposure is good exposure for your small business, think of Pinterest as a popular marketing tool for connecting with today’s “always connected” audience.
Reports suggest that today’s consumer spends at least an hour just browsing through social media sites and, for millennials, that figure jumps up to four hours per day.
Pinterest is an interesting tool for small businesses and should be treated like a marketplace where people come to discover creative ideas, inspiration, new trends, and new products.
First, let’s identify what exactly makes Pinterest ideal for small businesses:
– It’s a platform that can influence people visually. Pinterest is a great place to showcase your menu items or products on display.
– We already know that Pinterest is women-centric. 90% of all pins are made by women. That’s a great insight right there, especially for businesses targeted toward women or who want more female customers.
– On average, the Pinterest audience is more imaginative. So, if you can tell your small business story visually, it won’t be long until your Pinterest audience converts to in-person customers.
If Facebook is for a person’s past and Twitter is for their present, then Pinterest is for their future.
Let’s now look at the things that make this marketing platform an effective way to get new customers.
– On Pinterest, people are always searching for tips to help them save money or get ideas—by establishing a Pinterest presence, you are enabling more people to discover why your business stands out.
– Inspirations like quotes, life hacks, and health tips are very popular, and tapping into these tools can add to your exposure. So, depending on your business, you can post tips or quotes that cater to your target audience. For example, if you are a restaurant, pin tips about eating healthy or share delicious recipes. If you are a local fitness club, pin quotes about subjects like mind and body wellness or fitness tips.
– Pinterest is a visual curator in your small business resources list.
– Pictures leave a deeper mark on people’s minds than text alone, making Pinterest a great platform to inspire your audience and garner a different kind of attention for your small business.
For local businesses, simply add your location in the pin description to improve Pinterest search results and direct local customers to your pins.
You can make sure your pins link back to something informative about your business, like a website or store directions. That way, you can easily convert pin traffic into potential customers.
One company that uses Pinterest as an effective marketing tool is Blue Apron, a meal delivery service.
They have pinned over 4,000 times to educate users about the benefits of cooking and eating fresh, seasonal ingredients. Each month, they reach millions of users and get an average of 20,000 repins.
As a small business owner, never miss an opportunity to increase your brand exposure or an opportunity to engage with more customers. Pinterest is yet another way to cater to customers’ interests and get new customers.
We at Welcomemat are committed to providing you with small business marketing tips that will promote your local business better and introduce you to new movers in your neighborhood so that you can build long lasting relationships with them before anyone else does.