How do I use Pinterest for business?
That’s one of the first questions I hear when someone is ready to get serious about using Pinterest to grow their business. And then it’s usually followed up by this one, “I use Pinterest all the time personally but how do I use this site for my business { or blog }?”
Before I jump in and give you a list of things to do on Pinterest, let me share with you my response to this question:
“If you’ve been spending any time on Pinterest then you know this site has become so much more than just posting an engaging image. Pinterest wants us to search for things on Pinterest, not just drop in an image and leave.
They want us to spend time clicking on pins in our Pinterest feed. They want us to do research for things we want to buy in their search bar at the top. They want us to use Pinterest for the reason that they created the site – to discover what interests us and to save those ideas to help us dream, plan and take action.”
To start seeing real results for your business or blog on Pinterest, you need to understand one big thing about what happens you click on that red circle P in your apps:
Pinterest is not a social media site, it’s a visual search engine.
For many of us, it’s the first site we go to when we need to do some research. It’s the first place we click on when we’re looking for something to buy for our home or a blog post to help us learn how to use Facebook ads.
Our online behavior is changing and now many of us { over 150 million active users! } use Pinterest as our go-to search engine. And that stat isn’t really all that surprising when you think about the fact that most people are visual learners.
We connect faster with images because it’s easier to scan visual search results over a list of text links.
Pinterest is a Visual Search Engine
Think about it like this … if you want to get more traffic back to your website, you would follow all those SEO { search engine optimization } steps to get your content to show up in a Google search, right?
So if Pinterest is a visual search engine then you basically need to do the same type of steps. You need a marketing strategy to create the SEO steps to connect your content visually with people who are looking for your posts or products.
Pinterest has shifted from just a place for DIY decorating ideas and mommy blogger craft projects. It’s now becoming a highly targeted search tool to help you grow your business or blog.
With its Guided Search feature, Pinterest has now become a combination of search engine and targeted advertising tool. At its core, Pinterest is the place for people to plan and aspire about what they can do to enrich their lives.
And a Pinterest search responds back by finding products for these millions of users to bring them closer to their vision and dreams.
People come to Pinterest to look for something with an intent to buy. 87% of Pinners have purchased a product because of Pinterest.
How many other social sites can claim this?
SEO for Pinterest
If you’ve done any kind of SEO work to get your blog posts to show up in a Google search, then you’ve already got a head start to understanding this process. SEO on Pinterest is about doing a little research on keywords for your pins.
And then adding those keywords into your pin’s description, not as a hashtag, but as part of the description sentences.
The best way to start is to do some key word research on Pinterest is to use their Guided Search in search link at the top of the site.
When you start typing in your targeted keywords into a Pinterest search, Pinterest will suggest other keywords that Pinners are actively looking for in a Pinterest search.
Take a look at these keyword options and see how you can add these words into the sentences { not hashtags! } of your pin description. Don’t go crazy trying to add in all the options, just add in the ones that make sense for your content.
How to get your pins found by more people on Pinterest
If you’re looking to grow your business or blog on Pinterest, try using these tips with your pin descriptions to improve your Pinterest marketing strategy:
- Pin descriptions with 200 – 300 characters are the ones that get the most repins { shares on Pinterest }. Your pin description is not the place to add in all the points you’re making in your blog post or every little detail about your product.
- Use the specific keywords and phrases you found in your Pinterest search and write your description as if you’re talking to the person who wants to buy your product or is looking for the information in your blog post.
- If you get stuck about what to include, try describing a scenario where someone might use your product/program. Or maybe the reason why they would need the information in your blog post.
- And here’s a cool little trick to try – use your top key words at the beginning of the pin description. Here’s an example:
Social Media Marketing: How to make more sales using a social media marketing plan
The big thing to remember about crafting your pin descriptions with your keywords is to make sure that they appear naturally in your copy. That your words flow and not that you’re trying to force as many keywords and phrases into your pin description as you can.
This marketing strategy is about connecting your content to people who are actively searching for your products, programs or blog posts that can help them find the solutions that they’re looking for on Pinterest.
How to Write Better Pinterest Pin Descriptions
Alrighty … it’s time to pull everything together to help your pins reach more people on Pinterest!
Download this FREE Pinterest Pin Description worksheet to learn what to do AFTER you’ve done your keyword search on Pinterest and get the steps to create a better AND searchable description for your pins.
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