Time to Play with Pinterest
Social media is not one size fits all. What works on Facebook, doesn’t work on Twitter. Instagram and Pinterest may both be visual sites but they are not interchangeable. If you want to get the biggest bang for the time and resources you invest in social media you need to understand what makes each platform different. Once you understand the platform you can decide if your product fits and what strategies will work.
So today, we are going to take a closer look at Pinterest. Why? Even though it is easily dwarfed by Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter, it serves a distinct niche in the market. Pinterest is populated by young, educated women who are willing to invest up to 15 minutes a day browsing, pinning and buying items they find on Pinterest.
So if you have a visual brand, like food, cosmetics, fashion, or home decorating to name a few, Pinterest should be in your playbook. And if you are looking to up your game, today’s blog post is filled with tips and tricks to help you bring home a win.
Pinterest is about Pictures
On Pinterest, engagement is measured by the number of pins and re-pins. And pin activity is driven by high-quality visual content. If you are going to break through on Pinterest you will need high-quality images that are at least 600 px wide. Smaller images will appear grainy and pixelated in the feed. And unlike other platforms, there is room for different sized images.
Since pins are displayed in columns, Pinterest suggests vertical pins. They take up more space and will stand out as people scroll through their feed. Pinterest suggests the ideal aspect ratio for a vertical pin is 2:3 and the optimal size is 600px wide x 900px high.
These longer pins allow you to group several related images. We find they work well when we share a new cookbook for our client Randall Beans. We can use the cover as the dominant image, and then select photos of some of the recipes included in the cookbook. If one recipe doesn’t grab your attention, another one might.
Although Pinterest suggests a 2:3 ratio, we are seeing taller, narrower pins in the timeline, like the one on the right in this post. So go tall but be prepared because if your pin is more than 1560px tall it will be cut off. People will only be able to see the whole Pin when they tap it for a closeup. If you have many images to share, create two pins instead of one to have more opportunities to be visible in the timeline. When you use this tall thin style, be sure to put your text in the center of the image. That way the text will be visible if cropping occurs.
A single, strong square image (600 px x 600 px) alongside your longer pins will stand out so don’t be afraid to mix them up to create a little visual interest in your overall board.
A Little Content Goes a Long Way
Sure this is a visual platform, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have any words in your post. Some images can stand on their own, other images may need a headline or a bit of text overlayed on the image.
The description gives you another chance to tell your story. Viewers won’t see it until they tap the pin for a closer look, but now you are talking to a more interested and engaged user.
Make your descriptions a must-read. This is your chance to show your sense of humor and your storytelling abilities. If the description includes keywords, it will improve your chance to be found when people are searching for products like yours.
A good description might hint that there’s more to see on your website. Combine that with a strong call to action—like “shop,” “make,” “find,” or “buy to encourage people to take the next step.
Multiple Boards
Not all your followers will be interested in everything you share. Pinterest allows you to really focus on very small niche audiences within your community. So don’t be afraid to make lots of boards for specific subtopics. Catchy board titles attract attention and help visitors grasp a sense of your company’s style and discover the difference between the boards.
Video on Pinterest Too
Pinners have a huge appetite for video: 75% say they’re likely to watch videos about topics that interest them, compared to 55% of people on other platforms. Just like other social media platforms, however, attention spans are short. So a quick 1-minute video is fine. Leave the 10-minute version for your website.
Don’t Forget the Branding
Your Pinterest presence should look and feel like the rest of your business. Jumping from your web page to Pinterest and back again should feel comfortable as both evoke the same messages, values, and personality.
Tasteful branding conveys credibility and tells pinners who the content is coming from. Don’t be afraid to include your logo in the image. Just remember that people are interested in the image not your logo so keep it small and subtle.
How Much is Too Much?
While one or two posts a day is sufficient for Facebook and a handful of tweets is just enough Pinterest can support more content. Brands often see a significant increase in results when they pin 15 to 30 items per day. That takes a little planning, but it doesn’t all have to be your content. As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be.
When you share and pin content which is relevant to your audience, your boards become more interesting increasing the likelihood someone will follow the board for future updates.
Let’s Get Started
There are lots of creative ways to use Pinterest. If you are not sure where to start, give us a call.
Dana and Lorraine spent some time chatting about this topic recently. Listen to the episode now:
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