How to Pinterest for Businesses
The Do's and Don'ts and Rules of the Trade
What is Pinterest and How can it Help?
Though still a young and upcoming company, Pinterest is slowly marking its territory in the social media marketing industry. Describing themselves as “a tool for collecting and organizing things you love”, it holds true, not just for individual users, but for industry users as well. Not only does it benefit companies as a way of communicating through their media outlet, it allows users to indirectly market themselves as well as through pins that peak their interest. But if you’re looking to market your company and build new audiences, running contests and sweepstakes are the way to go. It builds interest and sparks new and exciting conversation through hashtags and comments which is really the latest form of communication.
Rules to the Game of Pinning:
Here are the tidbits that will help boost your game of Pinterest. Post your pins between 2 PM and 4 PM, and then again between 8 PM and 1 AM. These time frames spark the most user interest and Internet traffic where most people will find your pins to pin, and others to pin again. Don't post between 5 PM and 7 PM because well, people have to eat.
Below you’ll find the complete Do’s and Don’ts list straight from the Pinterest page itself.
Do's:
· Remember that Pinterest is all about people discovering things that inspire them.
· Reward quality pinning over quantity.
· Make it easy to get involved with clear and simple instructions.
· Read our anti-spam measures to keep your contest fun and useful.
· Check out our branding guidelines if you’re going to reference Pinterest in any way.
Don'ts:
· Suggest that Pinterest sponsors or endorses you or the contest.
· Require people to pin from a selection—let them pin their own stuff.
· Make people pin or repin your contest rules. (This is stressed)
· Run a sweepstakes where each pin, repin, board, like or follow represents an entry.
· Encourage spammy behavior, such as asking participants to comment.
· Ask pinners to vote with pins, repins, boards, or likes.
· Overdo it: Contests can get old fast.
· Require a minimum number of pins. One is plenty.