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Pinterest Feature Hot TIp: Promoted Pins

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By James White

Pinterest explores the world of monetization with all new promoted pins.

Next time you log into Pinterest, you will notice promoted pins in your pin stream that are identical to those already in your stream. A “promoted pin” notation on the lower portion of the pin is the only differentiation and many people will have missed the small phrase unless they are analyzing the pin thoroughly.

So what is the point?

Promoted Pins will offer a much different dynamic to Pinterest since it will be the first allowed monetization within the company. Since its release, Pinterest never worried about monetizing and only worried about the content. While they are not investing in the monetization of their now-successful company, they do not want it to become so transparent. Instead, they want discretion yet visibility.

Contradicting, isn’t it?

Pinterest is in the beginning stages of their promoted pins, but overall the following can be said about them:

  • Not Flashy. Promoted pins do not offer a flashy or distasteful appeal to them. They are discrete since they blend in with your newsfeed as a regular pin post.
  • Semi-transparent. While it is not flashy, the promoted pins offer some transparency. Pinterest wants their users to know where there pins are coming from and whether or not they were paid or unpaid.
  • Relevant to Current Content. One of the most successful ideas built into the promoted pins feature is relevance it has to the content on your news feed. When streaming, ads will be tailored to fit your specific needs and interests, making it more user-friendly.

All of the above seems to be in the interest of its users.

Pinterest Finally Becoming a Sustainable Business

Promoted Pins seem to be one of many new ideas that Pinterest has in store for its users. Pinterest seems to be developing a solid business model and intends to fully monetize its newfound popularity. Whether or not promoted pins lead to success, its discretion may appeal to potential investors.

Many users on social networks have become adept at ignoring ads unless they directly relate to them. Even so, people are prone to placing “ad blockers” on their computer, which will not hinder Pinterest in the slightest. Since their advertisement is built into their system and not through a third-party app, Pinterest Promoted Pins will continue to stay in line with your newsfeed.

Nondisclosure of Advertisers, but Open to Suggestions

Pinterest prides itself on being a community, so they have shadowed who their current advertisers are for their “promoted pins” ads. Not to mention, only certain community members will have access to the promoted pins ads while others have been closed out. How the selection was made is unknown, but they have used an algorithm to select which users will and will not see promoted pins during its trial period.

However, not all is lost to those who are enduring the “promoted pins” session. Users who see the promoted pins are asked to input their own suggestions on the system and submit ideas for other promotions. While it might seem tedious, it looks as though Pinterest might finally be giving itself a well-needed adjustment to become “one of the big dogs” in social media.

Author’s Bio: James works for Inbound Marketing, Inc. and is the founder of InfoBros. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, cooking, and blogging about health, tech and communication. Connect with him on Twitter at @JGtheSavage.

How to take your Pinterest account to the next level

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By Charles Mburugu

Pinterest can be a great option for business owners who would like to promote their products and services. One of the most popular social media networks, it is not just for leisure time anymore.

Pinterest allows users to collect photos and videos and share them with others. These images are pinned on boards, which are categorized according to hobbies, interests and events. Here are some tips that will help you take your pinning to the next level.

1. Include hashtags, @reply and keywords

Pinterest users can use hashtags and keywords to look for specific items. In addition, they are informed whenever anyone replies to a pin. Therefore, make sure your pin descriptions have the relevant hashtags as well as keywords. This will increase the chances of your pin appearing in related searches. However, avoid having excess hashtags in your description since this could make it difficult to read. Replies enable your visitors to share their thoughts in the comments section of the pin.

2. Add a ‘Pin it’ bookmark to your browser

If you don’t have a ‘pin it’ bookmark, pinning anything from any site can be a long and frustrating process. The good news is that installing this bookmark on your browser is very simple. All you need to do is visit http://about.pinterest.com/goodies/ where you can download the ‘pin it’ button and then install it. Whenever you pin a web page, you will be able to see all the photos on it. You can then select the specific image you want to pin.

3. Be social

The main purpose of social networks is to enable users to share, comment and connect with others. Therefore, when using Pinterest, you need to engage with others by liking, commenting on or repinning what they have posted. By being social and helpful, you will attract the attention of other users and they are likely to return the favor.

4. Request that followers pin photos of themselves with your product

This can be a very effective strategy for connecting with your fans and finding out what they think about your products. Running a contest would be a great way of implementing this strategy. For instance, the person who pins the most creative photo could get a discount on their next purchase. Alternatively, you could choose the winner based on the number of likes or re-pins their photo gets. This will encourage participants to involve their friends in the contest, thus resulting in more exposure for your products. Always be sure to read the Pinterest business guidelines before starting a contest.

5. Pin directly on your blog

If you have a blog, Pinterest allows you to pin photos directly on it. Whenever you find anything interesting, you can add it to one of your future blog posts. Alternatively, you could write a whole blog post based on that photo. Adding photos to blog posts is very easy. All you need to do is click the ‘Embed’ button on the photo and copy the code which appears. You can choose to adjust the size of the photo before pinning it on your blog.

6. Pin videos

Besides photos, Pinterest also allows you to pin your favorite videos. This is a great feature for people who are selling all kinds of products. You can pin ‘How to’ lessons and ‘DIY’ tutorials that show how the product actually works. Ask some of your fans to pin videos of themselves using your product and taking about its benefits. You could also choose to pin videos which show how the product is actually created. Funny videos of all kinds can also be very effective in capturing the attention of your audience.

7. Test various captions

One of the best things about Pinterest is the captions feature. You can use this feature to add hashtags as well as keywords. As you use these captions, it will be important to monitor them on a regular basis. Find out which captions attract the highest number of likes, repins and comments. This will give you an idea of what kind of captions to use for your future pins.

8. Include a dollar sign for products

If you’re pinning an image of something you have for sale online, you can include the dollar sign in the description, and Pinterest will automatically put a price ribbon across the corner, and index your pin as an item for sale.

Author’s Bio: Charles Mburugu is a HubSpot-certified content writer/marketer for B2B, B2C and SaaS companies. He has worked with brands such as GetResponse, Neil Patel, Shopify, 99 Designs, Oberlo, Salesforce and Condor. Check out his portfolio and connect on LinkedIn.

Pinterest for Business: The Secret to a Picture Perfect Social Media Marketing Strategy

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By Brittany Thorley

Launched in early 2010, Pinterest has fast become an essential tool for social media enthusiasts and creative businesses to share the images they admire, but many businesses still don’t include this picture perfect platform into their social media marketing strategy. However, this online scrapbooking site could be your key to marketing your business, boosting online presence and tapping into a brand new customer base – with great results!

Why Pinterest?

Pinterest is unlike any social network, and may be a confusing place for people who are unfamiliar with the format. The Pinterest network is built on a series of pinboards, which are used to collect, organise and share the images people love and the things that inspire them. Pinners set up themed boards and pin their own images from websites and blogs as well as share other pinners’ favourites. Pinterest is essentially a great way to exchange links, increase you website’s popularity and generally spread the word about your business through images. You can also target pinners with specific interests by selecting the theme of your own boards carefully to ensure you attract the right user and interacting, favouriting and liking images and boards from pinners with similar tastes as you.

Getting Started

It’s free and easy to sign up for a Pinterest account but doing it the right way is tricky for many newbies, especially when keeping their business interests at the heart of their campaign.

Make sure you join as a business. Start by using your company name as your account name, add your company logo and provide a thorough description of what your company is all about in the bio. It may also be worth linking in your Facebook and Twitter accounts, giving fellow pinners more opportunities to follow your company, as well as visit your website. Now it’s time to create your boards– focus on themes that embody your ethos as a company; for example, if you are a plumber, focus on boards centered around home improvement or interior inspiration to enthuse the pinners who could turn into potential customers.

Top Tips for Pinning Success

When pinning to promote your business, drive traffic to your website and gain the interactions you need to make your company profitable, these tips may just come in handy to ensure your Pinterest campaign is not only business-driven but customer-focused, interesting and fun.

  • Promote products and services in moderation: no one likes a selfish pinner, share other people’s images first before promoting your own to ensure your boards aren’t just full of your own images from your company website. Avoid over-promotion at all costs.
  • Pin your blog posts: If you update your on-site blog every day or week, create a board for industry news and pin your blog posts using their images. It’s a great way to share useful information, establish yourself as an industry leader and drive traffic to your website, but again moderation is the key.
  • Interact regularly: As with any social media marketing, keep your posts useful and frequent to maintain your online presence. Interact with Pinterest users and re-pin their posts to build relationships, and in return they will share the images on your boards.
  • Pin to Win: You can also run competitions and giveaways using Pinterest, everyone loves a freebie so indulge this with a ‘pin to win’ campaign, where re-pinning means prizes.
  • Always complete your profile for maximum business exposure: An incomplete profile could just mean the difference between getting the interaction you need to grow your business and not. Invest some time and effort in creating the perfect Pinterest profile before you start your pinning mission!
Author’s Bio: Brittany Thorley specialises in business-focused social media management at Forsyth Offices. You can find her on Twitter as @forsythbusiness.

Time for a Tune-Up: 8 Simple Updates to do Today

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by Rosemary O’Neill

Social profiles have gotten a lot of tweaking in the past year.  Have you kept up with all of the updates?

Today’s the day to roll up your sleeves and get it done.

Here’s a handy cheat sheet:

1. Twitter header

A few months ago, Twitter started including a photo header at the top of your profile.  It should be a graphic 1252 pixels wide by 626 pixels tall, maximum size of 5MB.  You can easily change it by going to your Twitter profile settings page.  Here are the details straight from Twitter: https://support.twitter.com/articles/127871.

2. LinkedIn company page header

Not to be outdone, LinkedIn now allows you to have a profile header for your company page.  The graphic should be a .png, .jpg, or .gif no more than 2MB.  Size recommended is 646 pixels wide by 220 pixels tall or larger (you can crop on the page). Here’s a handy video on setting up a company page: http://youtu.be/WiTQL_M_fv0.

3. Facebook cover photo

You should already have this one nailed, but just in case…your Facebook cover photo should ideally be 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall, and under 100KB (for fastest load time).  Here are Facebook’s recommendations: http://www.facebook.com/help/125379114252045/.  Remember that Facebook frowns on calls to action or overtly promotional content within the cover image.  It’s intended to be a compelling photo or graphic, not a banner ad.

4. Pinterest business pages

Your favorite slack-time hangout just put on a business suit. If your business is suited to graphic imagery, or you want to flex your creative juices, you might want to create a business account (or convert your existing personal account, if you’ve been using it to support your business). Learn all of the details from the Pinterest announcement: http://blog.pinterest.com/post/35710687813/new-tools-for-businesses-in-the-pinterest-community.

5. Your own site needs some tweaks

When is the last time you spiffed up your own blog or home page? Do you have a widget on there from last year’s conference? Take 10 minutes and look at your own site with a newcomer’s eye, or have a friend look — a refresh might end the year on a high note.

6. Update your avatar

I’ll step forward and say “guilty” on this one.  My avatar is from a favorite photo that was taken 7 years ago.  Ouch.  It’s time to cowboy up and get a new picture taken.  How old is your avatar?

7. Forum signatures

If you participate in online communities around the web, you probably have customized forum signatures in some of them. Usually these are appended to the end of your posts, and include a favorite motto, sometimes a link to your site, or your bio information. These can get totally forgotten in the day to day hustle. Take a moment today and fix the broken links, update your job title, or breathe some new life into your forum signatures.

8. Stop procrastinating on Google+

I know, it involves “code” and it seems really tricky (it sortof is).  Many posts have been written about how to implement the author tag for Google+, but the best one I found (and the one that actually worked for me) was this step-by-step from Social Media Examiner: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/google-author-tags/.  Do this one today.

If you systematically go through and complete these 8 minor tasks, you’ll get a bounce into the new year with a fresh face to the world.

How to Drive Sales Using Pinterest

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by
Richard Franklin

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11.7 million unique U.S. Users had hit the social site in January, making Pinterest, the fastest website to ever exceed the ten million marks. The aforementioned is a report published about the growing popularity of the social site. This user attracting site has now become a great platform for marketers to generate sales online.

Pinterest users publicize their favorite images, and can also manage the subject groupings into their interests, such as hobbies, travel, favorite foods etc. People make use of Pinterest to promote their personal passions. And now, businesses have ventured with the expertise of a social media marketing agency to use this new social networking platform to earn exposure for their brands.

How to Drive Sales Using Pinterest

Here are few factors that will encourage you to incorporate Pinterest in your social media marketing:

Referral traffic more than any other site

Business on Pinterest can earn benefits from winning referral traffic. It has been discovered in the studies that Pinterest brought more traffic to the sites in comparison to Google Plus, YouTube and LinkedIn.

“Is your content pinnable”- this is the first requirement of tapping the referral feature of the site. For monitoring the transferring frequency of your content to Pinterest, you can install “Pin it” button on your toolbar. Besides, you directly install a “Pin It” button on your site.

Detailed information with quickness

You cannot just get advantageous with the referral traffic but you can also know what audiences think about your product. Being a great source of consumer insights; make a quick keyword research to expose with the facts what audiences are discussing and sharing about the keyword. You can investigate about competitor’s activities, and can also compare the products and services. There is a category search on Pinterest to get the insights or follow the pinners to get exposed to the things that are trending.

Gather ideas and thoughts

From color palates to food styling and camera techniques to dressing; Pinterest has become a diverse platform when it is about fetching the innovative ideas and inspiration. Companies cruise the site to get inspired with new ideas and also get exposed to the trends.

People on the social site not just share to inspire but also share so that they can be established as a thought leader in their field.

Ground for recruitment

Pinterest’s benefits are also actively utilized by many HR departments to appoint top talent. After all, it has become a medium to associate with people over shared interests. Besides, companies are also using it to flaunt their unique culture by pinning the highlights of the employees. Companies have grown creatively with features of Pinterest.

Author’s Bio:
Richard Franklin is a social media strategist and wants to share his knowledge with people who are about to hire a social media agency for their businesses. He writes about latest trends used in social media companies. You can find Richard on Twitter as @AgencySEO.

Thank you, Richard! Will you be pinning this?

–ME “Liz” Strauss