Interest in Pinterest: Verdin’s Dos and Don’ts

Pinterest is a magical thing — a platform that allows you to curate your entire life, from planning your wedding, to redecorating your master bedroom, to finding recipes for the best cookies ever.

If you aren’t (yet) on Pinterest, users create boards, like “Food and Drink” or “Fashion Inspo,” and save (or “pin”) relevant posts to each one. Every post includes an image, a description and a link back to the original site. For example, a post featuring a trendy wedding dress would link back to the bridal shop’s website.

Pinterest is also a powerful social media marketing tool. With 28 percent of U.S. adults pinning regularly and a user base of primarily women, everyone and her mother is on Pinterest. Literally. Eight out of 10 of the app’s users are moms.

Creating a standout Pinterest page for your brand is a creative way to reach your target market. Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to using this digital vision board.

Images

Do: Post high-quality images

Pinterest is a visual medium where eye-catching content matters. Users are attracted to high resolution, engaging images that tell a story. In order to connect with a wide audience, Pinterest recommends making your brand stand out by using images with a 2:3 aspect ratio, which is a vertical image (great for mobile users). Using relevant, clear graphics drives engagement. Think of a makeup brand posting beautiful photos of people using their eyeshadow and lipstick for different looks.

Don’t: Stray from your brand or audience

Keep it appropriate and consistent with your company’s message. Tell your audience about your brand and why they should connect. Don’t forget to include your logo and even incorporate some text into the image to give proper context. When deciding which boards to create or pins to post, ask yourself what content your audience interacts with frequently and draw inspiration from others.

Boards

Do: Engage with community boards

Community boards are a great way to engage with people in your target audience. Collaborators add pins to a shared board, which encourages interaction among users. Start by joining other boards that are relevant to your industry. You will discover trends and content that will be helpful when creating your own community board and inviting members to contribute.

Don’t: Create a board with less than five pins

Aesthetics are important on Pinterest, so make sure your audience isn’t left wanting with a bare board. Add at least five pins to ensure it is complete and visually appealing in order to attract more users to your brand and build credibility.

Descriptions

Do: Use keywords

Aside from sharing striking images, writing compelling descriptions is essential. Descriptions have a 500 character limit, with the first 50-60 characters visible in users’ feeds. Keep it short and sweet, with important keywords front and center. For example, if you are sharing a DIY project idea, share what materials are needed or basic instructions.

Don’t: Overuse hashtags

Never underestimate the power of a hashtag or two, but keep it to two hashtags per post. These keywords provide connections to your audience and relevant industry content, plus they boost brand awareness. Remember to keep your descriptions simple and don’t bombard people with a flood of hashtags. Research trending hashtags and find out which ones are performing well, and include one or two in your post.