How Pinterest can Help You Get More Exposure for Your Business

By Bridget Sandorford –

Pinterest exploded onto the social media scene, becoming the fastest site in history to break 10 million users. It is now responsible for generating a great deal of referral traffic to all kinds of businesses, and marketers have stepped up to take advantage of the potential that the site offers.

If your business isn’t on Pinterest, it should be. No matter what kinds of products or services your business offers, you can use the site to gain more exposure for your business. Here’s how Pinterest can help you get more exposure for your business:

Show Off Your Products and Services

One of the most obvious ways that you can use Pinterest for your business is to pin images and information about the products and services that you offer. The more followers you have and the more repins you get, the bigger audience will learn about your products and services. Pin images for all of your products and services, but be sure to also mix in other pins that your followers would find useful so that you don’t create a board that is overly promotional, which will alienate followers.

Establish Your Brand Values

In addition to being able to share your products and services, Pinterest allows you to define your brand values. You do this by selecting the type of information you will share. For example, if you run a financial consulting business, you can pin images of what a financially secure lifestyle look like, possibly including home ownership, supporting a family, or taking trips around the world. Then you can pin articles that talk about responsible strategies for each. The choices you make in the information you share will tell your followers a lot about what you value in your company and what you are trying to help them accomplish.

Build Relationships with Customers

Pinterest, like any social media site, is a conversation with customers. Every time someone repins something you’ve shared, liked one of your pins, commented on one of your pins, or followed one of your boards, they are engaging with your brand, and that’s an opportunity to build a relationship. Encourage as much interaction with your followers as possible – including commenting on and sharing their pins – and then find ways to segue that into other interactions, such as encouraging them to follow your blog or to join you on another social network.

Get More Traffic to Your Site

Of course, one of the best ways that Pinterest gets more exposure for your business is that it helps you get more traffic for your site. You do this by including links to your site on relevant pins, as well as including your URL in your profile. If you verify your site, the URL will appear prominently to followers. Simply by maintaining an active presence on Pinterest, you should see an uptick in your traffic. However, if you develop a strategy to focus on getting more followers and more re-pins through sharing interesting and compelling content, you will see a steady stream of traffic, which will help you get more exposure for your brand.

Pinterest isn’t another flash in the pan – it’s now one of the top social networks, and it offers businesses a powerful opportunity to connect with customers. Make sure you are using it to its full potential to get more exposure for your brand.

Bridget Sandorford is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been researching exec chef careers. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.