Reasons your company should be using Pinterest now
Powerful networking tool not just for fun anymore
Pinterest exploded onto the scene this past year as both a popular social media site for consumers and as a powerful marketing tool for companies.
Completely in line with the very essence of social media, Pinterest’s mission is to “connect everyone in the world through the things they find interesting.” It’s simple to use, it’s fun, and provides ample opportunity for marketers to share their products and services with consumers in a friendly, non-threatening way.
Pinterest allows members to “pin” images, videos and other objects of interest to their “pinboards.” Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, “re-pin” images to their own collections and/or “like” photos.
Currently there are 2.2 million active daily users and 12 million active monthly users. As of March 2012, 90% of Pinterest users were women. However, men have discovered this handy idea-sharing tool and their usage is growing exponentially. Pinterest drives more traffic than Google+, YouTube and LinkedIn combined.
Because of this tremendous growth and acceptance, Pinterest should not be ignored by marketers. True, it might not be for every company out there, but there are several business reasons why you should consider launching a presence on this network of information-hungry consumers. Here are a few:
5 ways Pinterest can be used for business
Build brand personality
Because it is one step removed from your website, a Pinterest page gives a company the freedom to let its guard down a bit and show a lighter, less commercially polished side. Its accessible, friendly format gives visitors some insight into your company culture, the people who work for you, and what your likes and dislikes are outside of the corporate bubble. It gives consumers a better feel for who you really are and builds relationships.
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Pinterest Factoid |
Case Studies
The best way to demonstrate your expertise is by showing previous work and how you solved a specific problem. Since Pinterest is a visual site, this is perfect for uploading pictures of recently completed projects, projects you (or your customers) are working on now and also any customer testimonial videos you might have.
Drive traffic and sell products
Not only can you create pinboards with images of your products or upload product demonstration videos, you can also generate a price banner for your photo by simply adding the $ symbol in your pin description. Don’t forget to add a link back to your website landing page where they can read more information about the product or make a purchase.
Competitions
Run a contest to encourage visitors to create pins of your projects/products/designs that they like and then choose the finalists and get others to vote for what they like. User-generated content is a powerful way to get your audience involved and talking about your company. Attempt to link them to other social sites such as your Facebook page and Twitter account.
Events
If you participate in tradeshows and other special events, use Pinterest to give sneak previews of your displays and to let them know where you will be and when. Include photos and/or videos of previous events you have exhibited at, demonstrating why your display is worth visiting.
If you’d like some assistance in setting up and/or managing a Pinterest page for your business, please contact Connie Dettman at 815-847-7533 or cdettman@heinzeroth.com.
Amazon strategies
Using A+ page content to communicate product details
If you have products on Amazon.com and are looking for ways to energize sales, upgrading your page content to Amazon’s A+ format may be worth considering for key items. Enhancing your pages with demonstration videos, animated GIFs, more views of the product and deeper product descriptions may provide the lift needed to make your Amazon experience far more successful.
With Amazon A+ pages, you can spotlight products with 360˚ viewable product images, expand product descriptions to include things like “what’s in the box” and “installation tips”, and you can insert click-to-enlarge views of manuals and sell sheets.
If your product is one in a series, Amazon also now gives you the ability to include a buyer’s guide to show where this product fits in the spectrum. Showing all items in the series may also lead shoppers to other, more appropriate choices and accessories, saving the sale and possibly trading customers up to higher margin offerings.
At an additional annual fee charged by Amazon of up to $1500 per product, as reported by our clients that have recently updated their Amazon programs, A+ pages may not be for everyone. But the investment may be more than worthwhile for selected products.
For more information on Amazon selling strategies, please contact Loren Heinzeroth at 815-847-7530 or loren@heinzeroth.com.
HMG News
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HMG adds depth, experience to design team Heinzeroth is pleased to announce the addition of Corey Fraley to its design team. A 10-year ad industry vet, Corey is a versatile, award-winning designer with experience in print, POP, video and digital media. Corey’s work on both the consumer and business-to-business sides of the business give him the skill sets to assist with virtually any company on our diverse client roster. “Corey’s experience cuts across all markets and media,” says Greg Surufka, Senior VP and Creative Director. “His web development skills help us expand our focus in that area, and his video editing experience further strengthens our video production capabilities.” |
