Pinterest is one of the fastest growing social media networks on the World Wide Web. With approximately 250 million monthly users, it has become a resource similar to Google in that it helps people find content and new idea they need to plan their lives, such as innovative recipes, lesson plan ideas, and affordable clothing.
An important aspect of Pinterest is sharing. Even if you do not have an account and have never posted content on the social network, other people might have done it for you. A pin on the social network makes your items visible to all Pinterest users (and Google users as Pinterest images are organically ranked). When and if the user likes what they see and clicks on the image(s), they land on your website…bringing you quality traffic, as a result.
Why rely on others to bring traffic to your website, when you can control it yourself? You can control how your content appears on Pinterest and actively pin your content using Pin Boards. The following are 4 tips to help you ensure steady traffic flow to your website from Pinterest.
1. Optimize Your Profile
The name and description part of the profile is tricky. Many people wrongly assume that they need to just type in their names. However, as per social media best practices, keywords are just as essential to name entries as the actual names. That is because the network’s search engine also pulls up profiles in search results.
A few examples of Optimized Profiles:
- iRISEmedia – Toronto Digital Marketing Company
- Apple – Multinational Technology Company
The profile section will also prompt you to add a photo. As per best practices, you should use the same headshot or logo that you use on other social networks. This will help your customers or prospects recognize you and know they found the right person or brand.
2. Optimize Your Pin Descriptions
Each pin that you add to your board tells the reader what the content item is about. For bloggers, it typically means the blog title and description of the post. However, to maximize your reach, you have to do more than just write a mundane description.
For high engagement your pin needs to be:
- Helpful – make it easy for pinners to find your pins with accurate descriptions.
- Detailed – in 1-2 sentences explain what your pin is about. Give enough information to entice a pinner to click through to your blog. Add 1-2 hashtags; anything more than that can negatively affect your rankings.
- Interesting – cater to the feelings of the pinners by using juicy words and actionable sentiments.
- Actionable – include a call-to-action in your description. Using phrases like, “read more…” or “click here to find out more” can generate an 8 times more engagement.
3. Post at the Right Time
The goal of Pinterest marketing is to get as many people as possible to repin your content so that it appears more to other users who may not be following you. The most successful strategy is to find the best time and day to post the content. Naturally, you will want to pin when your intended audience is using the social network. Our data analysis statistics show that the best time to pin is between 2-4 am and 2-4 pm any day. As well, 5 pm on Fridays and between 8 and 11 on Saturdays are optimal times for posting.
4. Apply Hashtags
Pinterest added hashtag functionality in September 2017 to follow what other social networks were doing at the time. On Pinterest, hashtags can be added in account descriptions, board titles, board descriptions, profile names, and pin descriptions. However, the only place the hashtags are searchable and clickable is in a pin’s description. Also keep in mind that unique hashtags work best. Preferably, the hashtag should have nothing in common with frequently used search terms. You want a one-of-a-kind hashtag that can lead Pinners back to your content.
About iRISEmedia | Social Media Marketing Agency | Toronto
At iRISEmedia.com we are specialized in social media management, digital marketing, online reputation management and online branding. Our team helps clients manage and grow their online presence and branding to increase qualified web traffic and online leads. We service clients in Toronto and throughout Canada and the U.S. Need help tracking your competitors? We’ve got you covered. Contact us today to start your social media audit and Facebook marketing.
