Pinterest is NOT Social Media and Why That Matters to You
In the early days of my Pinterest marketing career, I found most of my contracts through Upwork (which is a great way to get started on this or any other freelancing gig – no marketing, just work. More on that later). I noticed that a lot of employers were looking for social media marketers, and that included Pinterest. Occasionally, I would apply for one of these jobs, with a note saying that I would love to help them specifically with Pinterest, but that there was someone better out there for the other social media sites. I knew that this writing this was incorrect. That Pinterest is not social media.
Pinterest lacks the likes, đź’śs, retweets, and comments that are at the heart of social media.
There isn’t much back and forth on Pinterest
One of the biggest features of traditional social media is the discussion. Someone comments on another’s Instagram picture, the original poster comments back, another couple people join in and you have a hearty conversation going!
While Pinterest does have the option to make comments, most users use this feature as a notes section, and typically just to themselves. For example, if I make a recipe that I like, but I used coconut oil instead of butter and thought that it probably could use a little more garlic, I might note that. It is less an invitation to talk about the recipe with others and more a reminder to myself for next time. I am able to mark this recipe as something I’ve tried, and then file it away so that I can pull it up later.
Pinterest is NOT social media, it is a visual search engine
Pinterest is less about who you follow, and more about what you follow or engage with. Most other social media are follower based. You see things from the people you have chosen to follow. With Pinterest, you are shown things based on your interests, what you’ve clicked before, and your previous searches. Pinterest wants us to look beyond our circle, to broaden our horizons, and be exposed to ideas, images, brands (that’s you!) and bloggers (also you!) that we might not have seen before.
Pinterest is where we look to become the best versions of ourselves. When we dream of who we might be in the next few years, we use Pinterest as our inspiration. We are searching for images that speak to us, that show us how to do what we wish we were doing. What our best future self looks like. And we are doing this by searching with keywords and selecting the best image.
All By Myself
Most pinners are collecting images for themselves. Occasionally, you’ll have a group board that is for planning or something else collaborative. For example, when I planned my wedding, I had a group board that included my fiancé, our planner, the florist, and my mom and sister. We shared ideas and pinned things we liked so that we could stay organized, our planner and florist could learn about our taste, and we could all be on the same page. That is as social as I have ever been on Pinterest. We rarely commented on anything, and if there were questions or comments, we would usually have them offline.
Most pinners are pinning solo. They are looking for recipes for tonight, outfit ideas for their next date night. They are planning how to design their backyard and learning how to garden. They are figuring out how to go zero waste in their kitchen or learning to quilt. These are solitary activities.
What does that mean for me?
Well… Pinterest is working to help you get discovered. With Instagram and other social medium, your audience chooses you. So, if they haven’t heard about you, they aren’t following you, and certainly aren’t engaging with you. But, with Pinterest, just because they haven’t heard of you (yet!) doesn’t mean there isn’t a way for them to engage with your content.
Pinterest users can find your content by searching for what your content is about. If you have a blog that gives tips on how to clean up your makeup routine, or are a small business that sells reusable party cups, but no one has ever heard of you, on Pinterest, that is ok. By searching for your subject matter, Pinterest users can find you. This is the number one reason (in my opinion) why all small businesses should be on Pinterest.
How to use it to work for you
First, become a pinner. Try using Pinterest instead of Google to search. Use Pinterest to solve a problem. Understand Pinterest from the users’ perspective.
Now, take that perspective and apply it to your audience. What are they looking for when they find you? What problem does your product, service, or content solve? Now use that to be of service to your future fans.
Pay attention to what you are clicking on and why. Was something more appealing? Did the image capture your attention? Or was it the text? Why did you click on something? Emulate that.
Notice that you aren’t necessarily looking at a specific brand or company. You are most likely looking at a specific niche. You may find new brands or bloggers. Almost all searches on Pinterest are unbranded. Let me say that again,
Almost all searches on Pinterest are unbranded.
So, being the well-known big brand doesn’t necessarily help on Pinterest. As a smaller company, use this.
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with Pinterest, start here to get more tips on using Pinterest for your small business. The key is to help people find you and your content. Let your content inspire them to be their best selves. Add value and show up, every single day.
Make sure that when they do find you and your content that what they click is what they get. You posted a great image of how to use palo santo to clear the energy in your home? Make sure that when they click on your page that you are giving them exactly that. Do not make them look for it. Now, you’ve used Pinterest to drive traffic. Your pin needs to reflect your page in both content and style.
Do you love Pinterest but want more social engagement? That is where Tailwind Tribes and group boards come in. The former offers opportunities to chat and comment as well as share other people’s content and get to know like-minded business owners, bloggers, and social media (or Pinterest) marketers.
How has Pinterest worked for you? How do you use it?
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