Whether you’re promoting your signature facial or a new non-surgical body contouring system, Pinterest can help to boost your sales funnel.
In the first of this two-part series, Pin it To Win it, we made the case for why this social channel matters more than ever. Now I will walk you through the dos and don’ts of getting started on Pinterest.
Do create a Pinterest business account
Business accounts offer analytics and the ability to use Pinterest advertising. Go to the Pinterest for business page and click join. Follow the prompts and voila! (If you already have a personal Pinterest account, you can easily convert it to a business account.)
Do learn the lingo
Every social media channel seems to have its own vernacular and Pinterest is no exception. Here’s a primer:
- Pins – Ideas saved from around the web.
- Pinner – A user who is active on Pinterest.
- Boards – Where saved pins live.
- Rich Pins – Pins with extra info.
- Repin – When someone sees an existing pin and saves it on another board.
- Home feed – This is where you will find Pins, people, and brands Pinterest chooses for you.
- Profile – Your profile contains all the Pins you save, boards you create along with who’s following you and everyone and everything you are following.
- Feed – A Pinterest feed is a collection of links and content from boards and users that you follow.
Do pin often
Pin at least once per day and preferably more, during peak times, which tend to be evenings and weekends in the US. Pinterest actually suggests a minimum of 3 times a day if you can manage it! If you see results, increase your frequency. Tip: A scheduling tool will cut down on the time it takes to get busy on this platform.
Do add a Pinterest share button to every page of your website
This makes it easy for a visitor to Pin directly from your pages, increasing your reach.
Do make your pins pretty
Pinterest photos should be clear, bright, and well-composed. You can use royalty-free stock images or repin relevant magazine content. The best aspect ratio for Pinterest images is 2:3 or 1:3.5 with a minimum width of 600 pixels. Pins also tend to look best when they are vertical. You can create your image with specific dimensions and aspect ratios in PhotoShop or go for a simplified variation like Canva that has pre-sized templates. Some of the most popular posts on Pinterest are mosaics. Tip: This multiple-image strategy can work well for how-to guides and before and after photos.
Don’t be overtly promotional
In-your-face promotional content such as “20% off” or “Buy 5, Get 6” doesn’t perform well on Pinterest. It’s also a good idea to avoid aggressive calls to action such as “Buy Now!”
Do tell a story
Stories are where it’s at in digital marketing today. Pins showing someone using a product or having a treatment are more likely to generate engagement. Adding some text to your images can help give an immediate idea of what the linked content is all about. Aim for 2-4 sentences. While only about 75-100 characters of your description will appear at first glance, the rest will appear when Pinners click to see the whole Pin. Tip: Always add a link to a blog post, landing page on your website, or sign up box.
Do create boards for all of the top procedures you offer
Before and after’s rank high on Pinterest. For example, Before and After Wrinkle- Relaxing Injections, Before and After Fillers, and Before and After Body Contouring, etc.
Do brand your pins
Include a logo or your practice name on all images. Tip: Avoid the bottom right corner as it gets covered up by product icons.
Don’t use hash tags
The general consensus is that hashtags are not relevant on Pinterest.
Do ensure all of your pinned links are correct and functional.
Pinterest penalizes Pins with broken links. Make sure all of yours work.
Do follow boards from relevant but non-competitive brands
As you do on all social networks, actively like and engage with Pins related to your practice.
Need some hand-holding as you find your way on Pinterest, give us a shout at Anne@wendylewisco.com
