You want to start pinning but where do you begin? Brides have taken the Pinterest scene by storm and have given the social channel a rep of being the place to virtually plan your wedding including a way to find wish-list products and businesses to ‘pin’ and save for future reference. Don’t believe me? Read 9 Tips to Boost Your Business with Pinterest.
Originally published in “A Guide to Social Media,” this how-to guide is perfect for wedding vendors on Pinterest:
HOW TO START
Before you can create a Pinterest account you must be invited. There are two ways to be invited: you can request an invitation on Pinterest.com by providing your email address or you can have a coworker or friend that already has a Pinterest account send you an invitation. Once your Pinterest account is set-up, create a name, add a visually appealing picture, and write a brief description of your venue and services. The next step is to think about the different boards that you would like to create. Make sure that your boards highlight the best features of your conference center. When you begin getting a good following, start to engage with your audience. “Like” other pins that other vendors or followers have added to their pinboards. If a follower comments or “likes” one of your pins, be sure to comment back and keep the conversation flowing.
TOP 5 BEST PRACTICES (advice)
- Keep your Pinterest boards simple yet stunning. There is a 500 character limit on picture captions, which means your descriptions should be clear and to the point. The #1 thing that users on Pinterest want to see are distinct pictures, not lengthy captions.
- Pin on a regular basis. As long as you are pinning regularly, your name is constantly going to be showing up on your followers’ feeds. It is also nice to re-pin pictures from preferred vendors.
- Use relevant keywords when writing captions for your pins. This will give your content a better chance of being found by users who are searching that keyword and increase the traffic on your page.
- Pinterest generates a lot of traffic! Embed links when uploading images so that users can click on them and be taken straight to your website.
- FOR CATERERS OR VENUES: If you take pride in the cuisine that your chef makes, make a board that shows pictures of your conference center’s food and beverage. Other board ideas include pictures of weddings and special events at your conference center or a board that highlights interesting and appealing images of local scenery and landmarks.
- [Climb the Creative Ladder]: Integrate your Pinterest with other social networking platforms. Add a “Pin It” button to your website. If you go on the Pinterest website and click on “About” at the top right corner of the page, you will be directed to the “What is Pinterest” page. On the left-hand side, click on “Goodies”. Scroll to the bottom and you will get directions on how to add a “Pin It” button to your website. This will allow current and potential customers to pin your products on their Pinterest boards.
If you’re a wedding vendor, how are you using Pinterest? Have you made new connections with clients?