6 Ways To Use Pinterest To Grow Your Community

It’s already been proven that using social media can grow an audience, a following, a community and even grow sales. Pinterest is fast becoming a top location for inspiration for a variety of topics including home decor ideas, gifts, fashion, crafting, food and much more. If you can take high quality photos of interesting things about your products or services, Pinterest could help you gain an audience.

What is Pinterest?

If you haven’t heard about it yet, Pinterest is a social networking community focusing on images as the means of sharing. Users create categories in which they then share, or “pin” images of all kinds of things from food to travel and all the activities in between. Followers can then “like” images, comment, or even re-pin to their own categories. Because it’s image based, it’s very easy to see viral content as it is being re-pinned and traveling through the community.

Sampel of JGoode Designs board on Pinterest

Important note: The Pinterest community is not the place to outright pimp your wares. Instead, contribute by adding value in coordination with your wares. The following isn’t looking to be sold to, they are looking to be inspired. The above photo is a screen shot sample of one of my own boards on Pinterest. This is a specific grouping just for my own design business pins. I share ideas using other products in addition to my own and then, in my Pinterest account I have other boards showing of projects created by people other than just me. Add value, don’t stand on a hill and brag.

Here are 6 ways to use Pinterest to grow your community:

1. Share images of things your customers might enjoy.
   If you are a personal trainer, share images of sports, working out, your favorite fitness equipment, etc.
2. Search for images relating to your topic of promotion.
   If your business sells kids clothing, don’t just share your kids clothing. Comment, like or re-pin styles you find through Pinterest, share things you really like with your followers that will compliment what you are offering. Obviously, you don’t want to promote your competition, however, you do want to grow an audience around the styles they love and you offer. Consider sharing “pins” of shoes or accessories that compliment the clothing you offer.
3. Comment when someone re-pins or shares your items.
   You can gain followers by looking for re-pins or new pins by others and comment on items you like, etc. Take the time to interact, not just share your own items with Pinterest. Utilize the “also from” tool that shows what pins have been shared from a given domain.
4. Share an interesting perspective of common things.
   The intrigue of Pinterest is the imagery. If you can offer a unique perspective/view of items you offer, even typical items, you can gain some traction over the standard imagery. Remember, people like pretty things. Give them that “pretty things” view of what you have to offer.
5. Show steps for use or tutorials in an image.
   People collection images on Pinterest to give them ideas of things they want to do, places they want to go and how to create things they like. Give them visual insight into something fabulous and they will save that image, maybe even share it.
6. Watch for trends.
   Make note of what your followers are pinning. What types of things are getting re-pinned? What color schemes are you noticing or what direction does your following seem to be going. This visual trend watching is so valuable when it comes to getting another inside view to what your potential customers might be looking for.

The key, as with any marketing, is to share what you have to offer and show others how they might use it, like it, want it for their very own. Pinterest allows you to do this through images. Tie your images to a page on your website and you’ve now connected your fantastic imagery to a way to purchase those remarkable products!

If you’d like to learn more, read Loving Pinterest and How to Use it. I invite you to follow me on Pinterest at: Pinterest.com/jgoode and see how I’ve been using Pinterest to share my art, recipes, kids crafts, DIY fun and more. If you don’t have an account yet, let me know.