Having a dynamic social media strategy is crucial to its success. With various social media platforms vying with each other, you may find that you are not yet on the present on the particular platform that is the latest hot spot. A few months Google+ was the place to be and now it is Pinterest that is capturing the imagination of people and gaining in popularity.
Pinterest, the online pin board and photo sharing social media website is also becoming increasingly important in organic search. Its registered users who number more than 10 million, 20% of whom access the site daily, pin pictures, videos, and graphics created by them and also share them on Facebook or Tweet them on Twitter.
Among the users’ pinned pictures there could well be images representing your brand and this is just a way in which these users who may be your prospects, clients, visitors or fans try to socialize your company.
The importance of Pinterest in the overall social media efforts of companies is evident with large companies like IBM and GE using this platform to enhance their B2C and B2B efforts.
Pinterest can give an edge to your social media strategy and improve your SEO efforts in the following manner:
1. Google
Google systematically browses through and indexes the content pinned on Pinterest and uses it to rank pages. Presence on Pinterest, optimizing comments accompanying photos on Pinterest and the image file names to include important keyword phrases will help you achieve high SEO rankings which will put you ahead of your competitors.
2. Backlinks and Referrals
The backlinks provided by Pinterest for every picture you pin on the site can direct referral traffic to your site. Providing pictures and videos of your product or services together with quality content can help you tap this benefit. However, it is important to ensure that your content is not overwhelmingly promotional, it has something of value to offer to the audience and is something that they would be happy to share, like, comment on or re-pin.
3. Pinterest Search Box
People looking to find brands, look for them through the Pinterest search box. If you wish the millions of users of Pinterest to find you, you have to be present on the site. In addition, your presence should be capable of convincing a prospect and reinforcing the positive image of your brand.
4. Web Presence
Pinterest has been gaining in popularity and ignoring it any longer will be detrimental to your web presence, giving your competitors the upper hand. A company’s web presence is considered incomplete without presence on Pinterest.
5. Content
Pinterest stands apart from other major social networking sites because it the only site dedicated solely to the sharing of images. There are always pictures, images and videos that can be shared by an organization to reach out to its audience. These videos and images may be of projects, listings, products, art, action shots, etc. which, when creatively and appropriately used can enhance the image of the company, brand and product or service.
6. Social Signals
Social signals such as Tweets, Likes, Shares and Pinterest Pins are factored into the algorithm which is used by search engines like Google to rank web pages in the search results. Social signals are an indication that your content provides value to the users, making them want to share it with others and is an endorsement of its relevance.
7. Competitors
Getting ahead of the competition is the aim of every business organization. It competitors have already made their presence felt on Pinterest, you will need to do so too if you intend to stay relevant. And if they haven’t yet got on to the site, you will stand to gain a head start over them.
8. Pinterest is Here to Stay
Pinterest has been growing steadily over the past few years and has recently overtaken LinkedIn as the third ranking social media site in terms of popularity. Well known investors have invested over $100 million in the business. Your efforts on Pinterest will benefit you for many years to come, barring the unforeseen.
Set up a Pinterest account for your business and remember to link it to your Facebook and Twitter accounts which will permit you to share content across these social networking sites. A Pinned image can also be tweeted and shared. The Pinterest icon can be added to your blog or corporate web pages.
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