Pinterest is the New Rising Star of the Social Media World

You may or may not have already heard of Pinterest, but it is taking the social media world by storm and I’ve got to say, I love it!!  The social networking site is invite only which I think kind of makes it even more appealing and almost exclusive for your brand.  I think the site is very much tailored towards women which is probably one of the reasons why I like it so much, I have only been on the site for 15 minutes or so and already I have found so many inspiring things.

The site is styled as a mood board for photo sharing where users can manage themed based images and videos, particularly beneficial if you are a designer, baker, wedding planner, chef, hairdresser, makeup artist etc as the site would act as a great platform for showcasing your creations and allow people to comment. If you really wanted to amplify your work, you could integrate it with other social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube to give yourself a bigger social media presence, not forgetting to also link it through to your company website or blog so you can review the level of traffic from the site.

Like with all social networking sites, you must engage with your potential customers and not just use it as an opportunity to shout and spam about your product or service.  Instead, why not start a competition, e.g. cupcake designs, best outfit, best hairstyle and talk about which ones you found particularly inspiring as a way to build relationships with potential customers.  You could also include photos of where you work, the surroundings etc as a way of engaging with people.  Think about the ways in which your brand can be linked to everyday life and interests of your target audience, i.e. for a makeup artist, you could create pin boards for day makeup, evening makeup, Hollywood glamour etc. What type of pin boards will enhance your brand image?  Read previous post, Your Social Media Plan for more inspiration on how to do this.

I have also just read that the site beat the likes of YouTube, Reddit, Google+, Linkedin and Myspace for a percentage of total referral traffic in January according to a study. (Mashable) So, even more reason to get on the site and request an invite! 🙂