So, you know Pinterest is the place to find that AWESOME recipe for those scrumptious mega chocolate chip cookies. But did you know it could also help you grow your business?
Maybe somehow you’ve missed all the talk about this Pinterest thing and haven’t even opened an account yet. And that’s okay, I’m here now to set things right for you ;-)
What’s all this hub bub about Pinterest? And how the heck can it be used to grow your bloggy business??
According to Forbes, Pinterest has announced that it’s reached 150 million monthly users. That’s a HUGE amount of potential readers and clients out there just waiting to see your content!!
There’s opportunity there to grow your:
- Traffic
- Community
- Email List
- Income
And YES you can get all of that out of ONE platform!
I know I’m excited too, hence all the exclamation points. I’ll ease up on them, I know distracting…
So, how do you get started using Pinterest for your business? I’m so glad you asked!
I’ve compiled a 5 step starter guide for those who don’t know what Pinterest is and for those who have only used Pinterest for their own personal pin board. Let me guide you through the world of Pinterest for Business.
1. Set up your account
This one seems obvious, I know, but hear me out. If you have a personal account you have some decisions to make, you can either convert your personal account to a business account, OR you can start an entirely new account under your business name. This is all really dependent upon what your niche is and what you want to share on Pinterest and what you plan on Pinning.
But the important thing here is, you really need to have a Pinterest for business account, because it opens a lot of doors for your blog. Pinterest for business, gives you analytics for your account, which allows you to see which of your pins are performing well (i.e., the ones that are getting a lot of views, re-pins, and likes), and which ones aren’t doing so well. It also allows you to use your business name not just your personal name which makes it easier for your readers to find you, which leads to more followers and more traffic in the long run. And that’s just a few of the benefits of creating or switching to a Pinterest business account.
If you decide to keep only one account, a personal/business account, Pinterest has this awesome little tool that allows you to have secret or private boards. This allows you to have boards that only you or those you invite to see your secret boards. Otherwise, you can keep your public or niche and brand related boards public and viewable to anyone to who happens upon your pinterest profile, while keeping your new obsession with dog memes to yourself.
2. Profile Picture
So you’ve opened an account, or you’ve decided to convert your personal account to a Pinterest for business account. Awesome sauce! Now you need to set up your profile. First of all, you’ll need a picture of yourself. 165 x 165 is the best and most optimal, remember it’ll be cropped into a circle. And for consistency, it’s best to use a photo of yourself that you’ve used on all your other business related social media sites. Consistency is key when branding yourself.
3. Keywords in your business name
Instead of just using your first name and/or last name, include your business name with some descriptive keywords. Let’s use my profile as an example:
Perfect Pinterest Profile
I've used my first and last name, but has also included my business name, and used keywords to describe what I do and who I do it for.
4. Keywords in your bio
Same goes for your bio. Just write what you do and who you do it for, using niche related keywords. See my bio up above.
In my Bio, I again mention who I serve and how I serve them. And say it with me class, by.using.keywords. The keywords here being boss babes, passions, blogs, brand, business. Now anyone who searches those terms on Pinterest will hopefully find my site and all of my awesome content.
5. Verify your Website
In order to access all three sections of Pinterest Analytics, you’ll need to verify your website. Follow this step-by-step guide to verifying your website from the head honchos at Pinterest!
If you’re on Squarespace, check out the step by step guide kindly written by the Squarespace people.
There you have it, 5 easy peasy steps to get yourself off and rolling on Pinterest!!!
If this all seems pretty awesome, but you just don’t have the time set up your account on Pinterest, fill out the form below, we can talk about how I can help you find simple defrazzlement for your business!
Or if you're just not into forms, you can always shoot me an email at: april@lovingsimple.com
Happy Pinning all!