With Pinterest dominating the Social and public limelight for months, it was only a matter of time before the business world came knocking on its door. Eager to tap into the fastest website to reach 10 million unique visitors, companies flocked to sign up to the hottest site and develop attractive Pinterest campaigns. And there’s good reason too; studies have shown that in some cases Pinterest generates more traffic than Google+ and LinkedIn put together! (See graph below)

Source: http://www.statista.com

However, before you start setting up your boards and dash off on a pinning spree, it’s important to first set out a clear strategy to define how Pinterest can help you and your business. Here are three effective tips to help you on your way

The best way to get your images liked and repinned is to upload original high quality pictures that will catch people’s attention. For instance, if you own a bakery, why not upload the pictures from your website that have received the most comments – delicious cupcakes, tempting desserts and so on? To generate traffic, upload your images by clicking ‘add’ then ‘add a pin’ and enter your URL to select the picture (you can only upload one image at a time, so repeat this process for each picture you’d like to add to your board). Consequently, if someone clicks on your image, they will land straight on your web page.

If you want to display your wonderful products, a great way is to create individual boards for specific items or topics. Leading retailers like Ikea have created boards to show off their collections, so that consumers can click on particular boards of interest and see a range of products they’re interested in seeing and/or buying. Moreover, you can also add prices to your product pictures, thus effectively turning your board into a shop window. This method will work to only attract people who are interested in buying your products, so that when they click and land on your website, you can convert their visit into a sale.

Aim to be the thought leader in your field – the Pinterest account where others get their images from. It’s simple to pin a few images then forget about your account for a few days or weeks. However, for your Pinterest strategy to be successful, as well as, your traffic and influence to remain high, you have to continuously keep pinning to keep your boards up-to-date with the latest website content, industry infographics and relevant images. Also, don’t forget to like and repin other people’s content to build a wider audience and following. After all, Pinterest is a Social website.

So there you have it; three simple tips to get your Pinterest strategy on the right track. You can also grow and engage with your Pinterest community by adding Pinterest buttons on your website and blog, including your Pinterest domain name on all marketing strategies, and including a ‘Pin It’ button on all of your images.

Let us know what you think about Pinterest and feel free to add your own essential tips?

Anthony Ngaithe

Anthony Ngaithe is a Social Community Executive at Caliber Interactive overseeing client’s social media accounts and providing reputation management. Prior to joining Caliber, he was the assistant head of Marketing at a fashion event company responsible for promoting fashion campaigns and acquiring sponsorship for company events. Aside from work, Anthony loves to write and read poetry, socialise with friends, play video games whenever he can and immerse himself in all things digital media and technology.