They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. So that got me thinking, I wonder how many clicks a picture is worth?
I've been using Pinterest for my personal use only at this point. I have to admit that I like it…a lot. Being a visual person I can quickly process a lot of information by looking at the pictures. I find myself doing this more and more. Post a picture of your baby in a cute hat, I’m moving on. Post just about any picture showing a home improvement project, you got me. Chances are I'm clicking. I've noticed though in the last few months some of the clicks I'm making are taking me to businesses like Target, not just to blogs. I haven't been tempted to click-through yet but I can see how this can work as a great marketing strategy.
Top reasons to use Pinterest for your business or blog.
1. It's Visual – Again, it’s the pictures. Let’s face it, we live in a world of headlines and pictures. Most of us now get our news either from a great headline or a great picture or both. If your headline doesn't capture my interest your picture just might. Nail both on the same story, post or Pinterest page and you got me!
2. Show your products “in action” – It's not enough anymore to just post a picture of something “static”. You need to choose the right picture. The days of posting a picture of a coffee maker with a plain white background are gone. Do it and I’m moving on. However, post a picture of a coffee maker with an interesting background that helps me understand how and or where I can use the coffee pot, in others words a picture that touches my emotions, I will pause and look. Use your pictures to appeal to our audience's emotions. They will work far better than words.
3. Drive traffic – I mentioned before that Pinterest allows you to add a link to your website. This is key. Without this ability, Pinterest would lose its business marketability. In addition, you can add descriptions to your photos. Use keywords in your descriptions, just keep the description to a minimum. Send people to your site for additional information. As a bonus, the use of keywords and website links can contribute to improved search engine optimization for your website since Pinterest currently allows Google to follow those links.
4. Attract new readers – Really tied to item 3 above but Pinterest is like any other form of social media. To get the most from it, you must engage with others in addition to posting great content. Spend some time visiting Pinterest boards by other users, follow a user, leave a comment on a photo, like their pinned photo, or repin their photo to one of your boards. As with all of the other social networks, the more you participate the better results you will see as other Pinterest users may feel compelled to return the favor.
