Drawing the attention of millions, virtual pinboard-styled social photo sharing website Pinterest is all the rage these days.
From the comfort of your own home you’re able to pin awesome internet
finds and share them with your friends. The site receives a whopping 11-16 million unique visitors a month, who are primarily women (80%) and users are between the ages of 25 and 54 (80%) according to Google Ad Planner.
As internet marketers we
seize the moment when new trends and sites emerge. We flock to where
people are and in this case it’s a site that caters to the purse strings
of American households. A recent Infographic by GPlus.com shows on average 83 to 87 percent of consumer purchases are decided on by women and women generate 58 percent of e-commerce dollars.
So how can you seize the moment with Pinterest? Find inspiration with
the below Pinterest marketing ideas for 24 industries and professions! (Still want more ideas? Sign up for our FREE webinar “Marketing Your Brand on Pinterest” Thursday May 10th (11AM PST/2PM EST)).
Wedding Venue
What
are brides looking to establish when planning a wedding? What their
wedding style will be and how their special day will look. The details
are extremely important when it comes to planning a wedding. If you are
in the event planning business and are trying to market your wedding
venue try putting together wedding board “themes”. Help that bride
envision her special day at your location by showing her examples in the
form of photos on Pinterest. That newly engaged bride is sure to do her
research prior to the big day. Give her photos and information on
Pinterest to aid in making the right decision. The 4th Floor Blues Club
has the right idea with their wedding venue pin here, although the resolution and lighting leave a bit to be desired – you get the basic premise here.
Book Promotion
Creating an inspiration board to help you in your quest to write a
book is something many authors do. Now with Pinterest you can create a
board around the inspirations that led you to write your book – the
people, places, things that were your muses. Thanks to Crystal for this
idea. She even suggests using your
board in the pitching process, “see what inspired XX author to write
her breakthrough novel”. As a marketer in the publishing field you can
create an entirely new experience by paring the book with social media.
Personal Shopper or Fashion Blogger
Figuring out your personal style and finding ways to develop your
style overtime can be a full time job, and actually is for some lucky
gals. Being a personal shopper or full time fashion blogger, when it
pays the bills, can be incredibly rewarding. Use Pinterest to highlight
your style or as a personal shopper put together inspiration boards for
that boho-chic client and another board for the soccer mom next door.
Showing your creativity and diversity in looks can help you land a wide
array of clients. Have prospective clients check out your inspiration
boards to see your eclectic abilities, or put your logo or web address
on photo looks you put together yourself (and that you own the photo
rights to of course).
Hairstylist or Salon
Staying on the cutting edge of styles and trends is at the top of the
job requirements for a hair stylist or salon owner. Marketing for a
business in the beauty industry seems like a great fit for Pinterest.
Create boards of similar hair styles. When your customer sits down in
your chair and can’t figure out what style they want – hand them an iPad
and let them peruse your boards and pins. Or a hairstylist or salon
might put together before and after photos or how-to photos. These seem
to resonate well with the Pinterest crowd, as seen here with My Yellow Sandbox.
The site’s tutorial photos of hairstyles and beauty are perfect for a
board on Pinterest – this blog has over 2600 followers on Pinterest
already so something must be working.
Interior Designer
Another great idea for Pinterest is if you’re in the interior design
world. From boards about design inspirations to boards of before and
after photos you’ve done yourself, there are many design related ideas
you can share. Blanca Feldman, an interior designer in Nashville, has quite a successful Pinterest account with
over 1600 followers. Check out her design inspiration board, boards for
each room of the house, motivation boards and more for some inspiration
of your own.
Health Expert or Blogger
I’m a huge fan of Dr. Oz and his no-nonsense way of being able to
tell you in layman’s terms what the heck is going on with your body or
give you advice that actually makes sense. Dr. Oz’s official Pinterest accountis
a great example of how to use Pinterest as a health expert or blogger.
His team pins healthy recipes, Dr. Oz approved deserts, fitness
information and more. As a health blogger or expert, develop pins that
are consistent with a healthy lifestyle. Pin your own photos and pin
others too.
TV Channel
In recent years, news stations and radio stations have had to join
the digital world as their listening audience has migrated to the online
space. It’s not uncommon to see references to Facebook and Twitter
during the 5 o’clock news. Pinterest very well could be the next social
media site to enter mainstream newscasts. TV Channels or radio stations
can start putting breaking news photos up on Pinterest and encourage
citizen journalists to take their own photos which can be repined.
Thanks to Elana at Media Bistro, who suggested giving viewers a sneak peak of an upcoming interview or tomorrow’s front page news by adding pins to your news boards.
Magazine
Looking
to increase subscribers to your magazine or promote an online
publication? Showcase graphics and editorials on dedicated Pinterest
boards for the beats or items you cover in your publication. Check out Martha Stewart Living’s Pinterest profile with
boards like “Baking and Desserts”, “Easter”, “Appetizers and Hors
d’Oeuvres”, “Drinks” and “Sewing”. Holiday themed boards are perfect if
you’re looking to highlight the holiday issue of your magazine. Two to
three months ahead of time start putting together your boards and keep
up the pinning momentum throughout the holiday.
Funeral Homes
Am I morbid in thinking there is a Pinterest use for funeral homes?
Let me explain before you get all judgey on me… Creating a memory board
of the people we love is something that can now be done digitally
through the use of Pinterest. Funeral Homes can organize boards for the
recently deceased, allowing their tech savvy relatives to view pinned
photos of them for an uncluttered digital memory board preserving them
in time. The deceased’s Facebook page can be cluttered, but with
Pinterest photos and memories are displayed easily. A funeral home could
take this concept to the next level by having a tablet or computer
screen at the viewing for mourners to enjoy the pinned photos.
Chef, Baker or Catering Company
Feature your culinary delights on Pinterest to bring traffic and new
business your way. Thematically tie pins together on a board by sticking
with a holiday or event theme – Valentine’s Day treats, 4th of July
dishes, one-pot buffet dishes, etc. Get started today promoting a board
on summer parties or 4th of July barbecues to pique a prospective
clients interest, and you may just hook a client for this summer.
eCommerce Website
Women be shoppin, women be shoppin! If you’re an eCommerce website
why not put together a gift board. You can create a board of gift ideas
for men, gift ideas for women or even get super specific – gift ideas
for eye rolling preteen girls or gift ideas for the Midwest mom. It goes
without saying that you shouldn’t be completely self serving on your
board, pin items from other stores that fit into your overall theme too.
Professional on a Job Search
Landing
a job today takes a lot of creativity. Make yourself stand out by
creating a visual CV of all the projects you’ve worked on. This is
especially true for graphic or web designers looking to move up in their
careers, or freelancers looking for additional jobs. Check out these 7 cool resumes found on Pinterest, from BusinessInsider.com to get some inspiration.
Dog Shelter or Non-Profit
Raising awareness about your non-profit can be hard. Not only are
funds tight it can also be difficult shining the spotlight when so many
other good causes exist too. Using Pinterest to start boards about your
cause can be a good start. Animal shelters such as the Humane Society of New York use Pinterest to
share photos of cats and dogs up for adoption as well as the animals
that have gone to a good home and a wish list of the supplies they are
in need of. Think about the opportunities here when natural disasters
hit, a new animal goes on the endangered species list or checking in a
few years after a devastating accident to see how the area is rebuilding
(or what still needs to be done).
National Center for Missing Persons or America’s Most Wanted
Help spread the word about a missing person or a wanted person by
creating boards. I’ve seen these movements go over well on Twitter, of
crowd sourced find the missing person projects. Just this past January several UK celebrities retweeted pleas from one family trying to find their missing son, who was found a mere few hours later in safe condition.
Craft Supply or Wedding Supply Website
If you sell products that are part of a large project, such as an
online retailer of craft supplies – why not start a board that shows the
“after” result of a project. What does a craft project look like after
they’ve purchased your items? Create your own instruction graphics to
inspire prospective customers. Get customers to send in their photos so
you can share on Pinterest and inspire others to purchase products.
Home Improvement Stores
Everyone loves a great photo of a demolition job for a home
improvement project. Before and after pictures too! For any home
improvement store such as Home Depot, Lowes or even Ace Hardware,
Pinterest seems like an easy enough fit for marketing. Put up photos of
renovations and home projects. Sponsor a contest, asking fans to submit
their home improvement photos. This user generated content can be then
repurposed throughout your social media profiles, including Pinterest.
Take a look at Home Depot’s Pinterest account for some more inspiration.
Before and After Photos
The theme of using before and after photos can transcend many
industries. From contractors, home builders and architects to even a
plastic surgeon. If your industry heavily relies on images, then use
before and after to showcase the staunch differences before and after
your services. A clean and professional looking before and after
cosmetic surgery photo, a before/during/after construction job photo or
a time lapse photo of a building being erected, all can be used
effectively to illustrate before and after.
Travel Agent or Concierge
Are you a travel agent or travel concierge service? Create boards for
travel inspiration. Try a bucket list travel themed board with photos
of the Seven Wonders of the World and other places someone might have on
their bucket list. Create an entire experience for a trip to Africa or
even Disneyland. Cater your boards to the experiences your customers
want to have on vacation and let Pinterest users know you’re available
to help them plan their next vacation too.
School
Take Duke University for example,
they’ve built out boards revolving around their sportsmanship, student
life, traditions and even around their Arts & Humanities department.
If you’re in the education space try out degree program boards full of
photos and information that would interest a student in that field of
study. Someone who is a fashion student would be interested in a fashion
related board, develop boards that highlight a specific degree program
and appeal to a specific type of student. Create your own images that
cater to that fashion student and promote them on Pinterest. Start
thinking about ways to integrate Pinterest style into all your image
assets!
Hotel
Creating boards centered on your hotel or lodging facility is a great
use of Pinterest. Things to do in the city where your hotel is or
places to see in the city your hotel is located are two boards you can
(and should!) put up right this minute. Local eateries, transportation,
travel resources or even area emergency clinics or facilities could all
have their own board. Additionally, you can create boards dedicated to
your event facilities showing past weddings or events held at your
hotel. While not many hotels are currently utilizing Pinterest, there
are a few you can look to for examples: Crowne Plaza NYC, Hotel Berlin andForest House Lodge.
Extermination or Mold Remediation
This Pinterest marketing strategy is enough to make you batty – well
maybe not literally but you get the idea. Pin photos of the types of the
insects and bugs found around your area. Share before and after photos
of infestation or mold remediation projects. Create boards focused
around poisonous insects to help educate. There are many ways
an extermination company or mold remediation company can use Pinterest.
Gift Registry
Who wants to get all their gifts from one store? With links to each
of the images in the board, guests can see a bride’s Pinterest account
and choose the gifts they want to give from all across the web – not
just one store! The same can be done for a baby registry too. Pin photos
onto your own gift registry from Etsy too, what other time would you be
able to add those types of items to a wedding registry?
Blogger
Market your blog posts on Pinterest. One example of a great Top “10″ type post doing well on Pinterest is“17 Tips to Make Your Life Easier”.
They’ve simply pinned one of the images in the top 10 style post and
added a brief description about the post. This is a relatively simple
concept, but one that could be done by any blogger out there. Try giving
some new life to an old blog post by pinning one of the images and
adding to Pinterest.
Early Childhood Education
One brand I’ve started following on Pinterest is PediaStaff,
a pediatric/school based therapy staffing and placement firm. They have
a mission to serve the special needs community through great resources,
so they’ve started using Pinterest to help share. Anyone who first
visits their page is guided along their mission, with the first board
dedicated to introducing their brand.
They’ve built out many of their boards to encompass topics important to
parents of special needs children: sensory activities, fine motor
crafts, rhyming games, social skills and pragmatics, visual supports,
and more! They have over 17,000 followers and a very engaged community
