Pinning for business

Hearing the word Pinterest makes my heart flutter. I sign in and am instantly happy. My boards offer inspiration on what to wear for the day, help with dinner, and info on how to work-off that same meal. My pins portray my best self. The self I would be if money and time were unlimited. I have on many occasions spent hours flicking through images of delightful treats, decorating options, crafts, and clothes.

But what does this mean for your business? It means access to thousands of happy consumers who use this site to share their likes and find others with similar tastes. I was shocked when a friend who works in social media said, “I don’t know why everyone thinks businesses should be on Pinterest.” “Why not?” I say! Pinterest isn’t like Facebook and Twitter. Users go to this site solely to pin things they like. If you, as a business, can capture the essence of your brand through Pinterest boards, think of all the exposure you can gain.

So how do you start? First you have to know your brand and what you want to accomplish with your Pinterest account. Create goals you want to reach. Create boards that your clients will find useful and that represent what you want people to think of when contemplating your spa. Pinterest is not meant for self-promotion, so don’t just start pinning products/services/pictures from your spa.

Food boards are always good, or go with something generic like ‘What We Like.’ That way you can start pinning and get more specific as you see what works. If your spa does hair, make-up or nails, you can do boards that incorporate these themes. Really, anything goes, just remember to keep your brand in mind as you pin. This isn’t what you personally like; it’s what most represents your spa. You can also find pins throughout the web and pin them with the ‘Pin It’ button. What way, you’re helping to build the community.

Once you’ve established yourself on Pinterest you can include pins with products or services that lead users back to your blog or website. Pinterest is not intended for peddling your goods, so if you do this incorrectly or too often, people will see what you’re up to and stop following. One way to ensure you’re not coming off too sales-y (that’s a technical term) is to pin valuable content. Don’t advertise by posting products or services you’re trying to sell, instead post a recipe used at your spa or tips on skin care between spa visits.

Now it’s my turn to endorse our content, but hopefully in a useful way. For inspiration to help you get going take a look at Spa Inc.’s Pinterest page.

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