Nunok's Blog: 30 Resources, Tips and Tricks for Marketing Your Business on Pinterest

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30 Resources, Tips and Tricks for Marketing Your Business on Pinterest

via Jeffbullas's Blog by Jeff Bullas on 2/14/12

Pinterest was launched in March 2010 and this social media network has has grown more than 4,000 percent in the last 6 months according to Experian Hitwise.

It seems though that it is just starting to hit its straps as the latest figures from Hitwise reveal that at the end of January (in the space of just 3 weeks), Pinterest traffic has increased from 10 million users a month to 17 million!

It is now the 60th most visited site in the USA!

So What is Pinterest?

Obviously a lot of people know what it is and have been playing in the Pinterest "playpen" and have been pinning on its pinboards.

Essentially it is a visual online pinboard or scrapbook that can organise your favourite hobbies or topics visually in categories of your choice.

Pinterest allows people to pin or upload images from websites and blogs (whether that is their own website or one they are visiting) that they find inspiring or beautiful. It can be done with a couple of clicks with a "Pin it" button on the menu bar of your favourite browser.

That image then links back to your website or the one you pinned it from.

Pinterest is still invitation only, but be patient after you apply it will only take a few days before you are let in!

Why Pinterest Drives Traffic

When people "repin" those images to their boards they are in essence building links back to your website.

In a digital web world that is driven by our increasing addiction to search engines and social media, having links to your website being shared around on a social network will lead to people clicking on your link.

This means more traffic and also being "discovered"

Online visibility is something that marketers are constantly striving for as they fight for brand attention in an ocean of 500 million websites!

People Love Sharing Images and Photos

The real attraction and viral capability of Pinterest is that people will "share" images and photos much more readily than a boring bit of text.

As the web moves to an increasingly visual medium (you may have noticed Facebook increasing the size of its banners and spaces for placing your photos and images in its new Timeline user interface), social networks and apps such as Pinterest and Instagram are gaining traction.

Learning how to take advantage of an increasingly online world for your business that consumes and shares rich media and images on a social web is now vital and essential.

Here are 30 resources for coming up to speed on the emerging universe of Pinterest.

1. Guides to Using Pinterest

Here an awesome collection of guides that provide an in depth look at ways to use Pinterest for your business.

They include case studies and examples with graphics and images to explain the concepts.

2. Fun and Inspiring Stuff on Pinterest

Pinterest is designed to be an inspiring forest of images and videos that will provide great ideas for your home, travel, dorm room, wedding, lifestyle and much more.

Some of the art and photography is indeed awe inspiring and sometimes a bit of fun!

3. What the Press is Saying About Pinterest

The press has leapt into creating more buzz about Pinterest and the Wall Street Journal recently named it the hottest start-up in Silicon Valley. Time Magazine named it one of the best 50 websites for 2011.

4. Tips and Tricks for Using Pinterest for Marketing Your Business

Pinterest can be a place for bloggers, retailers, online stores and even NonProfits to leverage their brand and make their ideas spread.

Nothing like a bit of pinning to share links around.

Temple and Webster on Pinterest

(Australia's first members only site dedicated to beautiful homewares)

5. Pinterest Case Studies

Learning how to use a new social network can be fast tracked when you look and learn from other businesses and how they are doing it.

Here are some inspiring case studies that may help you get those creative marketing ideas and juices flowing.

Chobani Yoghurt on Pinterest

6. Pinterest Users and Brands Worth Checking Out

Steven McGaughey is a med student with a not so secret love of design. He just happens to have 34 Boards, 1797 Pins and over 200,000 followers on Pinterest.