As a young professional in the field of social media, I do my best to attend each monthly SMC Dallas (Social Media Club) and SMB Dallas (Social Media Breakfast) event in hopes I can retain as much new information related to the world of social media as possible. Granted, it is a little tougher for me to muster up the motivation to set my alarm clock an hour earlier for SMB, but as soon as I get my coffee and Einstein’s fix, all is right with the world. (Many thanks to my peeps at Atomic Design for providing this month’s breakfast). If you were unable to attend SMB this morning, I hope this post proves helpful to you.
Founder and Director of Search at smbSEO, Mike Stewart (@dallasseoguru) gave a very “pinteresting” presentation on “Why You Need Pinterest for Business”. As a social media butterfly, female, and avid Pinterest user, I was very excited to hear what Mike had to say about this oh-so-addicting social network. Mike began the presentation by providing a detailed explanation of what Pinterest is for those not as experienced with the site as others.Several examples included:
What is Pinterest? A social image sharing site created by Ben Silbermann.
How do you Pinterest? Users “pin” images of items they desire, like, or are advocates for to virtual “pinboards”. Each pinboard has the option to be public or private and can be shared with your friends that are also connected on Pinterest.
After catching everybody in the room up to speed on what Pinterest is, Mike went on to explain why your business should be on Pinterest.
Here’s why. (Just a few of the many reasons)
• Since its site launch in 2010, Pinterest has climbed the social status ladder to be ranked as the third largest social network. Pinterest is also ranked the #46 website out of the entire web. (According to comScore)
• The visual content displayed on Pinterest is exceptionally appealing and has limitless viral potential.
• Many users on the site visit Pinterest with the buying mindset and are ready to purchase. (Half the battle is already won.)
• “In February, Pinterest drove more traffic to websites than Twitter, Google+, Linked In and Youtube combined.”
There is something for everybody on Pinterest. There is the potential to make each brand “awesome” on Pinterest. Mike suggests that it is a good rule of thumb to follow the 80/20 rule. This states that 80% of time needs to be spent on engagement and context and the remaining 20% of your time on Pinterest be spend on creating compelling content.
“Curate the best. Don’t repin EVERYTHING!”
Pinterest is a social network filled with opportunities to make your brand successful. However, Mike also warned there are a few items to be cautious of:
• When working on your clients social channels utilize Pinterest but do not make it the center of the social universe.
• Pinterest has a tendency to be a copyright infringement nightmare. One way to avoid this is to always “give credit where credit is due.” Make sure the image you pin always links back to the original source.
• Spammers do exist on Pinterest. The best way to build your trusted community is to follow people!
These key points are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the presentation this morning at SMB Dallas. If you were unable to attend don’t forget to sign up for the biggest holiday happening in the advertising/marketing/communications field; DFW Jingle Mingle on December 6th!
If you were able to attend this morning’s event, let us know your thoughts! Leave a comment in the space below and join the conversation!
Get more from this blog:
Read a recap of this month’s SMC Dallas with Bill Lee!
Blog Categories
Interested in a specific topic? Review the categories below and get the info, news, and tips you need based on your interest!
