10 B2B Strategies To Win With Pinterest

Pinterest is probably the hottest social network for all things visual. The successful social photo sharing site is not just a time waster but a great tool for researching, bookmarking, brainstorming, collaborating, sharing, promoting and networking – all through vibrant, eye-catching images. Pinterest has been heavily used by businesses selling makeup, fabrics, fashion items as well as other products and services that can be promoted via great visuals. But when it comes to b2b marketing the full potential of Pinterest as a powerful online strategy tool has been somewhat overlooked. So here are 10 B2B Pinterest tricks you didn’t know:

1. Pinterest Boards : Since Pinterest boasts a constantly growing user base and surprising referral traffic numbers it should be used in b2b marketing – and it can be used, even if your business is seemingly far away from vibrant colours and expressive imagery.  What you have to do is find visuals where there aren’t any: create Pinterest boards of your staff members, prim in their uniforms and suits, then mix it up with off-duty Pinterest boards of party goer shots taken at your last corporate hang-out. Great visuals, great sense of business culture – more traffic to your corporate site!

2. Infographics : You should use Infographics to showcase important data – it looks really good on Pinterest, portraying you as a serious expert in your field.

3. Use Your Blog : If you haven’t got a blog yet start it now, and don’t forget to include show-stopping images that you can always pin later. If you are lucky, your blog pins (together with the links you paste into descriptions) can go viral and your hard work and consistency will pay off.

4. Excel Charts : If you have any data that you can put into Excel charts, it’s wise to make use of those on Pinterest. If you think about it long enough, any information can be made visual – just take the creative approach this time and really let loose.

5. Pinning : Pinning mottos, inspirational quotations and motivational words of wisdom can be a great way to promote your business on Pinterest. You can take pictures of plaques you have in the office or find inspiration online; as long as it’s visual, intelligent, catchy and refers back to your business, it will do a lot of good.

6. Inspiration : You know how editors of fashion magazines get their inspiration from films, music, unusual colour combinations, street signs and even garbage bags? They put all these inspirational images onto ‘mood boards’ which later help them shape upcoming magazine issues. Who said that as an executive of a serious business company you can’t be inspired by cool images of the most unexpected objects? Use those ‘mood boards’ to show your Pinterest followers that even hard core professionals have a creative streak.

7. Corporate Humour : If you love corporate humour, you can share funny images or quotes with your Pinterest contacts. It may show a more vulnerable side of you, and users can relate to you more on a personal level.

8. Pin Book Covers : To show your expertise in what you do, you can pin book covers or images from outstanding articles related to your industry. Definitely create pin boards of any books or white papers you or your staff members have created – it builds consumer confidence and shows you are passionate about your business.

9. Customer Boards : You can also create Pinterest boards of your customers using your products or services. The happy faces of satisfied clients can serve as testimony to the way you do your job and attract even more customers.

10. Link, Link and Link : Never leave a pin without a description that includes a link to your landing page or a solid call-to-action to hook customers. You never know which pin goes ballistic, so take your chance to write catchy descriptions, leaving customers wanting more every time, and link, link, link.

Creating Pinterest boards that are the best in your niche market, even if your business doesn’t naturally seem to be visual-driven, can be a great b2b online tool. Being consistent and working hard on Pinterest by liking and commenting on related accounts, promoting relevant content of partners, and linking your Pinterest account with other social networks can be a great b2b strategy in the fast changing media world.

This article is written by Hannah Crossfield. She works for B2B marketing are a leading provider in marketing collateral and have a buzzing on-line community.