One of the biggest joys I have in doing a Brand Story in Social Media is watching the life cycle of the opportunity. Starting with a case analysis by measuring clients’ goals, research their competition, discover if their potential clients are present in the platforms they are interested in, then building a strategy around the brand for them. It’s like wrapping a special gift; you find the perfect solution, build a goal oriented box around it, wrap it in a pretty, robust brand and tie it in a perfect bow.
One story I wanted to share with you is a fitness based client who happened to be male. Contrary to popular belief, Pinterest isn’t a platform just intended for women. Although, 70 percent of users are women, they search for different things and (generally) have different interests. You can see some statistics referenced in this great article http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/pinterest-stats/ which not only lists 90 statistics, but will show you a handful of great demographic stats which may really benefit your brand. We followed a step by step process to achieve his goals and he maximized them to achieve his best results.
(1) Know Your Audience
If you don’t know what your niche is, it is best for you to consult with a Business Coach and/or Brand Consultant. Define it, own it and make it you. It is your brand after all and surely you wouldn’t want to market to “anyone who has hair” or “anyone who has skin” (which are popular phrases I have heard from folks who haven’t found their sweet spot yet. Where skin may be important to the make-up consultant, defining an age group, specific service offering or technique may be better ways to approach the “anyone with skin” conversation. I digress. We searched Pinterest for 3 specific targets. The client didn’t believe that his target market would be in this platform, but the best rule of thumb is; “if your target is talking about the service they need … that you have … changes are, this is a really good fit” - Hollie Clere our CEO.
Do you know what we found? Over 1,000 Pins in Pinterest that fit his target demographic.
(2) Build and Effective Story Rich Brand that will Showcase Your Personality and Specialty
A social media friend of mine once described to me the idea of Pinterest and I have held onto it because it is sound advice and a perspective from an active Pinterest user. To summarize without quoting (as it has been too long to do her words justice), think of how you search and what you would want to see in a brand.
- Show off your personality. No one wants to look at a series of boards just about “business”. They want to get to know you. Remember, Like, Know, Trust is the most important aspect to sales and social media conversations. People will buy from people they Trust, not just a brand just because it is a brand. Showcasing your interests are perfectly acceptable in this platform.
- Pin influencers and other folks that have solid information shared. Sharing original content is good, but building a following and subscribing to others is even better. How else do you start to have social interactions without giving praise to others when they have a successful solution? Why reinvent the wheel?
- Don’t build empty boards. You took the time to create it and if it reflects you and the board is nearly empty, what does it say about your brand? Fill it up! You wouldn’t turn in an executive report without all of the information right? You wouldn’t tell a story without getting to the punch line … it will leave your viewer a lacking sense of what you were trying to accomplish.
We established goals, built full, robust boards and he maintained the deliverables we set forth. He wasn’t spammy (just promoting his material), he was engaging and put thought into each item he chose to share with each pin (giving credit where credit was do). You know what was great about that? People appreciated the mentions, took notice of his acknowledgements and he was well on his way to building a reputation in Pinterest.
(3) Maintain Consistency and Engage
You will hear Social Media folks talk continually about consistency and engagement. It’s true if you think about it. You can’t build a great relationship with a client unless you get to know them, remain in front of them and nurture the relationship. Our client did just this. He developed a schedule daily to Pin, Re-Pin, Comment and Reply to things he chose to post to his boards. The routine was solid and he developed relationships that turned into business.
I have always said, it is better to create a brand and presence in platforms that will drive traffic to your website and have the potential for you to grow relationships which eventually will turn into sales.
Check it out, search, do research and only then will you know if this is a platform that will work well for you. Consider taking classes or workshops that will give you tools to optimize each and every Pin.
Cheers to your success!
If you are interested in learning some strategies to optimize Pinterest for your Business, we have a workshop that may be a good fit for you! View the schedule at: http://thesocialpro.eventbrite.com
~ Social Media is changing the way people do business. Don't get left behind ~
Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a "Be Awesome" Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Conent Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube, Pinterest and the tools to manage them. Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars
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