Pinterest has come a long way in the last five years. What began as a social network for DIY-loving moms and recipe-hungry foodies has transformed into an essential marketing tool for both B2C and B2B brands.

Pinterest users are motivated consumers. According to Pinterest, 93 percent of Pinners have shopped online in the past six months. Pinterest is also the second leading source of social traffic to Shopify stores, and the average value of a sale coming from Pinterest is higher than any other social network – based on this article from Shopify: How Pinterest Drives Online Commerce.

Here are some tactics to explore when promoting your brand through Pinterest.

Starting Out on Pinterest

Whether your business is focused on B2B or B2C, here are four key steps to keep in mind when getting started:

 1. Set up a business account.
If you have already been using Pinterest for your business and you have built up a decent following, you can easily convert your personal account to a business account. Or you can create a new business account altogether. Both options are available at the Pinterest for Business homepage.

2. Complete your profile.
By setting your business account up for success right away, you’ll be more likely to see results from your Pinterest experience. Take the time to fill out your company bio, write descriptions for boards, and verify your website.

3. Link to your website.
Don’t forget to include links in your pin descriptions so users can click through to your various landing pages. Though not every pin needs a call to action, it’s important to include if you want to drive traffic to your site and increase conversion rates. Pinterest also offers a number of widgets to add to your website to help with sharing content and growing your audience.

4. Provide a great mobile experience. 
Approximately 75 percent of Pinterest usage happens on mobile devices. Make sure your website is mobile ready; this can be the difference between a purchase or a customer giving up in frustration. Test your pins from various devices to understand how Pinners will experience your content.

Pinterest Best Practices for B2B

By nature, many B2B companies are selling a product or service in an industry that isn’t the most visual. This lack of visual content is one of the most common problem areas for B2B brands using Pinterest.

At the same time, B2B brands should be looking to use Pinterest to showcase industry knowledge, often through driving traffic back to a company blog. But how do you do this in a visual way?

1. Use strong visuals in your blog posts.
Include appealing, shareable images in your blog posts that highlight your written content. You can then pin these images to your boards to drive followers to your posts.

2.  Infographics, infographics, infographics!
Infographics are informative, visually stimulating and they allow users to digest a ton of information quickly. They also have a high rate of social sharing, which generates a lot of web traffic. Share infographics on your blog then pin them (with a link) to one of your Pinterest  boards.

3. Show what inspires you.
Get creative with your boards. Rather than showcasing your products, build boards that display the culture and passion behind your brand. Share images of the people who work for you, the places you work, the needs that inspire your services, and/or the sentiments and moods you are striving to cultivate.

Pinterest Best Practices for B2C

For certain B2C brands, Pinterest seems to be effortlessly integrated into a marketing strategy. But that doesn’t mean you should lose sight of your goals for the platform. Here are some tips to help you find the best results:

1. Take advantage of Rich Pins.
There are six types of Rich Pins available: app, movie, recipe, article, product and place. They include extra, useful information within the Pin itself. Rich Product Pins includes real time pricing and availability, and where to buy. It also lets Pinner know when the prices drop more than 10 percent.

2.  Build boards around timely themes, events and holidays.
Think of your Pinterest boards as window displays in a shopping mall. Keep in mind how these displays are seasonal and on trend. We already know Pinterest users have a buying mindset. Using this seasonal merchandising strategy will help you not only stay current and appeal to the collective shopping mindset, but it will also drive more traffic back to your website.

3. Reward your Pinterest Affiliates.
One of the best parts of social media as a whole is the opportunity to establish brand ambassadors. Once you have built a significant following, your followers start doing the work for your brand. This is clearly evident on Pinterest with its repining structure. Be sure to pinpoint your brand ambassadors on Pinterest – the people who are generating awareness and conversion rates for your brand – and consider rewarding them with free product samples or gift cards.

For more tips, check out our blog on Using Pinterest as a Sales Tool.

Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published in April 2104 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness. 

The post Pinterest for Business | B2C and B2B Best Practices appeared first on Bright Blue Wave.