It’s no big secret that social media is the hottest thing on the web – and a major factor in the success of plenty of email marketing campaigns as well. However, there’s still plenty of brands who think that if you’re not working with Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, then there’s little to be gained by blending these two powerful portions of the digital world together. To help dispel this myth, and provide you with a more visually engaging alternative to the social media “Big Three,” here’s a look at how and why utilizing Pinterest can help give your inbox initiatives a major boost.
Delving into the Power of Pinterest
To start this discussion off right, we need to answer the big question that serves as the foundation for the rest of this conversation – is Pinterest’s audience really big enough to worry about? As Marketing Land’s Martin Beck explains, the answer to this question is an overwhelmingly emphatic, “yes!”With over 50 billion “pins” posted to date, Pinterest has experienced a growth rate of over 66 percent in the past year. Aside from becoming one of the most explosive platforms on the web in recent memory, this visually oriented site also draws well from consumers who are on the go, relying upon mobile devices for 80 percent of its traffic.
Is There Really Room for Overlap?
With millions of people logging in daily, there’s no denying that Pinterest is a hot commodity. However, is it really worth building a branded page and using this tool to raise awareness for your email campaign based upon what you know about your target audience? Again jumping back to Beck’s research can help provide an answer to this question.As you’ve already seen, mobile audiences can’t get enough of the site, so if your base of consumers also conducts its business from smartphones and tablets, chances are there’s already plenty of overlap. Additionally, Pinterest continues to see growth among more youthful viewers and international visitors alike. If any of these attributes serve as part of your ideal consumer profile, it’s time to start talking about when – and not if – you should make the jump into this social platform.
Putting Your Brand in a Position to Succeed
In order to raise awareness about your email marketing operations, and in a broader sense your brand itself, you’ll need to have a smart and sound strategy leading the way. As Sujan Patel of Small Business Trends points out, if you want to tap into this platform that lays claim to over 50 million users, you need to make a strong first impression.Just like your inbox oriented content, appearing professional and inviting is a big deal for new members to your social community. Picking a branded cover photo, completing your profile information, and sorting and organizing your pins via appropriate board labels and categories all work well toward this goal.Once you have the foundation in place, it’s time to start talking about the content that’s worthy of being pinned to your page. Generally, you’ll want to find an appropriate blend of content that intrigues the person on the other side of the screen and offerings that help espouse your brand persona and ideals. By keying in on both of these fronts and providing a unique and active experience for this audience, your brand can build interest among these viewers and drive more traffic toward your email campaign sign-up pages.
Going the Extra Mile
If your brand really wants to go above and beyond in terms of reach and awareness, Social Media Examiner’s Debbie Hemley suggests cozying up with other major players in your industry. Interacting with influencers on Pinterest allows your brand to reap the rewards of recommended pins and mentions that end up in front of substantial audiences. Naturally, these connections can’t be forced – you’ll have to work toward a legitimate relationship with these established members of the community. But once a nod toward your email marketing list and other endeavors end up on one of these prominent pages, it won’t take long for you to realize that all of this hard work hasn’t been in vain.By now, there’s no doubt that Pinterest can play a major role in supporting your email marketing and other outreach operations. As long as you put these tips and tactics to good use and keep your brand open to exploring new opportunities on this front, you can move forward with confidence knowing that your brand is getting the most out of this constantly growing platform.