Not on Pinterest Yet? Here’s Why You Should Be

Pinterest is now the third most popular social network in the world, being outstripped only by Facebook and Twitter. From January to March 2012, Pinterest pulled in 36.5 million unique page views, and it brings in more referral traffic than YouTube, Reddit, Google+ and LinkedIn combined — which is great news for sellers. Imagine: if you post one thing on Pinterest, you’ll get more traffic from that item than you would by posting it to nearly all your other social networks. Pinterest is powerful. And it’s tailor-made for makers, crafters, DIYers, artists and others with original, highly visual works. Use Pinterest to show off your goods and encourage people to purchase them.

On Pinterest, you can curate a board by “Pinning” images to it, and the images appear in a general feed. Then other Pinterest users can like a pin or “Repin” it to one of their own boards. Each image is linked to a web page, so when users click an image they go straight to the site — so if you Pin an item from your Goodsmiths shop, others can easily and instantly visit the page (and maybe buy the item).

How to create your Pinterest account:

• Start here. You have to request an invite to Pinterest, so sign up and watch your email inbox. It may take a day or two, so sit tight. Bake some cookies while you wait.
• Once you’re in, add boards. Boards let you collect and organize things you love. They can be anything — craft ideas, funny infographs, tasty recipes, or works of art.
• Follow users. Start following friends, family, and brands you love for a steady (and gorgeous) stream of images.
• Install the Pin It button. The easiest way to Pin things is to install the “Pin It” button to your browser’s toolbar. This way, you can pin images from any website without visiting pinterest.com. For detailed instructions on how to install the button, check out Pinterest’s handy roundup of videos.

How to use Pinterest for your brand:

• Pin what you make! It’s an easy way to get exposure — and we guarantee you’ll see more traffic on your shop if you share your items on Pinterest.
• Consider the price. Pinterest lets you share prices that appear as banners over pins. Some studies show that affixing prices to a pin make them less likely to be repinned, but experiment and see what works for you.
• Collect things you love. Pinterest is about collecting, so start curating boards with stuff you’re into.
• Find inspiration. No doubt you’ll find new things to try, so save those inspirational moments! Pinterest isn’t just a place to share pictures — it’s a place to share ideas.
• Share with others. Pinterest is a community, and people will respect you more if they can make a personal connection outside of the connection with your brand. To do that, show people your personality! And be friendly: Repin things from others, follow users, comment on pins, and “like” things your friends post. The more you can engage the community, the more they’ll promote your stuff to their networks because they like you as a person (and, hopefully, you as a brand). Be real, and use Pinterest to show others your style.