In the world of social media, it seems as though there is always a new tool, application or website to keep up with and, often, it can become difficult to discern which opportunities are worth your increasingly limited time. By now, you’ve likely heard of Pinterest – the social sharing phenomenon with over one million daily users. The site allows users to create and share virtual pin boards featuring everything from fitness tips and home improvement ideas to recipes, fashion concepts and favorite products. It’s fresh, simple and incredibly effective.

To the average entrepreneur, however, Pinterest may not seem like a worthy space in which to dedicate marketing efforts. It consists largely of wedding inspiration photos and craft how-tos. Yet, this network has quickly become a virtual goldmine for both new customers and increased brand loyalty and, because of it’s ease of use, the audience available through this platform broadens each and every day.

The primary way in which Pinterest can achieve your customer reach goals is through something called traffic referrals. For most companies who have built an online presence, the primary objective of any social media platform is to drive potential customers to your website. Think of your Facebook or Twitter page as a teaser – it lets interested parties know you exist and invites them to your website where they can actually review and utilize your products or services. Pinterest does the exact same thing, but in a whole new and much more visual way.

When you add something to your shared pin board, it sends it out to all of your followers and, depending on the number of followers you have acquired, this immediate exposure can generate leads in minutes. Additionally, your followers can choose to re-pin this item to their followers who can then re-pin it to their followers and so forth. Essentially, it’s free advertising for you and an easy way for consumers to find what they’re looking for. It’s also a great opportunity for companies to better understand what their customers want.

Many larger companies, such as Oreck, General Electric and Whole Foods, have already realized the benefits of Pinterest. However, for smaller companies with tight budgets, it can be an even greater tool. All in all, this free site is one social media opportunity your company can not afford to pass up.

What about you, how are you using or planning on using Pinterest in your business?


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