Is Pinterest Good for B2B and Channel Marketing?

Pinterest is the latest trend in social networking, but should it be incorporated into your channel marketing strategy and is it right for B2B?

What is Pinterest anyway?

Pinterest is a new social networking site that allows users to create online pin boards of various online images. These online pin board collages are public and can be shared with other Pinterest users, Tweeted, and linked to Facebook. Similar to Facebook or LinkedIn, other users can “like,” “repin,” or comment on your pinned images. While Pinterest is spreading like wildfire with its aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-use layout, is it right for the B2B channel?

Drawbacks to Pinterest for B2B

Visual Requirements: Pinterest relies heavily on visual content and such content is often lacking on B2B sites. Additionally, although Pinterest can drive traffic to your site, it takes four clicks to get from the image back to the article or your website.

Time Requirements: Similar to other social media options, Pinterest requires an investment of time and maintenance; for companies on a tight marketing budget this should not be your first priority for social media amplification. Pinterest’s visual requirements also demand more time to create (i.e. future blog posts & products should have high quality photos, and forget those professional stock photos, because they won’t draw in traffic). Time is also required to build a relationship with the Pinterest community by engaging with other pinners on their content and providing valuable content beyond self-promotion.

Customer Use: Are your customers using Pinterest? It is likely that they are, but similar to Facebook in the B2B world, they are likely using Pinterest for personal use. When you are making a pin board for your dream home inspiration, do you really want to be looking at a board on routers for work?

Pinterest Best Practices for B2B

For the right products and customer base, Pinterest is an excellent tool using images to tell a story and build your company brand. Pinterest can also help you learn more about your customers by viewing their pin boards.

If you decide to embark on the Pinterest train, here are a few tips to maximize it for B2B use:

• Promote your reputation as an industry thought leader by pinning valuable content for your community:
  • Create boards using a few core keywords (ones you are already using for Search Engine Optimization)
  • Use strong visuals for your businesses blog posts (highlight new & old blog content on a similar topic)
  • Pin infographics and data charts with an incorporated headline so people know what the data represents
  • Pin eBook & Book covers
  • Pin product demo or tutorial videos
  • Pin pictures for upcoming events & then add recap photos after event

• Personalize your business:
  • Pin photos of your customers or partners (with permission)
  • Highlight your company’s culture with pictures from retreats or the staff on Halloween
  • Use employee headshots to create various company team boards (i.e. executive team, sales, etc.

• Promote your Pinterest account:
  • Add the Pinterest ‘follow’ button on your website
  • Promote your presence on Pinterest through your other social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter

• Engage your Pinterest followers:
  • Pinterest contests for User-generated pin boards
  • Comment on other pinners’ content

The Ideal Business for Pinterest

Highly visual companies are great for Pinterest, as well as businesses that rely on driving a high-volume of website traffic to increase sales. A business that has a comprehensive social networking profile and the time to manage another platform can also be a great fit for Pinterest.