The theme this month is Using Pinterest for your Business. 

In this series, we are going to go step-by-step from setting up your profile to creating your content strategy.

First things first – “boards” are where you save your pins.

Just as with your other marketing efforts, knowing your niche and your target market is crucial to your success. Why attract people to your boards if they have no interest in what you do or sell?

In earlier episodes, we covered how to set up and optimize your profile. Now it’s time to add content to your boards. Most recommend starting with at least 10 boards because not everyone will search for you based on the same keyword. these boards should be relevant to your niche and use keyword phrases in their titles.

In this video, we go over pinning in action plus your board strategy.

Welcome to a new Systems Sunday! The theme this month is Using Pinterest for your Business. For this series, we are going to go step-by-step from setting up your profile to creating your content strategy.

I am Lisa Wells, Your Virtual Assistant Trainer.

First things first. Boards are where you save your pins.

Just as with your other marketing efforts, knowing your niche and your target market is crucial to your success. Why attract people to your boards if they have no interest in what you do or sell?

In earlier episodes, we covered how to set up and optimize your profile. Now it’s time to add content to your boards.

Most recommend starting with at least 10 boards because not everyone will search for you based on the same keyword. these boards should be relevant to your niche and use keyword phrases in their titles.

Everyone will have different boards depending on what they do, who they serve, and their unique interests, but here are some ideas to get you started:

Tips (social media tips, productivity tips, etc.)
Advice (marketing, starting a business…)
Mindset, Motivation, Quotes
How to…
Personal Development
Tools & Resources

Remember, too, that you’ll likely discover information that you want to save for yourself – or to share with your followers – from OTHER Pinterest users, so each board will be a mix of your pins as well as the shared/saved pins.

Every Pinterest board you create needs a description and a call to action. The description should be concise and use keywords.
Here’s an example of a board from Melissa Pharr. Melissa helps entrepreneurs get clients + get known online. One of her boards is named Badass Female Entrepreneurs and it contains inspiration, tips, and advice.

Create a board or two for just YOUR pins. Sharing is nice but the main purpose here is to share YOUR content and expertise with your followers. From your Pinterest profile you also have the option of sorting your boards. If you want to highlight your own pins first, use the Drag and Drop option; then your boards will appear in any order you choose.

Creating a board is really easy:

Log into your Pinterest account
Click your profile picture in the top-right corner of your page to open your profile
Click the plus icon at the right side of your screen, next to the filter icon
Select Board
Enter a name for your board and click the field below Dates to add an end date or a date range
Toggle Keep this board secret if you want to keep it secret
Click Create

Log into your Pinterest account
Hover over a Pin in your home feed that you want to save.
Click the directional chevron down icon next to the name of the suggested board on the top of the Pin.
Click Create board at the bottom of the list of board names.
Enter a name for your board, add dates, toggle Secret if you want to keep it secret or add collaborators if you want.
If you’re prompted to pick related popular topics to start off your board, you can click some to create sections and then select some Pins to be in those sections. If you do not want to do this, just click Skip.

As I mentioned, Pinterest is also about sharing. Showcasing your expertise isn’t only about the content YOU create. Your expertise also shows up with whose content you choose to share. As you develop your relationship with new Pinterest followers, you want them to know that you won’t steer them wrong; that you care about their problems and are determined to help them find solutions. Think of it like a referral – one bad example can turn someone off to your shared content.

Curating content simply means pinning other people’s content to your boards. Obviously, you don’t want to pin content of direct competitors but think about other experts who serve your same niche. For example, if you’re a social media VA who is focused on social media strategy, search for other experts who focus more on graphic design, copywriting, or ads. Someone who comes to you for strategy may be interested in these other services, even if it’s not your direct expertise.

Now that you’ve got your boards set up and optimized, what are you going to pin? Give this question some thought because you’re using this as a business tool. You can pin willy nilly on your personal Pinterest boards, but your business boards require more planning and methodology.

List out your own content first and then brainstorm a list of experts you want to include. Who has made an impact on your business life? Do you have a “fan girl” crush on a leader in your industry? You don’t need to admit to that – just realize that these are the people whose content will likely help your audience.

As you continue business networking, you’ll discover other experts to include on your boards. But instead of just pinning aimlessly, always read the content first, hold it to high standards, and be very selective about whether this content meets the description of your board(s). If you have to question it, then it’s probably not the best fit. That’s not to say you can’t still enjoy it or share it on other social sites; just keep the end game in mind when pinning other people’s content.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to take it further, check out my new Productivity Planner – How to Use Pinterest for Business to Attract New Fans, Clients, and Sales. At 75 pages, it’s chock full of instructions, examples, and exercises to help you start using Pinterest as part of your marketing strategy. You can find a link to the product below or visit my VA Business Builder Boutique and click on Shop.

Join me next week for your pinning toolbox – tools, plugins, and schedulers.

Catch up on other Using Pinterest for Business episodes + resources mentioned in the video:

• [Video] Creating Your Optimized Pinterest Profile
• [Video] Pin Perfect Strategy to Get Traffic
• [Video] Your Pinning Toolbox: Tools, Plugins, and Schedulers

Did you enjoy this episode and want to put it into action? Check out this planner!