social media marketing Archives

Though Pinterest is seen by most to be a beautiful place where the best recipes are found and travel ideas are inspired, Pinterest actually has substantial potential to bring in additional revenue.

But because many coin it as another social media platform, many people write off the platform from being as relevant as larger platforms like Facebook or Instagram.

Except, if you’re looking to sell to other consumers, Pinterest is exactly where you should be.

Pinterest is a search engine. And when you see it through that lens, creating a strategy to generate revenue can seem less daunting. So if you’re looking for a new opportunity to make some extra income, here are some strategies to get started.

Switch to a business account

First and foremost, a business account will enable you to see your analytics. You’ll be able to further monitor a general overview of the traffic on your account, in addition to insights about your audience.

Your overview will give you a closer glimpse toward who’s pinning your content, how many impressions your pin made, the links clicked, in addition to who may be sharing it. You can also see your audience analytics to learn about the users following and engaging with your content.

Study your current analytics and audience

Looking at your audience insights, you can learn a lot about the people following you in addition to their preferences. Spend time analyzing what your engaged audience is pinning, and create content that is specific to your brand, but also engages them.

Look for keywords within your topic

Just like you would on Google, use the search bar to type in your topic, and similar phrases that come to mind. Then, take note of the most popular queries that appear each time you search. Use them as keywords to include in your blogs, on your website, and pin descriptions to generate more traffic. You’ll rank higher as a result if you create pins that people are actually searching for.

Create a blog

Though we touched on this briefly, write content based on these ideas and topics on a blog that you own and can monetize. Pinterest will become the primary vehicle driving traffic to your website as you create blogs that are geared toward the subjects you pin about. Consider using titles and ideas that are widely searched about based on your analytics.

Use compelling visuals

Pinterest is a photo-driven platform, so using tools like Canva, Crello, and photo websites will help you create great photo content to entice your audience to click on what you’ve created. For photos, use free websites like Pexels and other stock photo providers to have great images, or look into photo editing apps on your phone like VSCO to better edit them.

Consider affiliate links & offering products

Affiliate links essentially are URL’s containing an affiliate’s special code. By choosing products you care about that fit your brand, you can direct your audience to your blog through pins encouraging them to purchase from you. Pinterest then becomes an effective vehicle to drive more people than ever in front of you to begin purchasing from you.

Creating compelling graphics online is more important to social media platforms, web design, and overall content creation than most may realize.

Because the majority of the web is driven by visual content, it is important to have compelling images that truly tell a story and serve your audience well.

Despite your background in graphic design or photography, here are some resources worth researching when creating visual content to use online.

Look into presets

Adobe Creative Cloud is the leading platform for professionals when it comes to visual artwork, using Lightroom well will likely lead to the highest quality content. Don’t have time to learn to be a photographer?

Still download Lightroom, but instead of creating your edits, purchase presets. Presets are typically designed by photographers, and unlike filters, edit the entire composition of the photo taken in a given environment. Looking into consistent presets to add to your photos will enhance your brand by posting edited photos that also have slight personal touches. Eventually, you can even create your own.

Download apps

If platforms like Adobe Lightroom seem intimidating, there are apps like VSCO, Color Story, and Snapseed to help edit your photos as well. Such apps will enable you to apply filters that match your brand directly from your phone, creating a cohesive theme. Many brands or companies will use the same filter, or a variation of a filter and color, repeatedly across all photos to create a signature look.

Canva and Crello

Canva and Crello are user-friendly graphic design websites with plenty of preloaded templates to choose from. From social media graphics and banners to presentations, and even event flyers, there’s a template for nearly everything. If you prefer creating something custom, there are plenty of tutorials on YouTube that offer instruction on how to use such platforms with ease to create your own custom content.

Use stock photo websites

Unsplash, Pexels, and other photo websites exist where you can download professional photos for free from photographers aspiring to put their name out, or at a small charge in comparison to the price it would take to hire a photographer to shoot for you.

Using such websites will give you a variety of photos to choose from and implement in your design campaigns, or to schedule on social media.

Hire a new photographer

When it comes to your photo content, authenticity matters. Depending on your audience or product, stock photos may not always be sufficient.

Consider hiring a photographer every few months, or for a full day to get custom shots of your product or service. Squeezing them into a day may prove to be more cost-effective in the long run, and just because you get the photos all in one sitting does not mean you have to roll them out at the same time.

If you have a low budget, look to find someone in college that wants to make extra income that has an iPhone that can even take some easy photos for your social media accounts. With an iPhone 10 or better, they can still take some great shots. Look through photography hashtags on Instagram and consider reaching out.

Look into pre-made templates on Etsy

Believe it or not, this website has many options when it comes to graphic design templates, presets, or stock photos. As a melting pot for creatives, you may be able to easily find some of the visual images you may be looking for. Such templates likely will be more custom than more heavily used websites like Canva considering Etsy does require purchases. You may even find a designer to create custom content just for you at a great price.