Pinterest is, without a doubt, a social juggernaut. The site passed 10 million users in June, officially making it the fastest growing social media site in history. And although a number of brands and businesses have already flocked to the virtual pinboard, Pinterest took a step toward increased brand functionality by unveiling business pages, part of an ongoing launch of tools and resources specifically designed “to help more businesses provide great content on Pinterest and make it easy to pin from their websites,” according to the Pinterest blog.
At first glance, Pinterest business pages don’t look any different from individual pages. The key is that businesses now have access to some additional tools and enhanced functionality that’s not available to personal users. We’ll dive in and take a look at what’s changed—and after that, we’ll share some quick steps so that you can easily convert your existing Pinterest presence to a business page.
The Scoop on Pinterest’s Business Features
One of the keys to your new business presence on Pinterest is verification. By specifying your business name (in addition to your first and last name), you’ll get a verification badge that you can include on your Pinterest profile, the goal of which is to help “people identify high-quality sources of content and more easily find the business they want in search results.”
You’ll also have the ability to add new buttons and widgets, including the Pin It button, the Follow button, the Profile widget and the Board widget. All of these are designed to make it easier for your site visitors to access your Pinterest content—and if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that the easier you make it for someone to do something, the greater the likelihood it will happen.
And by registering your business with Pinterest, you’ll be in line to get the scoop on additional business-specific features, which the site says are on the way. You’ll also have access to a new resource library that includes case studies from brands like Allrecipes, Etsy and Organized Interiors, who have all successfully used Pinterest to achieve various marketing and business goals. Pinterest has also created a best practices guide, as well as documentation on how to use the Pinterest brand in marketing materials.
How To Verify Your Business on Pinterest
So how do you get access to all this professional Pinterest goodness? Two ways: if you’re a new user, sign up for a business account. If you already have a Pinterest presence, the site will give you step-by-step instructions on converting your account.
Once you’ve successfully created or converted your account, take some time to explore the new features, including the site’s terms of service. Pinterest’s TOS have long been a hot button issue as a result of widespread copyright and spam concerns. As a result of increased business use, Pinterest split their existing terms of service into two versions: one for individuals and one for businesses. According to Pinterest, the business TOS are designed to help guide companies on how to properly use Pinterest, including using Pinterest buttons and widgets on third-party sites.
Why This Matters
We’re excited about the changes—and are in the process of converting our accounts now. Sure, this first wave of features is on the simplistic side—but what we love is that Pinterest is clearly clued into the business community and the fact that this user segment requires different tools and resources with which to maximize their use of the site.
Oh, and another thing? If you haven’t yet considered adding Pinterest to your digital marketing strategy, consider this a prime time to rethink that decision. Social channels certainly aren’t one-size-fits-all—and it may not make sense for your company to be on Pinterest depending on your specific marketing goals and demographic.
Yet it’s also worth a bit of experimentation, just to see what sort of results you get. And if you sell something (and, really, don’t we all?), that’s even more incentive to check out Pinterest. Research shows that Pinterest users spend more than Facebook users, so if you’re not already using the site, it could be a lucrative tool in terms of increasing your revenue. Pinterest is typically viewed as a strictly B2C marketing platform, but we’ve seen a lot of potential for B2B companies, too, especially when it comes to driving increased traffic to your website and showcasing your brand’s personality (yes, even B2B companies have them! We promise!)
What do you think? Ready to head over and get your business page set up? We’re all over it.
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”