Courtesy of Mark Hunter via Flickr

With the skyrocketing number of users, it’s important to evaluate if your brand is well suited to this type of medium. Ask the following questions:

1. How do I plan to utilize this site to connect to my audience?

What do you want to say? Is Pinterest a good place to communicate news, information, and images related to your brand/brand culture? What demographics are you looking to target/attract? (Hint: If its women aged 18-34, you may be on the right track.)

2. What are the interests of my audience, and what do they want to see?

Why will users be seeking your brand out, and what content will you use to draw them in and keep them coming back? Remember that Pinterest is a place to show some personality and build connections with your audience, and in time, this will curate brand awareness.

3. What do I want to communicate to my audience? Does that fit with the purpose of the site?

Does your brand lend itself well to the visual format of Pinterest?. If you’re only interested in promoting your own products/services to your audience, this might not be the best fit. Try to pin from a variety of sources, rather than solely repurposing your own content.

4. What kind of a look or feel am I going for?

What kind of image do you want to create for your brand? Using the boards to display the various interests and facets of your brand will give it an identity and attract followers. Some interesting and creative board topics/themes used by companies who have successfully utilized Pinterest include: Humour, Inspiration, Social Good, Tips and Tricks, Technology & Gadgets, Wanderlust, Quotes, On Instagram.

5. How do I make my Pinterest an interactive experience for followers?

Will you be inviting the audience to interact with your brand by contributing or repinning content? Taking part in a contest? Helping to launch a new campaign? Engage in conversations, offer insight, and give users a reason to follow you!

So now that you’ve asked yourself these questions, does it make sense for your brand to be on Pinterest? If yes, then what are you waiting for? Start pinning!

One final thought: it is important to make sure you have a plan when you start an account, and nurturing your Pinterest is key. Keep it updated, current, and post relevant and varied content, from various sources, often. Be sure to interact with your followers. By asking yourself these questions and following these tips, you can harness the great potential that Pinterest holds as a social network.

What Pinterest tips do you have? Share them in the comments! And, while we’ve got you, check out and follow Mansfield Communication’s Pinterest.

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(This post was written by Chantal Skraba, Intern, Mansfield Communications)

Connect with me online:
Twitter – @cskraba
Pinterest – pinterest.com/cskraba/
Email – chantal@mcipr.com