Pinterest Marketing Part-9

How Businesses Use Pinterest 

If you’re still reading then congratulations, you now know Pinterest marketing inside out and should be ready to start achieving great things through the app.
 
But if you’re still feeling anxious about diving in, it might help you to see some examples of other brands that have managed to succeed. These companies have largely used the exact same techniques that we’ve discussed – delivering value to their audience and then linking it back to the products and services they sell. Here are some great examples of top brands and how they’ve worked their magic.


 
Etsy
 
Etsy is pretty much the ‘eBay of crafts’ and allows its users to sell all kinds of things they’ve made (of course the company takes a small cut). Common products to find on Etsy include handmade jewelry, paintings, ornaments, and more.  
 
As you can imagine then, this is a perfect example of a creative and ‘visual’ brand that is ideally suited to Pinterest.
 
And Etsy has made sure to take full advantage of that fit. They have boards focussing on everything from interior design, to pets, to gardening, to cooking. With well over 460,000 followers, their boards are doing very well and they even allow viewers to easily buy the items that they like the looks of.
 
Swarovski 

Swarovski has one board in particular that does very well on Pinterest, which is its ‘Wedded Bliss’ board. This board has over 1,500,000 followers and growing. The board works well because it really focuses on the emotions involved in getting married (hence ‘bliss’) and because it provides useful inspiration for those getting married. At the same time, it relates to their products without being an obviously promotional subject.
 
Mashable
 
Mashable is a great example of a blog that is doing well on Pinterest. With over 1,500,000 followers, the company works by focussing on the most visually appealing aspects of technology: such as infographics, apps, and products. 
 
HTC One
 
HTC One is doing a great job with the marketing in general and has set itself apart as a very ‘trendy’ mobile phone manufacturer. Pinterest only helps it to cement this impression, where the company has been running contests. A simple promotion ‘repin to win your very own HTC one was enough to gain over 3,700 comments and even more repins. The contest was actually a partnership with a leading social media authority already doing well on the site, which nicely rolls two very potent marketing strategies into one highly effective approach. 

L.L. Bean  
 
L.L. Bean has more followers than any other brand currently on Pinterest: that’s over 5,300,000! They showcase all kinds of outdoor activities, again focussing on the lifestyle that surrounds their products. People want to fill their home-feeds with imagery that’s aesthetically appealing and that makes them feel good when they look at it – so keep this in mind as you populate your own boards!
 
As you can see, all these big brands are using Pinterest in precisely the way we’ve outlined: to share content that people will enjoy viewing and that will promote the lifestyle and value proposition of their products. Good marketing doesn’t have to be ‘on the nose’ – look for ways to get people excited about your brand and to help them feel inspired and to come up with ideas. If you can do those things, then your boards will succeed.