Pinterest pins may very well be the easiest (and quickest) form of social media update to make. You see something that catches your eye, you hit the “Pin” button, you choose a board to stick that pin to, and then you are on to the next piece of Pinterest eye candy.

Using Pinterest for your small business can be a very effective tool. But while you might pin on a whim when using Pinterest for your personal use, you really do need to have a strategic, consistent method to your pinning madness when doing so for your business. Board names like “In my Dreams”, “Faves”, or ” WANT” are not going to suffice if you’re trying to build a strong brand image and grow your Pinterest community.

So where do you get started creating a strategy for your business’ Pinterest Boards? Here are the 4 steps you need.

1. Profile your Typical Customer You can’t be all promotional all the time on social media, and this includes your Pinterest pin activity. Think about your customers. Consider not just their demographic makeup, but their psychographic makeup, too. Is there a lifestyle relating to your brand? What types of things are relevant and complimentary to your business and customers? Example: An online clothing retailer may have boards for makeup tips, hairstyles, popular travel destinations, date night ideas, and exercise.
2. Profile your Business and Brand You definitely should have some boards about your products or services, but how many boards do you need and how should you divide up all of the things you sell to pin to your Pinterest boards? You’re going to want to make logical groupings of all of your items that can be pinned. Also, consider how your customer may search for the products or services you offer. Example: Let’s use that same online clothier. Perhaps it would make sense to have a board each for tops, pants, dresses, shoes, and handbags, plus a board for complete outfits.
3. Give your boards recognizable, useful names Cute names are only that – CUTE. Perhaps your business name or industry lends itself to a series of clever Pinterest board names, but for most people it’s best to err on the side of being more descriptive and straight-forward to ensure your customers know instantly the kinds of pins they’ll see on your boards.
4. Have Fabulous Images If you have an online store, you should already have great images of your products for the purposes of selling them. Keep in mind that you can’t pin a product or website page that doesn’t have an image. Also, keep in mind that 80% of Pinterest activity is repins. If you have lackluster images, you’re severely limiting the repin potential and greater reach.

Someone landing on your Pinterest profile will make a judgment on your brand and business within seconds. Developing a group of boards that presents a full, well-rounded view of your brand is absolutely the best strategy to have.