Many companies join a ton of social media sites, link to them on their websites and pat themselves on the back for their marketing efforts. Unfortunately not all platforms are right for all businesses. While it’s important to know which platforms are right for you, it’s just as important to know how to really maximize a site that is right for you.

So, in addition to gorgeous images, what do you need to make Pinterest work for you?

3 Things you Need for Great Pinterest Campaigns

1. Lots of Content Whether it’s a ton of blog posts or a plethora of products, you need to have lots of content to pin to Pinterest. While we never advocate being 100% promotional, having your own content to highlight your expertise is part of growing a great Pinterest following. This is especially true if you are something like an author or insurance agent – just re-pinning things on Pinterest doesn’t do much to boost your brand. There are lots of individual Pinterest users doing that already. Having content that pushes people to your blog to learn about your brand is crucial to differentiating yourself and your business.
2. Hashtag Research Sure, it’s true that you can use whatever hashtag you’d like on social media. That doesn’t mean that lots of other users are searching for that hashtag – or that it’s as relevant to your business as you think. Before you start utilizing Pinterest for your business, take the time to research which hashtags will really find you the right target audience.
3. Board and Pin Descriptions It’s not enough to just pin beautiful images. You need to fill out your board and pin descriptions – accurately. Often the original text doesn’t reflect your thoughts, why you’re pinning the image or the hashtags you’ve diligently researched. Taking the time to update these fields will find you the right followers and better optimize you for Pinterest search.

Pinterest can be a great traffic driver and community builder for certain businesses. Once you know it’s right for your business, make sure you’re making the most of it.

If you’re interested, here are more great tips for using Pinterest for business.