February 21, 2018
Broaden your base, expand your social media following and highlight your brand with professionally curated Pins that focus on real estate expertise, professional knowledge and involvement in local community. It’s all part of a well-planned online presence that will pay business dividends immediately and in the future.
What Pinterest Is
Some people are still a bit confused—or intimidated—by Pinterest. It is a platform with broad reach and huge influence. It is transactional and “how-to,” diverse and somewhat difficult to characterize; but above all, this platform can be characterized as a search engine in its own right with a unique social aspect.
Pinterest Best Practices
It is easy to build a loyal following with unique boards and effectively-curated content. But Pinterest can be a bit overwhelming, and requires constant attention if it is to become a major force in an social media marketing strategy.
Pins should be visually stimulating and engaging, but it’s not at all necessary that they be original.
- Pinterest content is identifiable and credit should always be given to the source.
- It is a transactional medium; repinning is encouraged, as are likes and “tries.” But it is not interactive. Users generally do not communicate with or respond to one another.
- Frequent posts build followers, the more the better.
When to Post and How Often?
The value of Pinterest as part of social media strategy lies in its diversity and reach. Frequent posts—15 to 30 times a day—are not too many. Reposting the same material on succeeding days is another tactic, and reviving older posts to reach new viewers is also a viable strategy. Posting several times on the same board, or concurrently on different boards, is not only possible, but beneficial.
Developing a following of Pinners who share, like and repost pins is key to success.
How Pinterest Works for Real Estate
Although there are still plenty of pictures of stunning sunsets, big moons, cute animals and travel destinations, there are also “how-to” pins, self-improvement hints, DIY topics and career tips.
Pinterest can be a sales-oriented marketplace, but its primary value is as a means to build trust and rapport, to display “personality” and to establish an online relationship as a “real” person. For real estate agents, that means posting more than pictures of each new listing.
Content should not be 100 percent self-serving. Users will view a business or individual real estate agent with relevant content as a trusted resource. Effective curation requires time, thought and a planned approach. It can be a bit like walking a tightrope over a chasm; in short, it’s an ongoing challenge.
Why Pinterest Works as a Social Media Platform
Getting noticed on Pinterest is not difficult. Building a loyal following requires diligence. The value of Pinterest is that it gives people what they want to see and allows them to find resources that relate to their own personal interests and needs.
View Pinterest as a community of sorts. Building community requires ongoing participation. Pinners who routinely post usable tips, hints, inspirational stories and stimulating images are the winners on this unique platform.
Pinterest should be viewed as a complement and supplement to other social media. It is not a stand-alone platform, and it does not directly attract clients or promote business relationships. In conjunction with other social media efforts, however, Pinterest will boost professional recognition and build success across the digital spectrum.
