4 Steps to Reach more clients using pinterest

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ost commonly thought of as a place for women to plan weddings they cannot afford and save recipes they never make. Pinterest has ideas, tips, and information on just about any topic you can think of, including pottery, woodworking, and self- improvement, just to name a few. Pins are more shareable than posts on other platforms, which can quickly provide a wider reach for your target market. Links connected to each pin makes it super simple for a potential client to purchase your product. Just one click will bring them straight to your product or landing page. There is potential for any product or service on Pinterest. If you follow these 4 actionable steps and pin regularly, you will be off to a great start expanding your business’ reach with Pinterest.

1

First things first, you will need to make a Pinterest business account. Which will give you access to analytics, which is vital in evaluating your reach; identify what works for you and what does not.

You can sign up for or convert your personal account to a business account by visiting https:// business. pinterest. com

Once you have your account, you will want to fill in your biography and create boards. Below I discuss some tips for these.

2

Although Pinterest is typically considered a social media platform, it is more similar to a search engine. It is not, mainly, used to connect and interact with people, but more so to search for products, services, and inspiration. So if you are familiar with SEO ( search engine optimization), you should have that same approach on Pinterest. You need to use keywords your target clients would be searching for.

Compose a list of search terms related to your product or service. Use these keywords throughout your profile wherever possible. Find more specific keywords by putting the explicit vocabulary into the search bar at the top of Pinterest. Pinterest will then suggest related words to make the search more specific. Specific searches are more likely to result in a sale if a perfect match is found. Consider “purse” versus “purple leather purse”.

Where to use Keywords

Use these keywords wherever possible on your profile. This way, Pinterest will know what you and your pins have to offer and will show your profile and pins to people who are searching for similar things.

In your profile name, include your business name as well as a keyword most related to your business/ product. For example, Wild Petals Boutique | Wedding Flower Preservation

Include as many keywords in your biography as possible.

If you are selling jewelry, consider creating boards with titles such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, minimalist jewelry, statement jewelry, bridal jewelry, silver jewelry, gold jewelry ( the list is endless) and of course a board specific to your business.

In the board description use specific keywords related to each board name, for example, your depiction for the bridal jewelry board could be “vintage style earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and accessories for your wedding day. Minimalistic bridal jewelry, statement jewelry, rose gold, gold, and silver.”

Add a description to each pin. This description should include keywords that are directly related to that post. For example, “Vintage style filigree dangle bridal earrings. These stunning sterling silver earrings are the perfect elegant touch to your wedding day.”

3

Canva is a great free website to create images for Pinterest. Use a photo that relates to the link and descriptive text overlay, when appropriate. Create images that are taller than they are wide. This format will occupy more space on Pinterest, therefore, increasing the chance of being noticed. Right width to height ratio is 2: 3.

Your pin can link to a product page, blog posts, even your Instagram posts. Regularly pinning your products, in addition to re- pinning other pins related to your concept, will expand your reach.

4

Another fabulous way to increase your reach on Pinterest is to join group boards. For most concepts/ products, there are group boards which operate just like regular boards but have multiple contributors. You can regularly pin your product to these boards. It is, typically, then required that you share other people’s pins, and in turn, others share yours! This is a great way to get your work in front of people who are already interested in similar things.

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tarting a new venture in marketing can often seem overwhelming, but if you follow these necessary steps and pin regularly, you will expand your reach and increase sales using Pinterest.

SARAH WOEHLEKE

experiences we were not able to afford before. This is not common in my field due to the simple fact that though there is a high demand for the service, there are a lot of providers offering the service who charge less than I do. So how did I make my prices work for me?

As a hairstylist living in the Greater Toronto Area, I have found it challenging to create prices for my business in a city that had so many other amazing stylists. There are many things to consider when you are creating costs within your niche. Here is a 6 step guide I used to help me hone my prices:

1. What are people in my city charging for the services I offer?

2. How long does each service take?

3. How much have I invested in my services?

4. How much experience do I have/ What is the quality of my work?

5. What am I offering?

6. What is my worth?

five days a week. That gave me an advantage. I also found that many stylist’s works were not up to the high standards expected. Exploring what was out there helped me to structure my prices.

Each of my services has a different time frame. Box braids range from 5- 9 hours and Goddess Locs 8- 12 hours, to name just a few. When pricing, you have to take into consideration what it will cost you to spend such long hours providing a service. My job is not your average 9- 5, and neither am I guaranteed a weekly paycheck. I am also a mother with children, so when I am creating my prices, I have to take into consideration what it will cost me to be away from my kids.

Experience goes a long way. Your work and knowledge in your field give a definite advantage over someone who started yesterday. I have had over 20 years of experience in this field. I grew up in the salon with my mother, who was a professional hairdresser. I started learning at the age of 7, when I used to help my mom. By the age of 13, I had learned how to put braids in independently, and it has been an uphill journey since. I have seen it all growing up and am very aware of the pitfalls to avoid. I believe in “Protective Hairstyles” which