Choose Likeable Images that People Re-Pin for Pinterest Board

Pinterest,The Eye-Candy Social Network : Pin board-style social photo sharing website Pinterest first launched in March 2010 and saw its popularity snowball throughout 2011. The site now sees 4.2 million unique visitors each month and an increasing number of brands are deciding to create accounts in the wake of their competitors successfully using the platform to engage with current and potential customers, and boost sales figures as a result.

How well a brand performs on Pinterest is very much dependent on the images they decide to upload, pin and re-pin to their different topic boards. If you don’t know what pinning is, this article is not about to teach you (there’s already plenty of guides online which will explain the mechanics of the network). Instead, this article assumes you have solid grasp of Pinterest and will explain what brands should consider when selecting images for inclusion on their accounts.

Tip : Improve White Background in Photos of Objects, Products

Consumers on Pinterest: The 5 Types of Pinners

Before a brand can start to think about how they can select images that appeal to the users of Pinterest, they will need to be aware of the types of people that use the image bookmarking platform. According to a guide to Pinterest penned by leading UK digital marketing company Fresh Egg, users of the network can be split into five separate categories as follows:

• Buyers: Buyers enjoy pinning images they feel visually represent their personality and/or life. These users consciously construct themselves an online identity through the pictures they pin.

• Near-Future Buyers: These users use Pinterest as an online ‘wish-list’ record and pin images to remind themselves to purchase/investigate particular items and services again in the near future.

• Influencers: These account holders have a large number of followers and generally re-pin images of places or objects (etc.) they feel their followers will also like.

• Long-Term Buyers: These members can be described as ‘window-shoppers.’ Someone in this category might have decided to buy socks featuring individual toes soon, but have not yet decided on the desired colour or brand. They will therefore pin many images of various toe-socks they find appealing.

• Immediate Buyers: The activity of immediate buyers is similar to long-term buyers but more specific; i.e. a user in this group has decided they want to buy toe-socks too, but only if they are green in colour (and so, they will pin green socks only).

The majority of brands will likely wish to generate interest (and then hopefully; conversions) from all five pinner categories listed above. Brands will need to include a broad range of image styles and board topics to ensure their content appeals to individuals across all groups.

Shooting/Choosing Retail Product Images for Inclusion

Image Credit: thebaglady.tv

Which image of Rihanna’s bag would be more popular on Pinterest?

Whoever’s attention you are trying to grab on Pinterest, it is important to pin images which inspire users, to ensure re-pinning activity occurs. Generally speaking then, catalogue-esque images of products – such as handbags – with white backgrounds will not be repined on the network as often as ‘lifestyle’ pictures, for example a photo depicting a young women (famous or not) using the same said handbag. With that said, if you’re the snap-happy type, it’s as important as ever to grab your funky compact camera and capture moments on the move.

This is because most people feel a deeper emotional attachment to products they can see being used and/or interacted with in “real life.”

Let me explain further with the example of soft furnishings. If a business specializes in the sale of armchairs and couches, it should try to produce/find images of how their past customers have used their products within their homes since such will see Pinterest members considering how these seating options might look within their own living spaces (these images will be especially appealing to long-term and immediate buyers).

Catalogue images will appeal to standard and immediate-buyers also so do feel free to include a few on your brand’s account – just don’t dominate your boards with them! Boards laden with these kinds of pictures look rather sterile and will be non-engaging as a result.

It might be an obvious point but brands should also pin/re-pin any images of celebrities wearing products (or similar items) that can be purchased from them, since these will appeal to both fans of the celebrity in questions and the product featured, which should result in extra pins.

It goes without saying that all images included on a brands’ boards should be of decent quality too – people are really unlikely to re-pin images comprising unclear details! If an image is uninspiring; bin it, don’t pin it!

Tip : Capture Great Looking Photos with Smartphone

The Importance of Re-Pinning Images and Following Followers

Pinterest users are largely put off by brand boards that are seen as too self-serving and this is why it is important to re-pin images submitted by other users on a regular basis. The more a brand interacts with its followers, the more re-pinning activity that is likely to occur and so businesses need to use their Pinterest accounts actively. Re-pinning images submitted by users who are not currently following brand accounts might encourage them to do exactly that also.

The formula for success on Pinterest is cyclical: More followers = more re-pins = more followers.

Brands should also follow all members who take the time to follow them and have boards focused on similar topics to their own. Not only will this see the brand’s feed filled with a great deal of relevant content they can re-pin for their followers (brands can be classed within the ‘Influencers’ category) but this is also courteous and will serve the image of your brand well.

Infographic that Explains how to Optimize Images for Pinterest

Do Digress From Time to Time

Brands are not strictly limited to creating boards specific to the kinds of items they sell. For example, a cosmetics company should definitely focus on pinning images of makeup items (and looks that can be created with such) but can also digress a little – and encourage further pinning – by creating boards such as “Cool Hair Ideas” and/or “Celebrities in Neon Clothing” (examples).

Businesses should be careful not to go too off topic however, since users will see such accounts as spammy and will be reluctant to follow them and/or re-pin their content as a result. Football related boards would obviously look out of place on a beauty-orientated account!

Also See: Post to Multiple Social Media Profiles At Once Using Posterous

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