Setting up Pinterest and using it to succeed

In 2012, Pinterest was the 4th largest traffic referrer for all U.S. websites. Generally Pinterest requires less effort than the other popular social networks. By spending 10 minutes a day pinning new content or repining other people’s pins, you can establish a presence. This makes Pinterest great for business leaders who don’t have a lot of time to spend on social media.

Here are some tips to consider:

Start on the Right Foot - When creating a Pinterest profile. Use your name, not a pseudo name, to create your Pin account to begin to build a following. Add links to your Google+, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts as well as your website. Include keywords that describe who you are and what you do.

Create Relevant Collections - Create multiple boards for specific topics such as products, information, and resources.

Name Boards for Search - Board names should communicate what people will find on your board. Make sure to complete the description for each board and use smart keywords to make sure you come up appropriately in search.

Pin Stuff that Looks Good - Pinterest is all about the visual, so ensure that your Pins stand out by using eye-catching, interesting photos. The maximum image width Pinterest allows is 736 pixels but images can be taller.

Write Original Descriptions - When Pinning, make sure to add a unique description. This provides the text for shared pins so make it brief and relevant to your brand.

Customize your Boards - Choose interesting photos for the cover and make them stand out. It's the first thing people will see when examining Boards.

Repurpose Content - Pin your website or blog posts so that your Pinterest followers will be attracted to your other online touch points. Pin Google+, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn posts too. Present your brand in an interesting way to build a following.

Find Good Content - If a topic is hot online, it will probably also be popular on Pinterest. Monitor what’s hot on other media websites and Pin it with a strong picture to attract attention.

Remember the Goals - Pinterest is for sharing ideas and driving people to appropriate destinations. Don't only talk only about yourself. Focus on attracting followers because of interesting content and curation to build followers.

Collaborate - Use a specific board to collaborate with other Pinners. Accepting board invitations means that board will appear on your Pinterest page. If these boards feature inappropriate content, your participation in them may harm your brand's reputation.

Show Some Personality - Pinterest is a great place to highlight some of the things that make your brand unique. Don't just show your product. Show it in action, in the marketplace and its successes.

Use Secret Boards - You can create unto 3 boards that are private. Use them to curate content, save ideas for future campaigns that you may want to make public later.