Social networking sites Pinterest and StumbleUpon are often overlooked by businesses that are searching for effective social media marketing strategy options. Why? Maybe it’s because, with a combined total of a little over 60 million registered users (at last count), the potential consumer base for these sites pales in comparison to that of sites like Twitter, which has nearly 600 million users, and Facebook, which has over one billion registered users – yes, one BILLION. (It’s been reported that about 10% of Facebook accounts belong to brands, animals and pets, but even so, the numbers are impressive).
Even with the behemoths that are Twitter and Facebook, though, is it wise to ignore an audience of 60 million consumers? Of course not. Besides, both Pinterest and StumbleUpon regularly rank among the top five social bookmarking websites. So, simply stated, as social media marketing tools, Pinterest and StumbleUpon are highly underrated, and should be considered when developing your overall social media marketing strategy. Let’s take a look at a couple of the benefits of using these sites, and how to get the most out of them.
What’s In It For Me?
A major benefit to using Pinterest and StumbleUpon in your social media marketing strategy is that users of both sites define categories that interest them, such as cars, clothing and music. This means that your market is basically just waiting to discover you. It’s just that simple, so take advantage of it.
One of the best characteristics of both Pinterest and StumbleUpon is that they are not niche sites. They are set up to encourage the sharing of, well, just about everything, and when your images, articles and favorites are shared by others, they often make their way to Facebook and Twitter through the available sharing tools. This, of course, means free advertising for you on the two most popular social media sites. Since you have already established a presence on Twitter and Facebook (right?), by using StumbleUpon and Pinterest, you are creating another path for your business to be promoted through those more prominent sites.
Now that you know WHY you should utilize Pinterest and StumbleUpon as part of your ongoing social media marketing strategies, let’s look at a couple of things you can do help maximize your presence on those sites.
Picture Perfect Pinterest
Needless to say, Pinterest is a visual-focused medium. Its potential marketing power lies in the marketer’s ability to attract interest through careful selection of quality pictures relevant to the brand, brand lifestyle, service, or product being marketed. As such, it is imperative that any photos you pin be well-focused, crisp and clear, and, most importantly, the subject of the photo should be obvious to the viewer. It is easy to want to get lost in the art of it all, but it does no good if the story you are trying to tell in the photo overshadows the product or business you are marketing.
The same thing holds true for StumbleUpon in terms of the importance of maintaining a quality visual presence. Everything that you connect to your brand or business reflects on you, whether it is a favorite webpage, a photo, or a great quote. So, scrutinize everything before you attach your business name to it. Does the article you’re about to ’recommend’ on StumbleUpon reflect good character? Is the picture you’re about to post to Pinterest of a high quality, both visually and content-wise? Do you really want to link to that video, no matter how funny it is?
Word Play
Whether a potential customer is casually browsing or looking for something specific, if they land on your page, it’s because of the keywords they have entered. So, remember to keep keywords and tags product-focused and concise, and you will get the attention of those who are looking for what you sell. Generic keywords like ‘gift’ may bring people to your page, but including keywords like ‘pearl necklace’ will bring the RIGHT people to your page, and ultimately, to your website.
It’s also important to categorize yourself correctly. If you are in the car business, placing yourself under StumbleUpon’s food category isn’t going to do you any good. It’s important to reach a broad audience, but you must also keep it relevant.
Stay Connected
Finally, Pinterest and StumbleUpon are both social sites, so you must engage and stay engaged. The key is to maintain a presence by posting, recommending and sharing regularly. As with anything else, a little effort on your part is required. As long as you remain savvy and stay connected, Pinterest and StumbleUpon will reward your patience by becoming crucial and effective social media marketing tools for your business.
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About Daniel Tan
