11 Steps to Running a Successful Pinterest Contest

By: Crystal Vilkaitis, RDI`s Resident Social Media Expert Are you using Pinterest to market your products and store? Or, maybe you`re considering joining this fast-growing site? If you haven`t heard of Pinterest, it`s a visual discovery tool that people use to collect ideas for their different projects, interests or items to buy (like a wishlist). People create Boards, which are collections categorized by the user. The boards can represent an array of interests like inspirational pictures and quotes, recipes, places to travel to or products they want to buy. These individual pictures or videos are called Pins. Pinterest is one of the fastest growing online social networks, reaching 10 million U.S. monthly users faster than any other website to date. One of the reasons it grew so quickly is because it`s so easy to use and a visually fun way to share content online. Some of the popular content categories you`ll find on this website is weddings, fashion, home décor and recipes. A Must for Store Owners Pinterest is a must for storeowners, especially if you sell online. It has become a search engine for things to buy. We turn to this social site when we`re looking for items for ourselves, our home, or for gifts for friends and family. And when users Pin from the web, that Pin is directly linked back to the website they found it on; meaning someone pinned (let`s say) a necklace from your site, they`d essentially be promoting your product and website to all of their followers. This is a great way to create viral sales soldiers and brand ambassadors, for free! So How Do I Get Going? If you`re already using Pinterest, or are considering joining, one of the best ways to grow your followers and exposure is to run a contest or giveaway. This is a fun way to interact with the online audience and engage them by giving them a chance to win something desirable.