Pinterest, aka the worlds biggest and post popular virtual Post-it/bulletin board combo, has taken many businesses to the next level over the past year. Whether its giving businesses new ideas, or giving them more exposure, Pinterest has become the new “hit and fab” and FREE marketing phenomenon. If you are new to Pinterest, I know it can be a bit confusing and a lot to take in. It seems as if this site is too good to be true and it can’t really be as easy  as “pinning” something to keep all your favorite ideas, products, etc in one location. The best way to explain Pinterest is this: Pretend you are flipping through a magazine and you either bunny ear, mark with an actual post it, or rip out the page. All of that paper easily piles up and you can easily misplace a magazine or page that you once made it a point to save.  Then you take those pages and either pin them up on a bulletin board in your office, or you save hundreds of marked magazines. That can get messy, cluttered and down right time consuming. Pinterest allows for you to do everything above, but in a much more effective, greener, efficient and economically conscious way.

Ok Kaitlin, so how do I join? Unlike other FREE sites such as Facebook, where anyone can join anytime, Pinterest actually requires you to be invited. Chances are one if not all of your friends are already on it, so ask them to shoot you an invitation. Now, I was always the kid that got picked last in dodgeball, so being invited to join Pinterest is like being picked first in any line up, getting a bid to the coolest sorority/fraternity, and winning the lottery all at once.  So, once you get invited, give yourself a pat on the back, you are now a member of a very elite and fun club! : P

 

So, I love examples and I am total hands on learner, but since I can’t actually be there to show you how to get started, I am going to try to explain through live images and examples. (I am a horrible explainer and definitely not a teacher—so hold on–this may get exciting or downright painful to listen to : P )

Say you are on Etsy, your favorite online clothing store, or even your favorite DIY blog and you want to save that link, that picture, that idea for future use. In the old days, we would print out that idea, picture, or recipe and put them in a manilla folder or pin it up on our office bulletin board. THOSE DAYS ARE NOW OVER FOLKS! On almost every website, below each post or picture there is a little red “P” or button that says “PIN IT”. Amazing!

Go on and click that button/icon and you are immediately linked to your Pinterest boards (yes you can divide your boards based on category) and that idea is now saved for forever. No printing, no folder storage, no more killing of trees or wasting of ink/paper/money. Genius right!?!

At this point…I literally find myself asking everyday–“WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THIS??” I genuinely want to be smacked with the Facebook and Pinterest Genius Sticks so maybe some of that amazingness can be passed onto me.

Ok now that you know what Pinterest is and how it generally works, how about we go into how it can actually SAVE your business!

As business owners, we always trying to find ways to promote our business and ourselves. Particularly if you are in the service industry ( which us photographers are), you need to find ways to connect with your clients and ways for your clients to connect and interact with you. In our field, people are not just hiring you for the final product (printed pictures), they are hiring you for the overall experience. There are SO MANY photographers out there today, that it has become  almost obsolete to try to sell your business based on just “pictures” alone. You need to find ways to give clients the reason to choose you over someone else that can take pretty pictures as well. Find ways to get them to get to know you, trust you, want to become your friend. People gravitate to those they have things in common with. Whether I connect with my clients because they have a sick obsession with TOMS or Starbucks too, or because they love pink and sparkles, or we read the same books….whatever it is….putting myself out there for my clients to get to see and get to know gives me that advantage over my competitors that just try to get business based solely on a final product.

Just remember–custom portraiture photography is an experience. Not a print product.

Pinning can be done by anyone, anywhere. If you are human—get to pinning. If you are a business…REALLY get to pinning. Pinterest has the power to make your business bigger, better, and more established. Pinterest, very well may be the one element you are missing. That extra edge or push into the right direction.

Tell me more, Kaitlin. Ok–

Pinterest can be all about work, play, fun, crafts, food, style—you name it, you can pin it or bet that it already has been pinned by like minds. Think of it as trading magazines with a complete stranger and seeing that pages they “bunny-eared” or marked with a post it. Chance are you just may like the same thing a complete stranger does. You can pin recipes to make for the upcoming week moms. Folks–want to switch up your work out routine? New moves are right there for you. Brides—stuck on what do wear dress wise? How to do your hair? What shoes to rock? Pinterest and other previously pinning brides have you covered. Have a session coming up and want some ideas on a stylized shoot, locations, props to use or make via DIY crafts? ITS ALL ON THERE! Just click, open and pin! : )

Pinterest can not only give you and your company the exposure it may be lacking, it can actually increase your client base and in turn increase you income! The funny thing about blogging is that its the only platform upon which one can actually pin your image directly and when one clicks on your pinned image on Pinterest, it actually takes you to the photographers or your site. Usually your image is incorporated in a full blog post which gives your viewer the incentive and chance to look at a bulk of your work at once time, as opposed to a picture here and there. From there, that single viewer could do 1 of 3 things. 1) Pin more of your images for even more followers to see, 2) contact you and ask to set something up with you  3) follow you on interest so that more and more people will and can see what you are pinning and you pins alone could invite them to check out who you are and what your boards say about you and your business. Really—Pinterest is a win-win-win in terms of business exposure, income, and compatibility with viewers/potiential clients.

Pinterest may just be the deal sealer with your brides! Use Pinterest to help your brides plan their engagement shoot and their wedding. Show your clients you care and that you are willing to go above and beyond to show them that you are there to help in anyway you can. Make a board, either for brides in general, or for your specific client and pin things that you think would look great in a shoot or complement her wedding well. Often times, brides are so overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. Help them by starting a board for them. On top of being overwhelmed they are stressed they are forgetting something…pick ideas for them as reminders. Flowers, shoes, card box, seating cards, linens, decorations, table settings, garters, you pin it, they will either love it and use it, or acknowledge it and possibly put their own spin on it. Either way it can’t hurt. This type of dedication to your client really goes a long way. Brides love to feel like they are your only priority…so make them a board and show them that on this board…that with this pin…they are the only ones on your mind!

Once you become a “pinning veteran” SHARE THE NEWS! If you are invited and you know someone that isn’t already part of the “pinning club”–invite them. They will soon cherish you as their best friend for doing so and enlightening them on something so awesome….or they will soon hate you for introducing them to the biggest time consumer on the web besides Facebook. Social media sure has become addicting hasn’t it? : P

Pinterest truly has some amazing powers, but you actually have to evoke those powers to see real magic happen.

You do not have to be a photographer to make a personal/business Pinterest board. Any business can do it and DOES do it if they want to stand out even more than they do. In terms of photography though, think of it this way: If you book just one session, one wedding, one event based solely on your Pinterest reputation/exposure, wouldn’t you say that joining this FREE site was worth it? I would!

So if you are on the fence. If you are looking to join the next big thing. If you are looking to get some more exposure, more business and literally save your business if you feel you have tried everything else….try Pinterest. You won’t be disappointed. You will have fun while you are actual working to promote yourself and your company. The business side of things isn’t always fun and can be very expensive and time consuming. Pinterest is neither. (Well, unless you are weirdly addicted like I am and pin everything under the sun : P )

Get to pinning y’all! Ill see you on the boards. To follow me, my Pinterest name is http://pinterest.com/kaitlinnphotog/

 

Stay Happy, Stay Fabulous, Stay Beautiful and Stay PINNING! : )

Kaitlin Noel