If I have a local business, can I still use Pinterest marketing?
Such a hot topic. In my Pinterest marketing world, at least. Business owners with a local presence only (think people like photographers, realtors, AirBnB hosts) might have this very question.
You're going to get opposing viewpoints on this one. From the adamant no way to the yes, it absolutely can. I land in the absolutely can camp but you need to keep a few things in mind.
The Right Keywords Will Make or Break You
This is true no matter if you are a local business or can serve people from all over. However in this case, you absolutely need to be using your location everywhere you can.
Remember - keywords can (and should) go in the following places:
- Name
- Bio
- Board title and descriptions
- Pin graphic text overlay
- Pin titles and descriptions
Which to sum that up - everywhere you can type, you should be using the right keywords.
Let's walk through this with an example.
You're a realtor. Realtors are hyperlocal, you're not serving the entire United States. You need to capture the attention of the people who are searching in your area. Someone with real estate needs in another state is not going to be your ideal client.
So Sally Pally from Miami would set up her profile like this:
- Name
- Sally Pally - Miami Real Estate Expert
- Bio
- Her bio would mention she serves Miami, Miami-Dade County, etc.
- Board title and descriptions
- Things to Do in Miami
- Best Miami Schools
- Hidden Gems in Miami
- Best Date Night Spots in Miami
- Pin graphic text overlay
- For instance - the text would read 10 Places for a Cozy Date Night in Miami. Odds are this would be happening anyway but here's another reminder!
- Pin titles and descriptions
- For the pin above - if Sally ventured into South Beach for one of those date nights, she would want to be sure to include both Miami and South Beach.
Miami is obviously a very large city but what if you're in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere? Then you need to be capitalizing on the closest large metro area.
RELATED: Pinterest Marketing for Realtors
Know what to pin
Things that have a short timeframe or a close deadline aren't made for Pinterest. In Sally's case, throwing her listings on to a board or advertising her open houses wouldn't be as helpful. People aren't browsing Pinterest for homes for sale as much as they are browsing for what to expect in the area they're moving to. Another point here is that since pins live forever on the platform and since Sally is such an amazing realtor, those links are going to be broken quickly.
Pinners are flocking to Pinterest to be inspired, to discover, to solve their problems and to get answers to their questions. Your content (and therefore your pins) need to accomplish one of these. Rather than searching for a 4 bedroom ranch on 5 acres, they're wanting to know how great Anywhere, USA is - the nightlife, the shopping, the hidden gems.
How would moving to Anywhere, USA improve their quality of life?
In addition to local real estate content, general real estate knowledge (posts on how to prep your home for sale, what exactly is escrow, how to prepare for buying your first home) will also help.
I used real estate as an example but the bottom line is this - your local content needs to get people's attention and then show them you are the best person for the job.
Photographers - showcase your beautiful work (Pinterest works great as a portfolio) and highlight how the natural landscapes around you helped.
AirBnB hosts - what's there to do around your property? Why should they visit?
You get the idea.
Get clear on your expectations
Pinterest is going to be great for:
- driving traffic to a website
- growing brand awareness
- establishing local authority
- drawing people in to your world - getting them to know you, like you, trust you
The increased traffic can raise Google ranking as well which is a very nice benefit indeed.
Fun fact: Pinterest boards and profiles can also show up in Google results! Clean up that SEO!
Pinterest can be another prong to your marketing plan which gets your name out there and top of mind when someone is seeking what you offer. It's showing off your expertise and your local (and general) knowledge.
Blogging will really help here
I truly believe every business needs a blog but definitely in this case! With a blog, you can truly tell a story and make people care about the area. This is your own piece of the Internet to talk as long as you want about what you want. You don't need to dance or lip synch, you just have to put out valuable, insightful content. People are going to get to connect with you beyond a saturated social media platform. Get them on your blog and then down the rabbit hole of your content.
As you can see - Pinterest will absolutely work for a local business. As long as you have an Internet presence and content, you can use Pinterest marketing to help your business succeed. If you need help with this, please reach out and we'll make a solid plan.
I'm Mindy - a Pinterest Marketing + Content Manager.
I love working with realtors, coaches and creative service providers.
If you want to attract those dream clients organically, stand out and skip marketing overwhelm then you're in the right place!
Let's connect!
Email: mindy@pindysoo.com
Instagram: @pindysoo
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