By Bardi Toto
People love images and they love seeing them on the Internet. Photos make consumers want to learn about a product or service, and they create an impulse to purchase immediately. Pinterest and Instagram, two photo sharing tools that collectively draw more than 200 million users each month, are great for marketing. They are being embraced by innovative brands as a way to reach customers, build brand awareness, and drive sales.
How does Pinterest work?
Pinterest allows users to create pin boards online to organize, share and discover content. It is a way to keep track of things you want to find later, similar to a recipe box or a scrapbook. When a user finds a web page that contains content they want to keep, such as a recipe, style idea, or fitness regimen, they can pin it to their board. There is also a mobile app version, so it is easy for users to reference their pins. Retailers can even create pins called Rich Pins where the consumer can purchase an item through Pinterest. The average Pinterest visitor spends $180, while on Facebook the average visitor spends only $45. For more information on using Pinterest, click here.
What is Instagram?
Facebook purchased Instagram in April 2012 in a deal valued at $1 billion. It is a camera application for mobile phones that lets users take photos, edit them with different filters and focus, and share them with their followers. The app now includes a website version that is mainly an archive of the photos users have shared. You can share Instagram photos on multiple social media sites and now you can pin them on Pinterest, too. For more information on using Instagram, click here.
Hashtags on Pinterest and Instagram
A common feature on both Pinterest and Instagram is hashtags. When placed in front of a word in the descriptions of photos and pins, hashtags create a clickable link that will pull up other content with the same hashtag. It is a very useful way to get found by others interested in the topics you are sharing, and a great way to discover people interested in things relevant to your brand. Hashtags can be tricky. To get the most out of them, you will need to be specific. It is best to avoid using generalized tags. Relevant tags will help you attract new followers who will take a genuine interest in your posts, and continue liking and commenting on your photos and videos over time.
Pinterest and Instagram, when used correctly, provide great exposure for your brand and can skyrocket your business. For more information on Instagram for your business go to http://www.instagramdomination.com.
Bardi Toto is a best selling author, personal branding strategist and attraction marketing specialist. She has a strong background in Internet technology and has been working with various social networking giants like YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Toto is founder and CEO of a web design, digital marketing and marketing agency. To learn more, visit barditoto.com.