The face of marketing today has changed drastically from what it once was. Even just 10 short years ago the methods for marketing a small business, new musician, fashion designer and other enterprises and brands were completely different. No one had ever even heard of social media, let alone used it to promote their brands. Today, however; in order to be competitive in the business world, social media must be used. This doesn’t just mean Facebook and Twitter, but also up and coming social media platforms, such as . In fact, Pinterest is one of the key social media sites that your small business should be using as part of your marketing strategy.

Understanding Pinterest

Pinterest is a social media site where users create a virtual pin board of images and videos. Users can upload unique media, borrow it from other sites on the web and even re-pin content from other boards on Pinterest. This enables users to showcase their lifestyle and create various boards that express who they are and what their interests are. In this way, Pinterest connects like-minded users as they share and comment on their boards.

In order to join Pinterest, you must send in a request for an invite. Not to worry though, as the invite process is not selective. In this way, however, the site builds up even more interest for users. If you have to request an invite and wait for it for a couple of days, it must be a site worth using, right? Adding that element of waiting and hoping makes people want to join the site even more.

Like any social media site, blatant self promotion not only turns off many users, but is also frowned upon by the owners of the site. This doesn’t mean that you cannot use Pinterest in ways that reach your target audience, but it does mean you have to do more than post obvious ads about your business.

Building an Audience

So, how can you utilize Pinterest in your marketing strategy? Once you’ve received your invite, your first task is building pin boards that encompass your industry or business philosophy. For example, if your goal is to promote your Yoga studio, you’ll want to create a board featuring images and videos of various yoga poses. You might also want to create a board called “The Yoga Body” which showcases images of ultra-fit celebrities and everyday people who practice yoga. As users on Pinterest search for yoga images, they will find your board.

How will these simple images that are related to your business attract Pinterest users to your website? When users click on your image, they will see an associated URL. This is where you put your website URL. Your target audience will then have a direct link to your site. This increases your visibility and hopefully, increases traffic to your website.

No matter what type of business you are trying to market, you can apply the above strategy. Create a board of images related to your business and work to ensure these are relevant and captivating. As more users find your boards and re-pin and comment on your pins, you’ll start to reach a wider audience.

Avoid obvious statements of self promotion, such as an image of a model holding a sign that says “Visit XYZ Yoga Studio.” Such an image will not be shared or appreciated by users and will turn them off of your boards. Keep your images interesting and share worthy to eventually drive traffic.

As you can see, using Pinterest as a part of your social media marketing strategy is an excellent idea and can net you quality results if you take the time to build relevant boards.

Author Bio: Irene Perlog is a writer at VPNServices.net. She writes about Online Security, VPN technology and Blogging. You can read more about VPN service by visiting VPNServices.net.