Pinterest is one of the best content sharing service site that allows members to "pin" images, videos and other objects to their pinboard, giving the opportunity to the brand that need to increase the online presence. However, even it is one of the best social media site nowadays, you should take in mind the Commandments when using Pinterest for Social media Marketing.
As the old song goes, pictures do paint a thousand words. So, it comes as no surprise that every social media marketing agency utilizes photos or images in many of their campaigns for their clients. And with Pinterest now making waves in the social media sphere, it is also not shocking to find many brands and businesses pinning to their hearts’ to promote their products and services.
Beware: Pinterest is not all fun and games. Pinterest users are irked by people, more so brands who do not observe the following 10 commandments when it comes to using this social media space:
1. Ask first before pinning
Photos, though published online may be covered by copyright and posting these images without the green light of their owners may get you into trouble. Be straightforward with your partner social media marketing agency that you do not want to get sued for copyright infringement.
2. No bullying allowed
Yes, the social media is already crowded with cyber tyrants and if you plan to lambast your competitors in Pinterest you will not succeed. The space was created to share ideas, not for social media bullying.
3. Give credit where credit is due
The basic tenets of ethics are also applicable in Pinterest. If you’re outsourcing the services of a third party social media marketing company, make sure that they attribute photos to the source and not make it appear as your own.
4. Spamming through bots
Don’t go this dark, evil route as many companies do. You will definitely get bashed in Pinterest if you create bots to post link to your ecommerce site. Doing so spoils the experience for everyone.
5. Shameless advertising
Again, any social media marketing agency should know that Pinterest is not a marketplace. It can be used as part of a marketing strategy, but please, do away with the “in-your-face” hard core advertising maneuvers. There are proper channels to do those. Focus on content and creating a following.
6. Don’t forget to link
This is especially true for “How to…” pins. There’s nothing more irritating than teasing you with a good DIY project with photos and not providing the source so you can do the project. It’s like a recipe giving you the finished product sans the ingredients and the step by step guide. It is practically useless and totally annoying.
7. Ultra edited photos
A man running on water? A miracle or a social media marketing faux pas? Edited pictures are okay, but don’t alter them in a way that it distorts reality and not even having a caveat that the photo is indeed not real.
8. No debate necessary
A social media marketing agency takes pride in its work and sometimes, one cannot help but to engage in an argument in social media. Don’t. If you don’t like something you see, just turn a blind eye and pretend you did not see anything.
9. Research before pinning
It is a mortal sin in Pinterest to label an image something that it is not. For example, you captured a photo of a rather weird looking frog and tagged it as an endangered species when in fact, it’s not. As with other things in marketing, please exercise due diligence and only share accurate information.
10. No sexually offensive materials
Just be sure that you know when you’re crossing the thin line between artistry and pornography. Use utmost discretion, especially when posting photos of young girls since the number of pedophilic photos is increasing. Think before you pin.
Work closely with your social media company and make sure you do not violate these sacred rules. Anyone who does will burn in social media marketing hades!