Many businesses today are discovering the benefits of using Pinterest as part of their overall marketing strategy, and one great way to garner more followers, traffic and engagement using the visual pinning tool is through hosting Pinterest contests. Here’s the 101 for everything related to Pinterest contests and giveaways.
What is Pinterest and How Can It Help?
Though still a young and upcoming company, Pinterest is marking its territory in the social media marketing industry. Describing themselves as a “tool for collecting and organizing things you love”, it holds true, not just for individual users, but for brands as well. Not only does it benefit companies as another powerful distribution channel for content, it allows brands and businesses more exposure and engagement opportunities. If you’re looking to market your company and build new audiences, running contests on Pinterest is a good tactic to consider. It builds interest and sparks new and exciting conversation through hashtags and comments, while also bridging the gap between brands and users.
The Do’s and Don’ts for Running Pinterest Contests
Below you’ll find the complete Do’s and Don’ts for running contests, straight from Pinterest itself. Note: these are simply guidelines to keep in mind while creating the contest and not the official terms of service.
Bonus Tip: Rule to the Game of Pinning
Decided to run a contest on Pinterest? Here’s a bonus tip that will help boost your game on the pinning platform. Post your pins between 2 PM EST and 4 PM EST, and then again between 8 PM EST and 1 AM EST in general and when promoting your contest. These time frames spark the most user interest and Internet traffic where most people will find your pins to pin, and others to pin again. Don’t post between 5 PM EST and 7 PM EST because well, people have to eat. This varies from community to community but a good rule of thumb as you get started pinning and running contests on Pinterst.
Dive In: Pin It to Win It!
Contests on Pinterest are a great method to expand a company’s brand name and generate extra visibility to users. It allows companies to give more personality to who they are and what they are about, as well their visions and goals for their future endeavors. Pinterest also allows brands to engage with their audience, create product awareness, and a chance to give users a sense of community by giving back. In essence, Pinterest contests are useful in the success of building brand image and engaging with users on Pinterest. Stay tuned for a follow-up post on different types of contests you can run on Pinterest and how best to promote, integrate and cross-promote giveaways in your marketing campaigns!
-Emily Jang, Sociality Squared 2013 Summer Intern
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