Pinterest can help out businesses

One social media tool often overlooked by businesses is Pinterest. Pinterest (at pinterest.com) is where you can “pin” images and videos from websites as well as upload your own original content.

You organize your images by topic onto boards. Since all images and videos link back to the websites they were pinned from, Pinterest is an excellent tool for driving traffic to your website or blog.

On Pinterest you can also browse other people’s boards and repin their images onto your boards.

Many people mistakenly think that Pinterest is only good for businesses that sell fashion, cooking or crafts. That’s not the case. Here are eight ways other types of businesses can use Pinterest to showcase their services:

? Focus on your customers’ passions and interests. A consultant pins pictures of her clients’ travels.

? Take how-to videos. An organizer shows how to label and alphabetize folders so one can quickly find needed information.

? Help your clients. An insurance agent takes a picture of a form and explains a section that people often incorrectly complete.

? Share tips. A writer uses PicMonkey.com to create an image containing only text which gives three tips for a powerful first sentence.

? Show satisfied clients. A personal trainer shares pictures of her clients and the results they are achieving.

? Let people see behind the scenes. The owner of a cleaning company shows a picture of her warehouse.

? Introduce yourself. A real estate agent uploads a picture of herself with her dog.

? Entertain. An interior decorator repins images of houses built in unusual places like underground or on a mountaintop.

People use Pinterest to be inspired, learn, be entertained, get to know you, and shop for products and services. For all these reasons, businesses can’t afford to ignore Pinterest.

Barbara Moore helps people use their computers through training and troubleshooting. She can be reached at (585) 748-1850 or bmoore@mooreresults.com. This column is written by members of the Rochester Women’s Network (rwn.org).