Noted :: Got A Secret? Pinterest Can Keep It

In 2012 we saw the rapid growth of Pinterest as a social media platform. Companies of every size and category have joined Pinterest in hopes of increasing brand awareness, staying current in the social media space and adding some personality and flair to their brand. Though Pinterest might seem to have limited usage and lack of customization – such as a Facebook or Twitter – companies have come up with creative ways to use the social media site to benefit their brand.

We saw an influx of ‘Pin It to Win It’ contests, brand storytelling, product promotion, infographics, SEO support and more. While companies might be using these types strategies to to sell product or drive traffic to their websites – the average Pinterest user is typically the site for a different reason – inspiration.

If your company is using Pinterest for one of the above mentioned tactics, kudos, you’re moving in the right direction in terms of growing your social media presence. However, instead of thinking what Pinterest can do for your brand – you should also be thinking of how you can use Pinterest for your brand. One word – inspiration.

At Elements we’re constantly creating moodboards to jump start a project, gain design inspiration and even feature them asa blog post. But what if you don’t want the entire world watching your process? Often times we’re looking for inspiration for a new project, a client or campaign that we need to keep under wraps. That’s where Pinterest’s newest tool “secret boards” come into play. Pinterest has the option to keep three boards in “secret” mode. These boards also allow you to have board contributors that you can invite to share, post and add to any of your secret boards. Amy recently used a secret board for her family’s New Years Card and it got us thinking – what else can you do with an a secret/inspirational moodboard for your brand?

• Competitive Research: Do your competitors have a Pinterest account? What are they doing and how are they portraying themselves? With a website you’re able to see only a limited version of how a company is presenting itself. Pinterest brings out a personality and you’re able to see another side of a company/brand.
• Marketing Campaigns: Companies are always looking for unique and fresh ideas to market themselves. Pinterest is the perfect place to generate ideas for upcoming campaigns. Even if it starts with just one image or thought – keep searching and as more ideas and images come together – you’ll get that original idea that’s all your own.
• Learn Something New: In the world of social media, and most other careets, everything is constantly changing – and you should be changing with it. Start a board of infographics to learn new statistics, stay ahead of trends by searching new hashtags, find out what everyone has on their reading list – the possibilities are endless.
• Event Planning: If you’ve ever planned an event before, you know that the logistics of the event can take weeks or even months to plan. But where do you start? Start by pulling together a moodboard full of designs for floral arrangements, venues, color schemes etc. Pinterest is full of how-to’s and DIY suggestions that might even give you ideas for icebreakers, event activities or even food and beverage choices.

Are you a Pinterest user? Have you tried a secret board yet? If you’re looking for additional information on how to use Pinterest, we’ve posted a few helpful articles over the course of 2012 to get you started – From Pins to Purchases and Would Your Company Benefit from a Pinterest Account?

~Allyson