Following Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is the third most popular social network, but have you been giving Pinterest the attention it deserves?

As pin-tastic Abby Heft outlined in her post about how Pinterest works, Pinterest is a great way to present your property in a very visually captivating way, share travel and industry knowledge, and engage with your online community.

Just as it applies to all other social networks, it's not enough to simply set up an account and then sit back and relax. You also have to ensure that the right audience discovers your account and that you regularly interact with that community.

To get started, you're going to need to optimize your Pinterest account!

What's In A Name?

Everything! Make sure to include crucial keywords in your Pinterest name, even if they aren't in your official property name. For instance, DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport's Pinterest account looks great at first glance, but their name is missing one important word! If I were to search "Seattle hotel" to check out different properties on Pinterest, this hotel would not populate in its search results.

A main point in online strategies is to be easily found and highly visible; whether your goal is for search engines or TripAdvisor; the same should apply here. By including these small but crucial keywords into your account name, your Pinterest will be that much more visible and therefore effective.

In addition, make sure to add your location (which can be found and updated when you select "Edit Profile"). Pinterest currently does not have a specific format for inputting your location, so you can also include indicator keywords such as Downtown Seattle, Washington versus Seattle, Washington or Seattle, WA.



Add Links

Links on Pinterest are now nofollow, which means that the search engine power behind Pinterest links isn't passed back to your site.  But just because you don't get the link juice doesn't mean you should disregard your backlinks.

Make sure that your links are pointing to the correct pages so Pinterest users can easily find what they are looking for, make bookings, or pin other images onto their own boards from your site. In addition, be sure to add links to your Facebook and Twitter accounts from your Pinterest page so users can easily follow and connect with your other social media channels.

Beautify Your Boards

Just as having a visually captivating Facebook Timeline Cover Photo impacts users coming to your Facebook page, the same goes for Pinterest users coming to your page.

Make sure that your page's main image grabs users' attention, and update your board covers to show off your best pinned images right from the get-go. Pinterest now allows you to choose and position your board covers so your page can have its best face forward.

Know Your Pinners

To keep up with the attention span of a pinner, you will need to update frequently to stay top of mind. Having your beautiful, visually appealing photos cycling through on your followers' "Pinners You Follow" feeds is crucial for having your pinners visit your actual page, and for getting comments and repins. Additionally, keep in mind the pinner community and what pinners are generally interested in.

According to an RJ Metrics study, the top categories on Pinterest are Home, Arts and Crafts, Style and Fashion, and Food. Just because travel is on the lower end of the pinning spectrum, you can still use this channel to show off your hotel's hip style, catering creations, and fashion-related images for the stylish jetsetter.

Use these categories, create keyword strategies to target those pinners, and add targeted keyword hashtags into your pin descriptions for added exposure.



Pin For Engagement, Not Self Promotion

Of course you should pin your own photos that link users back to your website, but Pinterest users can easily become disinterested in your page and pins if they are always self-promoting. Include a board for area attractions, travel tips, and wedding inspirations to ensure that you are providing your Pinterest followers with useful, relevant, interesting content.

There's no denying the buzz around Pinterest and how it can work for your business, but because pinning can be so fun, it is easy to forget about optimization. Make sure to use our easy-to-follow steps to ensure that you are effectively reaching those millions of Pinterest users and engaging with them!

Blue Magnet Interactive is an agency devoted to helping the hospitality industry realize the amazing potential of online marketing.

www.bluemagnetinteractive.com