Have you ever considered using Pinterest for your construction business?
Pinterest: the name (for most) tends to conjure up images of make-up tips, fashion, and knitting ideas… but actually, it’s a visual smorgasboard featuring everything from cake to construction.
And with over 100 million active users and around 2.5 billion monthly page views, it’s quite easy to see why the construction industry is starting to notice and make an impact in the world of Pinterest.
Below, I’m going to tell you why your construction business should be on Pinterest, as well as some tips to get started.
Sell more by getting visual
According to Now Marketing Group, 47% of online consumers have made purchases based on things they’ve viewed on Pinterest, demonstrating that there’s a lot of trust within the Pinterest community.
In fact, more and more construction businesses are starting to use Pinterest, from home remodellers and conversatory companies to flooring businesses.
What does this mean for your construction business? Well, you should start looking at Pinterest as a way of showcasing your industry expertise by posting some of your best projects, as well as photos of your team, the materials or equipment you’ve used on the job.
You could post an entire gallery of how you got from A to B with your latest project, or simply the astonishing results at the end – maybe even an informative infographic about how your industry has changed over the years thanks to technology.
The possibilities are endless, but it all starts with creating an account.
1. Get a business account
The first thing you need to do is sign up for a Pinterest business account – and to make sure you get the most out of your new account, I’d highly recommend signing up with the same email as you used for Twitter (so you can connect your accounts).
Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to start following some boards! Trust me, this isn’t a waste of time. Following boards that are relevant to your industry is one of the first ways you can start to raise awareness and build a following of your own. Companies like yours will most likely also return the favour.
Below is an imagine of ‘construction’ and ‘joinery’ boards.
***INSERT IMAGE***
2. Be a kingpin
Or is that a pin king? Either way, your next step is to start creating your own boards and pinning your own content to them. This is one of the best places to showcase visual examples of your current and previous projects, as well as other content that reflects your company culture. You can also pin blogs, case studies and more!
TIP: Don’t be limited to posting your own projects – adding a little fun or inspiration is key, and will help start the conversation to get you noticed by not only potential customers, but other construction experts who may start following you and re-pinning your posts.
3. Use keywords and hashtags
Don’t forget to look at Pinterest from an SEO perspective. Your business Pinterest account, along with each pinboard you’ve built, will be indexed by Google, so ensure that you take time creating descriptive, relevant titles and use keywords where appropriate.
Hashtags are also particularly good if your Pinterest is connected to Twitter, as these will also help your boards and pins show up in searches. This will in turn help to improve your search rankings and help you get found by more users on Pinterest and elsewhere.
4. Re-pin other posts
Remember how I mentioned that other construction-related businesses may want to re-pin your posts? Well, you should also be commenting on and re-pinning the posts of others, too. Just like using most social media sites, interaction is still important and you shouldn’t look at Pinterest as a place to solely talk about yourself.
Re-pinning other projects can be a good way to get the conversation started, and you may also find ideas and products that inspire you along the way, so it can be rewarding for all parties involved.
5. Nurture a community
Another great way to get involved in the conversation and establish your authority in the construction industry is by joining community or shared boards. You can easily spot these on Pinterest by the little group icon displayed underneath a board’s name.
Joining a relevant, active community could help you direct a lot more followers, re-pins and attention towards your Pinterest business account. You can also create your own group and invite others to join, which can make Pinterest feel a lot warmer and fuzzier than just simply posting a few photos every now and then.
6. Optimise for maximum results
This is actually a lot simpler than it sounds. For instance, Hubspot states that pins that have description lengths of approx. 200 characters are proven to get the most repins – so try to recreate that with your own pins. Remember, not too long, not too short, and keep them accurate and engaging.
Use high quality, high resolution images wherever possible, and don’t forget to give people something to do once they get there. That’s right, even on Pinterest, call-to-actions (CTAs) are important. In fact, Hubspot says that pins with CTAs have around an 80% increase in engagement.
Conclusion
I’ve you’ve never thought about using Pinterest for your construction business before, I hope this blog post has managed to open up a new world of possibilities for you.
Your next steps:
Still on the fence about Pinterest? My advice is to get on there and have a look at what some construction companies are already doing – it might help inspire you to get started.
Here’s a few we like:
Taking a look around may also give you a better indication of whether your buyer persona is actually using Pinterest, as that’s what will make it really worthwhile.
Remember, just like any social media platform, Pinterest demands your time, and you should evaluate whether this platform will help you reach your individual business’s goals before committing to hours of effort.
Happy pinning!