Written By: Andy Ogg, Editor and Marketing Director – Travel Professional NEWS
Every Social Media outlet has it’s positives and negatives. Whether it’s a lack of organic reach or issues with getting customers engaged with your content, each avenue has it’s strengths and weaknesses.
It is safe to say that with over a reported 175 Million users and over 50 Billion pins, Pinterest has nothing ahead of it but growth. Pinterest, “A Place for Ideas” was founded in 2018 and continues to be a heavy influencer for purchasing and research by consumers.
Due to it’s highly visual layout and unique Board and Pins format, Pinterst is a perfect fit for a Travel Agency as it allows for information to be shared in an organized and informational way. So how does one make the most out of efforts on Pinterest?
Narrow In
As a Travel Professional, you’ve been told and have heard time and time again about the power of speciality. Pinterest is no different. Whether your business specializes in All Inclusive Resorts, Family Travel, River Cruising or in particular destinations, Pinterest can be a great resource to further reach new clients and create a following of prospective clients.
To achieve success in marketing on Pinterest, narrow your Boards on Pinterest to the most basic element. For example, if you specialize in Family Travel, a Board that focuses on Cruises for families with children ages 6 months – 1 year. Another Board could focus on Cruises that are best for families with children 1 year to 2 years of age. Continue the break down of age groups and provide quality content on each specific Board. Having Blog posts or content of this type hosted on your own website is the ultimate way to make Pinterest be most effective so while Pinning is easy, there may be some work cut out for you to maximize your efforts.
Engagement Needs Your Engagement
Just like any Social Media outlet, you receive what you put in . Spend some time and interact with other Pinterest users to create a following of possible clients or connections. Share your Boards on your website, email list, as well as on other Social Media outlets to maximize the marketing efforts.
In addition, connecting with your favorite suppliers on Pinterest can be a great way to share specials, unique offerings and news from your top selling products. Utilizing the Pin feature of Pinterest makes sharing this content easy and effortless.
Convert Followers to Customers
While having a successful Pinterest profile is fantastic, getting new clients as a result is even better. When a follower engages with your content or Pins one of your posts, comment and engage with the user letting them know that you can help them get out there to experience what they are seeing. Inform them that you are a Travel Professional and specialize in this area of Travel, thus knowing it better than anyone.
Once an interaction has begun, start your sales process and make sure to follow the new age rule of communicating with them on their preferred method. Whether by using email, phone calls, text or a messaging application, keep in mind that if it’s easy for them to chat with you, the more they will.
Create Content
As a Travel Professional, it’s safe to say that you probably do some traveling yourself. When on a trip, spend the extra time and effort to capture your experiences in high quality photos. Document your experience at a location, resort or trip by sharing a good photo of it to the correct Pinterest Board, which you have already created, and link the information to a Blog post or area of your website that provides further information on the Pin itself.
By linking the unique content to your website, you won’t just see the increase in visits to your website, but you’ll most likely see it in the sales book as well. Remember that the entire goal of a successful Pinterest campaign is to drive users to your website and convert those users into clients.
Stay Consistent
A reported 87% of Pinterest users have purchased a product because of seeing it on Pinterest according to this article. Stay consistent with your efforts to capture some of that extremely high conversion rate. Focus on your speciality and break it down to provide quality content for every user who sees one of your Pins, Boards or your profile.
Pinners love Pinterest and most of the frequent users use the outlet for research, ideas, planning and education before committing to a purchase or event. With that said, staying consistent with your efforts is key to successfully marketing your business and services on Pinterest.
While there is no set guarantee of success through marketing your business through Social Media, the opportunities are there and are plentiful. Keep at it and with time, you will master the routine that fits your business and your groove.
Until next month, happy travels!