Rosi Linda Sanchez | @lindarosilinda

 Social media has put brands and businesses closer to their consumers than ever before. Brands are eager to tell and share their story and businesses are looking for innovative ways to attract consumers. According to Experian Hitwise, Pinterest has grown into one of the Top 30 U.S. Websites, so it’s no wonder brands and businesses are looking to the image-sharing social network to attract audiences.

If you’ve done even the smallest exploration on the social site, then you are aware Pinterest is mostly about images and pictures. If you’re like most people who visit the site, you have become a Pin-addict and have shared with other addicts your love for fashion, food, decorations and do-it-yourself projects. Now, if you’re a business owner you’re probably thinking, how and why should my business use and profit from the image-heavy channel?

Don’t think of Pinterest as just a site for fashion or wedding planners, instead think of how to fully utilize the fact that it is an image-based site. Childrens books are image-based. You can tell the whole story by just looking at the pictures. Pinterest has the same effect. You can use the image-heavy channel to tell the story about what, how, and why your business does what it does.

Your boards are public which gives your audience and following a chance to get to know your brand and business on a personal level. Still confused on where or how to start? Here are some creative ways to get you started pinning.

1. Tell Your Brand's Story

Who founded your business? Why? A collection of boards that tells the story of how your business started can help form a special bond with you audience. Have a board with the founders of your company and another with your company's mission and images that reflect that.

Ben & Jerry’s has taken this approach on Pinterest by creating a board labeled, “Our Factory."

By inviting its consumers into its factory, they established trust with customers and most importantly established a relationship.

2. Give Your Audience Information They Can Use

Fashion house Nordstrom featured a wedding inspired board for brides-to-be, which gained more than 20,000 followers. Other boards on their page give information on fashion and décor, all useful information to their audience.

3. Highlight Charity Or Volunteering

One of Whole Foods’ Pinterest boards is devoted to the brand’s Whole Planet Foundation.

    

Sharing your customers with what your business does for others is a great way of  letting them know who they are dealing with and also lets them know how they are helping and are involved.

Courtney Seiter has discovered up to 21 unexpected ways brands use Pinterest. Using Pinterest for your brand or business can actually be fun, creative and very informative for your clients and audience. Pinterest is not just about pinning recipes anymore. Today, more brands and businesses are choosing the site to express themselves visually.