We not-so-long-ago blogged about how Pinterest is a smart social media asset for certain brands. While Pinterest isn’t the new kid on the social media block anymore, it’s still an emerging platform and one of the the latest trends is to host a contest on the virtual pinboard. But how do you go about engaging your followers and connecting with them via virtual bulletin boards? While these campaigns are still relatively new, here are some key fundamentals you need to include when planning a Pinterest campaign:
Strategy.The objective for the campaign should absolutely fit smoothly into your larger marketing strategy and achieve at least one of your overall marketing objectives. Utilize other platforms and online assets to promote your campaign, spread the word and peak interest.
Easy Entry.Make it super simple for your users to enter the contest. A popular mechanism is to ask them to create a themed board and then re-pin a prescribed number of pins from a board of images that you provide (of course in keeping with the overall theme of the contest).
Tag It.The use of the hashtag is quickly permeating other social platforms — and that’s ok! Require your entrants to tag each pin with a hashtag that you create, as well as label their board a name you require.
Entry Form Required.If you are using this campaign to build your Pinterest following, require your audience to enter the campaign on the platform where you have the largest following. For instance, Facebook tabs are programmable to be used as a contest entry mechanism. Require entrants to submit their email addresses (so you can notify them if they win), their Pinterest name and a link to their board.
Sweet Swag. Always offer great prize options. If you’re going to ask your audience members to go to lengths to create a pinboard, re-pin a few pins and then submit their info, offer them a great incentive that is relevant to the theme of your campaign.
If you are present on Pinterest, contests are great ways to peak interest and increase your following. It may seem like a convoluted logistical nightmare, but running a Pinterest contest really can be a breeze. We are always watching other brands to see what they’re doing on social media and think David’s Bridal, HP and CountryLiving have done an swell job at running successful Pinterest contests.
