In case you haven’t heard, Pinterest is the latest social-media site.
More specifically, it’s a social photo-sharing website, where users
create a bulletin board of their favorite images centered around a
particular theme.
For example, if you
are planning a holiday party, you can post photos (known as “pins”) of all the
products or design ideas that appeal to you and link them to the web sites for
easy access to information. Users can follow specific Pinterest boards like a
Twitter feed. And like Facebook, it’s an “invitation-only” site, so access can
be controlled.
Increasingly,
businesses are using Pinterest as a kind of virtual storefront. Because it’s
format is so visual, pinning new products and linking those photos to product
descriptions or ecommerce sites is effective. Studies show that the vast
majority of Pinterest users are women (the heaviest shoppers) and that they
spend an hour or more on the site each visit.
But can Pinterest
work for an association? The answer is… maybe, depending upon how you use it
and what gets pinned.
Rule #1: Make sure
what you pin is visually interesting.
If you are posting
annual reports that do not have an aesthetically appealing cover or graphics
that are eye-catching – few will click on it. Pinterest users want pictures, not
copy.
Rule #2: Make sure
the pins are useful and interesting to users.
Try not to be
entirely self-serving. Post helpful information to keep members coming back and
promote re-pinning. Invite “guest” pinners to contribute to your Pinterest site
to help build a following.
What should you pin?
Associations have a
wealth of material that is appropriate for this media.
First and foremost,
your job is to bring together people with similar interests – networking is a
huge part of building an active membership. So the most obvious pins would be
photos from annual meetings, award ceremonies and any other industry related
events where members can be showcased. You might even consider setting up a
special board that showcases business cards of members to promote networking
and resource sharing.
Next are your
information materials, i.e. reports, industry-related articles, links to
webinars. But to be effective, it may be necessary to redesign the report
covers to create a more visually appealing product.
Third are
industry-related items of interest, such as cartoons, books, films, online
courses, etc.
And finally, don’t be
afraid to “re-pin” from outside boards. Information sharing builds awareness.
Because of the rapid
growth on Pinterest, it’s a good bet that even if your membership is not
currently using Pinterest—it will be soon. Reaching potential members and
remaining relevant is the key to successful membership building efforts.
Pinterest may be a wonderful tool to help you reach your membership goals.
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