After setting up your account on Pinterest, you will see the option to “Create a Board” on your profile page. Creating a board specifically for videos allows your followers to quickly and easily locate all of the videos that you have posted on the topics that interest them. Additionally, if you plan to cover a variety of topics on your Pinterest page, it is best to make multiple boards for each topic. Just be sure to add the word “Videos” to each of your video boards, along with a descriptive title, so that users have a good idea of what each board contains. Choose an appropriate category for each of your boards from the list of categories provided by Pinterest, and you’re ready to add pins to your boards!
This process is far simpler than you would expect. After uploading video to your Vimeo or YouTube account, both of these sites feature a “Share” button which gives you the option to “Pin It”. If, for some reason, the “Pin It” option does not appear under your YouTube video, you need to locate the shortened URL that provides a direct link to your video. To do so, you will need to find the “Options” menu, located to the bottom right of the shortened embed code for the video, and choose the option for “HD Link”. Copy the shortened “youtu.be” link and follow the instructions in the next tip to pin your videos.
From your Pinterest profile, click on the desired board that you created earlier and select the “Add a Pin” link to add a pin. Next, select the “The Web” option from the “Add a Pin From” box. Paste the shortened link from your YouTube video into the “Add a Pin from a website” box and click “Next”. Pinterest will then give you the option to “Pin It” by clicking the button on your video’s preview. Remember to provide engaging, keyword-rich descriptions for your videos and boards in order to make them more searchable for other Pinterest users.
One great way to promote products on Pinterest is to develop a video pin to showcase each individual product. If you prefer to share instructional information or industry expertise, you could create videos for DIY tutorials or other tips and pin them to appropriately titled boards. This route opens up the possibility of creating an entire Pinterest video series for each topic. Another option would be virtual tour videos for hotels, homes, vacation destinations, and the like. Consider working with others in your industry to create a collaborative Pinterest video board.
Rather than relying on a simple, still frame chosen at random from your video, you should take the time to create a high-quality image to use as your video thumbnail. These images are far more likely to draw attention. Vimeo is the best option here, as the site offers users the ability to upload a customized thumbnail. Also, consider adding the easily-recognized triangular “Play” button over your thumbnail to communicate to users that your pin contains video content.
Brevity is, after all, the soul of wit. Pinterest users are accustomed to a quick browsing experience, so keeping your videos as short as possible will be more likely to draw viewers than longer ones that require more of a time commitment. For longer videos, be sure to provide the video length in your description to let viewers know what to expect.
It may seem awkward, but calls to action are a proven method of encouraging audience engagement. Do you want your viewers to re-pin your video to gain wider exposure? Ask them to do just that, either in the body of your video description, or in your video’s outtro. Would you like to have more Pinterest followers? Invite viewers to follow you by including a clear invitation and a link to your Pinterest profile. When users follow you on Pinterest, you are able to engage with your audience on a more personal level.
Do you have a website or blog for your business/brand? Providing a link to your website/blog, or to the referenced video embedded on your website/blog serves the dual purpose of boosting your site’s traffic and improving its ranking with major search engines.
Browse the Internet regularly for the newest and most popular videos from your industry. When you find them, pin them to the appropriate board on your own Pinterest profile, making sure to provide your own unique title and description for them. However, don’t forget to give credit and provide links to the original content creator in your video description.
As with any other social media network, sharing the work of others is part of the experience. When you find great Pinterest videos created by others in your industry, it is completely acceptable to re-pin them. But be sure to inform them, either via comment or message, that you have re-pinned their video, as a courtesy. If you would like to take a more original route, try creating a commentary video that references other industry videos instead. Providing your audience with a variety of content options on your boards will boost your reputation as a reliable source of industry information.
Do you have experience using videos on Pinterest as a marketing strategy? Would you like to share your insights? We’d love to hear from you!