Pinterest is one of the more recent social media platforms to have surfaced the Internet. This image-based online space is basically a website that allows users to share creative graphics by “pinning” them to their virtual boards. It hasn’t taken long for businesses to quickly realize the potential of Pinterest in luring prospective clients or customers. Some of these include Nordstrom the online fashion retailer with 4.4 Million followers, and Lowe’s the home improvement and appliances store, which has 3.5 Million followers.
While still not as populous compared to other social media platforms such as Google+, Pinterest is quickly gaining an impression as a reliable leverage for people involved in publishing – including aspiring authors. To sell your books and ebooks, taking advantage of the free opportunities made possible by social media is a must. For writers waiting for their big break, here are five reasons why Pinterest can play a role in taking you to the next level:
1. Pinterest is rapidly growing
Sure, Facebook currently draws the biggest crowd. But that can change in the long-term. With unique monthly visitors tallying up to 85 million and traffic increasing more than three thousand times over for the past three quarters, it’s definitely a sign that there’s a goldmine of readership in Pinterest. That is certainly enough reason to sign up for an account.
2. Pinterest covers a specific demographic of users
If you want to sell books, Pinterest is potentially the best place to market your work due to the nature of its content. Since it’s meant exclusively for sharing ideas and inspirations, the demographics of Pinterest users are young adults who belong to the upper middle class. This means individuals who are most likely to read books for knowledge or as a hobby.
3. Pinterest easily catches the attention of your market
Your book may be filled with significant text, but advertising requires it to have what it needs to get across the message in just one glance. This is what Pinterest provides through its pinned images. You can post a synopsis of your work in infographic form or as a catchy poster. You can even go as direct as putting your well-designed book cover out there.
4. Pinterest serves as a venue for collaboration with other authors
Some boards serve as an exclusive communal forum for authors to display their book covers, hence providing a dedicated online space for readers to browse for titles that will interest them. Pinterest is ideal for building a network of colleagues in the industry to exchange ideas with and perhaps do business together in the future.
5. Pinterest allows engagement with potential customers
Any successful marketing campaign includes interaction with potential customers, and Pinterest makes this easy by letting authors freely socialize with other users. You can comment on pins to increase your visibility among Pinterest members. This helps create a personable image that can later on result in sales.
Pinterest is undeniably a helpful website if you intend to bank on online visibility as your marketing strategy to sell copies of your books and ebooks. But just as it gives you the much-needed advantage in advertising your work, it also helps that using Pinterest is actually fun. What are you waiting for? Start pinning!
Image credit: mkhmarketing on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0