There is no doubt that today’s internet savant has a plethora of social networking and marketing tools at his or her disposal: from Facebook and Google+, to Twitter and LinkedIn,  there is no shortage of outlets through which an individual or business can express themselves. One of the quickest growing social networking sites is Pinterest, which takes a classic networking approach and puts a new spin on it. Many businesses are reporting record sales and traffic after integrating their business approach with a Pinterest account. What benefits can Pinterest offer you? Let’s explore some of the main points that will augment your business’ profile.

Direct Product Featuring

Many initially signed up for Pinterest as a way to combine fashion and décor into an easy-to-see layout. This was used so that colors, patterns and features could be compared side-by-side to see how they look. For businesses, this option means that your own Pinterest page can feature items from your catalog. With a bunch of customization features at your company’s disposal, you can mix and match items together, creating a well-coordinated vision of the products your company offers. If a reasonable amount of time is spent networking and improving your page, your items (or “pins”, rather) will be re-pinned by other users and it is this action that leads to increased exposure.

Viral Sharing

As briefly mentioned before, the main component of Pinterest allows users to share your designs and products with their friends and followers. Not only can this strategy be used within Pinterest, but in other social networking mediums as well. By linking your Pinterest account to your Facebook and Twitter feeds, you are more likely to draw in fellow Pinterest users who may not be interested in your tame Facebook page, but will be more responsive to the unique layout you have created on Pinterest. When sharing, you can shorten your Pinterest URL so that you can fit more information about the products in your description; Pingler’s URL Shortener can help with that.

Pair Your Products With Others’

Many user of Pinterest – including businesses – find that by sharing others’ products and services in conjunction with their own, they can in fact increase their own sales. How does something like this work? By finding items from other companies and individuals that complement your own products, you can showcase them together and encourage individuals to buy them as a “set”. While you will not be earning any money for others’ products, you may find that this tactic draws in more business than you would think. One can compare this approach to the “Recommended items” or “Items similar to this” features that many e-commerce websites display alongside other products.

Follow The Champions

Another great way to grow your business’ Pinterest profile is to locate and follow the big traffic grabbers in your categories. In most cases, those who follow individuals will receive a reciprocal follow from that individual or business. Once this process is replicated many times over, you will begin to notice an increase in sales as more people share the products and services that you pin.