Dear Socially Stephanie,
This year, I just launched a small home furnishings business. We sell a limited number of quirky, high-quality products online. I'm looking to do a big push for the holidays as many of my products are perfect for gifting. How do I go about getting my products onto online gift-lists? Any other ideas for how to take advantage of seasonal sales? I have a limited following online, and because I have a full-time job, I don't have time to do a lot of promotional work.
- Designing Woman in Dallas-Ft.Worth
Dear Designing Woman,
I like what I'm hearing, and I like it for a few reasons. First and foremost, you, my friend, sound like a Pinner's dream. Hip, design-heavy, home-focused and female. You're already set for success. But as the holidays are coming, and shopping season has officially arrived, we've got no time to lose. So let's jump in.
Watch your analytics, because Pinterest traffic is going to soar. Of course, that depends on how Pinnable your site is already. The easier you make things for others to share, the more likely your stuff will be shared. Since we're going to focus on Pinterest, here's your quick check list. Do you have rich pins in place? If not, act on that, and do it fast. Get on your web person now and make sure your product pages are up to Pinterest par.
Next step, get your Pinterest boards up to standard. The standards I'm talking about are search engine standards. By making your Pinterest boards search-friendly, you're going to get in front of the right people. I know, I know. SEO is out, social is in. But, hear me out. Search engine rankings are still super important, especially during the shopping season. And since it's one of your goals to get on gift guides, we need to target those who are looking specifically for the best gifts for design lovers. Bullseye!
So, how're you going to do that? It's all in the Board names. As in, your Pinterest Board names. They're searchable! Creating optimized titles that will get your products found can be a major jackpot for you. Try titles like "Top 5 Gifts for Design Lovers," "Best Christmas Gifts for Design Freaks," "Gifts for Your Design-Obsessed Friend." You get the point. Not only will this strategy increase your chances of getting in front of bloggers, you'll also be increasing your odds of getting in front of actual buyers. And that right there is the goal.
Since we're on the blogger topic, let's talk about HARO's list. HARO's, or HelpAReporter, is a list designed to put journalists and bloggers in touch with the right sources for their stories. Right now there are bound to be a ton of inquiries for last minute gift guides. Sign up for that list, monitor it and respond when necessary. I've been an inquiry submitter for years-want my words of wisdom? Just make it as easy for them to write about you as possible. Don't just send a link. Bloggers are busy people, so when I get a link, my delete finger gets über-excited. I don't have the time or energy to do the research myself. Keep that in mind.
Oh! And one more thing. Once you have a little more time, something I'd really recommend is trying to find a Super Pinner. You know, those people who have tons of followers. I want you to find design-relevant blogs you admire, like Design Milk or Apartment Therapy, and do a little blogger outreach, letting them know about your products. If it resonates with them, you just might find yourself headed for Pinterest viral success.
Good luck!
Socially,
Stephanie
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Illustration by Jesse Wells; photo courtesy of Thing Industries