Powerful, well-known brands that are using Pinterest today and finding success include Nordstrom, Everyday Health, and L.L. Bean to name a few. What these brands have in common is how they maximize their efforts on Pinterest to engage consumers, build their brand’s reputation, and support brand loyalty. Pinterest presents endless possibilities to businesses looking to connect with their consumers on a more personable level, to connect through displaying the lifestyle that a brand can offer a consumer.

Here’s how brands can boost consumer engagement with Pinterest:

• Host contests. An excellent way to engage with pinners is to host contests such as having them create a themed board or best designed board. Brands like Victoria’s Secret and The CW Television Network have held contests like this with prize giveaways to engage their current followers and attract new ones.
• Launch catalogs or introduce new products. Many brands, like Nordstrom, now launch their catalogs on Pinterest to give pinners a sneak peek. This type of action encourages users to follow your page and boards for exclusive news and opportunities. Additionally, brands will introduce new products to get consumer feedback and test potential success before they launch a new line.
• Brand personality and loyalty. Show your brand’s personality off through the power of images and interaction. Brands use Pinterest to increase their online and social presence with consumers, as well as entice brand loyalty by connecting through consumers’ lifestyle choices.
• Engage with users. As we continue to say, the ultimate goal of social media is to be social and interact with current and potential customers. Do this on Pinterest by commenting on other pins, comments to your own pins, liking pins, and repinning other pins. Getting to know your consumer and interacting with them on a more personal level will help you build a relationship with your target audiences.
• Add pin buttons to your website. This is a simple step that any business can take to increase consumer engagement. Add a Pinterest social media icon and add pin buttons to all of your products and services to encourage consumers to engage, follow, and share with you on Pinterest.

What brands do you follow on Pinterest? Share with us in the comments below.