Like Twitter, Pinterest grabs the attention of customers and clients that will re-pin your content – or pin their own. In some cases Pinterest is able to help by providing a social media platform to present quality images and graphics. Pinterest is also a great way for your company to show participation in your local community with photos of events and sponsorships.
There are firms that see the benefit in using Pinterest for promotional purposes. Let’s take a look at three organizations that recently brought Pinterest into the mix. Why would these firms choose to use this particular social media platform? The reason is because that is where the target markets for these companies spend time when online.
Four Seasons Hotel Boston
Continuing the company’s love affair with all things social media, Four Seasons Hotel Boston (FSHB) launched a combined Facebook and Pinterest competition. FSHB wants people to think about those family getaways this summer. One way FSHB is accomplishing this is through the use of Pinterest. FSHB wants potential visitors to know that it’s not too late to make that dream a reality. FSHB announces it’s Pin-to-Win “Boston Fantasy Family Getaway” through Pinterest.
To be eligible to win, entrants were required to create a “Boston Fantasy Family Getaway” Pin-to-Win Board on Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/fsboston/pin-to-win-boston-fantasy-family-getaway/
10-20 pins represented the family’s ideal Family Summer Vacation to Boston. The contest required that one pin on the board be from each of the following websites:
- Boston Duck Tours
- Georgetown Cupcake
- Four Seasons Hotel Boston
- World’s Only Curious George Store
Next, entrants were required to visit the “Boston Fantasy Family Getaway” tab on Four Seasons Hotel Boston Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FourSeasonsHotelBoston) fan page and submit contact details and the URL link to the entry for “Boston Fantasy Family Getaway” Pinterest Board.
What did the BIG WINNERS receive?
The Grand Prize Winner received a complimentary hotel stay on the Kid-Kation package as well as impressive prizes from contest partners.
The lucky 2nd Prize Winner received a complimentary two-night family getaway at FSHB in August 2012 complete with a myriad of other incredible perks.
What a great way for the company to use Pinterest in order to generate interest as well as increase foot traffic to FSHB and contest partners! The strategy of the contest fit perfectly to the strengths that Pinterest possesses. The contest was based on entrants submitting photos – and the side-benefits, all of the contestant’s network contacts being exposed to the contest.
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
Pinterest also fits non-profit organizations. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is using Pinterest. Through Pinterest visitors are able to discover ASCD’s rich content through the visually-based social network. The network contains informative infographics, inspirational quotes, ASCD books, professional development resources, tips for ASCD’s Annual Conference, and as always – much more.
As a matter of fact, you may follow ASCD via www.pinterest.com/officialascd.
Pittsburgh Paints
Have you ever wanted to name a paint color? With the use of social media Pittsburgh Paints is giving customers the chance to do just that with the “I Named a Paint Color” promotion.
The “I Named a Paint Color” promotion affords site visitors the opportunity to name 150 new colors in the Pittsburgh Paints line. The program is featured on www.voiceofcolor.com as well as on the following Pittsburgh Paint social media pages:
- Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/voiceofcolor)
- Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/voiceofcolor)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/voiceofcolor)
Visitors are given a chance to submit a new name for five color swatches per day for 30 days. New color names are selected from the entries based on originality and inspiration. Winning entries are posted on the new website and will later be used on the new color palette.
The use of the company’s social media pages, specifically Pinterest, is a fantastic way to promote the contest and tie to Pittsburgh Paints new website launch.
- As I stated previously, Pinterest is very visual and perfectly suited for this contest where photos displaying the inspiration for the color name may be posted – or pinned as it were.
- The potential for causing all sorts of media to go viral – Pinterest is an excellent choice to assist the company’s contest to go viral.
Tying to The Voice of Color program – the color platform for Pittsburgh Paints products is based on the philosophy that every color has an emotional and meaningful association. The “I Named a Paint Color” promotion encourages photos of objects, places, and people to be posted by visitors that inspired the paint color names that were entered.
Dee Schlotter, Pittsburgh Paint brand manager states, “Whether it’s the shades of a favorite flower or the colors of a child’s soccer uniform, we want to know what is important to our visitors and provide them the opportunity to have a voice in the color selection process”.
“Color names can come from the most unusual sources,” Schlotter added. “For example, our most popular interior color – PPG Pony Tail – was inspired by the color of a Pittsburgh Paint employee’s daughter’s pony tail as well as her love for horses.”
These are all great examples how businesses have incorporated Pinterest into the social engagement mix. For contests or promotions that are by nature visual, that require photographs, Pinterest is a very good choice when selecting social media that makes a striking visual impression and which continues to increase in interest among potential customers.Tweet
