When The New York Times publishes a story that says, “Pinterest is the Key Traffic Partner,” everyone wakes up and should listen. Its something we’ve been telling our hotel and travel clients for a while: a Pinterest board can be your top referral site – even more than Facebook and Twitter. In fact, it’s right up there with Instagram.
As one of the travel public relations agencies that does it all – from top media exposure to social media marketing – we have been active on Pinterest for about five years. As travel and hotel lends itself to a visual medium, Pinterest does it best. And we are finding that Google is indexing Pinterest, so it also helps with SEO.
The New York Times pieces also said that Pinterest attracts one-third of the visitors Facebook does, and these are very active visitors at that. They are pinning, and re-pinning like mad. I find myself doing it well into the night. And there is nothing more exciting as when some fellow sufferers of wanterlust go crazy for a shot I’ve pinned of the Taj Mahal or Bali’s Hindu Temples.
I’ve found myself interacting with marketing folks from top hotel companies like Oberoi on Pinterest, and its really a fun way to meet like-minded industry people. I marvel at who picks up some of my pictures. When I come back from a trip – be it for business or pleasure (and often they are combined in my field of travel PR) – the very next day I download my pictures and start pinning.
One of the main advantages Pinterest has over Insta is that you can do it straight from your computer. With Insta, you have to get the picture on your iphone, and that presents an extra step. The managers at Pinterest have made it very easy to create boards and scout around other people’s boards.
Other areas that are very popular on Pinterest are food, dining and fashion, which also lend themselves to PR campaigns, so when we have the opporutunity we pin in those categories as well.
So check out the story in The New York Times: Publications See Pinterest as Key Ally.