Have you tried Pinterest, the latest social craze? It’s a fairly new social network, but its popularity is exploding – there’s probably a good chance you’ve seen pins shared to Facebook, or little “Pin It” buttons on some of your favorite sites and blogs. The users on this digital version of a corkboard or scrapbook are pinning their favorite products, fashions, wedding ideas, and much more.

The idea’s simple: you find a page you like on the web – say, for a recipe – and “pin” the site to one of your boards on Pinterest. The site grabs an image from the page you pinned and shows it on the board. If any of your friends like the pin, they can “repin” it to their own board. It makes it really easy to share ideas, photos, and more.

Where do businesses fit into the mix? Some popular brands have already created boards on Pinterest, and it’s a great opportunity for your company to be a social media early bird like we discussed here last week.

Here are a few Pinterest business tips, whether you decide to set up your business on Pinterest and if you’re a business owner who would like to allow people to share on Pinterest from your site.

Using Pinterest as a business

There’s not really a “right” or “wrong” way to use Pinterest; honestly, it hasn’t been around long enough to have a “normal” way to use the site. That’s part of what makes it exciting! I’ve been using Pinterest for a couple of months, and I’ve jotted down a few guidelines for businesses.

• Think about what you’d like to see as a customer. If you were following your own business, what would you want to see? New products? Ideas for how to use the stuff you sell? Find a way to excite people with what you do or sell.
• Don’t just pin your own stuff. Pinterest doesn’t really give you a lot of guidance about what to pin, but their etiquette does say not to always self-promote. Sure, your customers probably want to see your latest products and tips, but you might want to give them a look at some things you find that interest and inspire your business, too.
• Careful about copyright. We’re not lawyers here at Sephone, but if you’re pinning pages that don’t belong to you, make sure the original owner is OK with having their content pinned. Just yesterday Pinterest blogged about how they’re addressing copyright issues.
• Be creative. People will visit the pins that interest them. Don’t be afraid to try new things: pin exclusive coupons, fun from around the office, and behind-the-scenes looks. People love to feel like they’re a part of the businesses they love!

Making your site Pinterest-ready

Even if you decide not to join the pinsanity, your site (and your business) can benefit. Some sites have already seen huge spikes in traffic and sales thanks to their Pinterest presence. If you’d like to let people share your items or content on Pinterest, make sure your site makes it easy for them.

• Add “Pin It” buttons. Pinterest has a “‘Pin It’ Button for Websites” that lets you add an easy way to share pages from your site on Pinterest, just like you would with Facebook or Twitter. It’s a great way to let visitors know you want to be pinned (and remind them to share what they find!). (If you’re not sure how, we’d be happy to help!)
• Know what people would want to pin. Well-placed buttons are key. Don’t feel you have to throw a “Pin It” button on every page of your site; think about what people would want to share with their friends.
• Use interesting images. Remember, Pinterest is all about images. Add an image to each post or product page that will entice the people who see the pin on Pinterest to click through and visit your site (and ultimately buy your product!).