Keeping up with the latest social media trends is kind of like playing old-school Super Mario Brothers for Nintendo. You know, when the screen is moving forward quickly and Mario has to keep running forward while dodging all kinds of little killer turtles?
While killer turtles and social media aren’t directly related, it can be challenging to keep up with ever-changing trends while quickly determining which outlets are beneficial to the university.
At Ole Miss, there are a few outlets we focus on more than others, because they resonate best with our audiences—students, faculty, staff, alumni and fans. Pinterest is definitely one of them and if it’s not highly ranked on your list of priorities, it should be: In addition to exceptional growth, last month, WIRED reported that Pinterest is more popular than e-mail for sharing things online. And what higher ed PR department doesn’t want its content shared among thousands on the online?
Here are a few tips we’ve found through trial and error that can help you create shareable content (and avoid posting unshareable content) on Pinterest:
1.) No news is good news – Ok, this one isn’t entirely true. If you have a great news story (Think: Would you want to save it and share it with others later?) with a great image, it’s worth pinning. Just try to avoid pinning all of your news releases, especially if they don’t have a strong image. Save the breaking news for Twitter.
2.) Unique content – Because nearly 80 percent of content on Pinterest is a repin, this leaves huge potential for content creators. One of my favorite boards on Ole Miss Pinterest is “Free Ole Miss Stuff,” where we house printables, computer backgrounds and other fun things that followers can download.
3.) Don’t forget the food or the cute animals – Food & Drink is the most popular category on Pinterest, so jump on board. Pin tailgating spreads, foods in your school colors, anything. Last year, so many people followed our Tailgating Treats board around Super Bowl time that I e-mailed Pinterest thinking it was a bot attack. Also, pugs in cheerleading outfits are a must.
4.) Incentivize followers – It’s important to periodically remind your followers why they’re even following you on Pinterest. Giveaways that are only for Pinterest followers are a good idea. We hosted a few of those before Pinterest changed its rules, to much success (like 60 percent follower growth success). If you don’t have a budget for it, there are probably lots of organizations around campus that are willing to donate giveaway items in return for publicity. Just ask!
5.) Get inspired – Looking for some cool Ole Miss boards to follow? UM Libraries pins some pretty hilarious things on their “College Life” board and the Ole Miss Career Center pins anything and everything job-search-related.