Guest Post with Kyla Herbes, Part I

1. Your Instagram account is stunning. Tell us a little bit about how you created your aesthetic for that platform.

At the present moment, I really have no rhyme or reason when it comes to posting on my Instagram account. With me wrapping up my One Room Challenge and other sponsored campaigns, I’ve been focused more on maintaining my sanity versus growing my account. Hence the fly by the seat of my pants strategy. That being said, I’ll be going back to my scheduler soon which makes posting consistently and growth much easier.

To keep myself on brand, I try to stay within my color palette – mostly neutrals with pops of muted greens, golds, and blushes. Most of my designs revolve around those colors, so it’s easy to maintain that palette. If I feature another account, I’ll search for a photo I’m drawn to that will blend into my feed. You won’t see candid photos of my children or my dinner plate. I save that non-curated look for Stories.

2. Pinterest is really becoming a force in marketing. What are your thoughts on the future of Pinterest for business use?

Pinterest IS a force in marketing but not everyone understands how powerful it is leaving it a bit underrated. Right now my gut reaction is that Pinterest is focused on selling. If you have a product for sale, get on there now. I’ve noticed over the last couple weeks a drastic shift towards e-commerce…which personally, I’m not on board with it.

I’m seeing an abrupt change in my search results. For example, when I searched “Art Deco Design”, the first couple hundred pins served in my feed were chairs and other furniture for sale. Almost like a giant catalog from every brand under the sun.

Pinterest will have to refine those search results though because most everything from my “Art Deco Design” search was Mid-Century Modern chairs. It’s also slightly frustrating to someone like me because I’m looking for creative ideas, not products to buy. It’ll be interesting to see if this radical switch to e-commerce hinders the average pinner. Pinterest was always a place to find inspiration for ideas and hobbies. That no longer seems to be the case.

3. Can you share your top two or three tips for using Pinterest as a business tool?

Heck ya! As long as you’re willing to listen to my ramblings about Pinterest, I’ll keep spilling the beans.

1 – If you’re a business, make sure you either create or switch your personal account to a business account. With this you’ll have a more robust profile (meaning you have the ability to add your business name, location, and URL). You’ll also have access to business features like Rich Pins and Pinterest’s analytics. You can also promote a pin (ad service) with a business profile.

2 – Optimize every image you pin for SEO (search engine optimization). Think of Pinterest like a search engine. Use keywords in the descriptions and titles to keep your pins searchable. Repin those pins to different boards and switch up the descriptions, maybe add in some hashtags. In addition to keywording your pins, you must also keyword your boards.

3 – Pin your work. If you publish a new blog post, be the first to pin your images. If you list a new product for sale, be the first to pin your images. If you add a new project to your portfolio, be the first to pin your images. Don’t wait for someone else to pin your work. Take action. If you use the proper keywords, others will find you.

4. You have expanded your business to include social media consulting. What is a common mistake you see people make when using social media as a marketing tool?

Without fail, personal life gets interjected with business. Yes, you should be flaunting your personality, but unless your dog has its own Instagram account, keep the iPhone photos of your pets on Facebook or Instagram Stories.

All that being said, pets are Instagram gold. You just have to get creative with how you interject your furry friend into your feed. If your Instagram is about home decor, pose that dog in your room shot and talk about him in the caption. If your Instagram is about fashion, pose with your pet in a new dress. Get your audience used to seeing the animal in your brand’s environment so he eventually becomes a cohesive part of your brand, same thing goes with kids, significant other, etc…

If you’re all about interior design but want to start posting recipes, don’t suddenly change to a flatlay of ingredients or plating of your dinner. Rather photograph yourself in a beautiful kitchen, actively cooking the recipe as an introduction. Overtime, that flatlay will become more relevant content to serve your audience.