Pinterest is a unique social network in that it functions both as a place for users to curate pictures of products that they want and as a platform where users can buy those goods viabuyable pins.” Pinterest is one of the only social networks that businesses can use for reaching out to followers and for direct monetization at the same time.

Here are four ways to use your business’ Pinterest account more effectively:

iStock_000088364739_Medium1. Keep your boards free of clutter.
To stay on top of Pinterest’s algorithm, you have to focus only keeping the best pins posted. Pick a time in the month to go through your boards and delete every pin with fewer than five repins.

2. Pin and repin selectively.
Like on Facebook and Twitter, where a sheer volume of posts will turn your followers off to your message, an inordinate amount of posts on your Pinterest boards will detract from your ability to reach as many people effectively.  Pin only the most popular pins to your most popular boards to get the maximum amount of exposure.

3. Combine Pinterest analytics and Google analytics to pinpoint trends.
Get your business’ website verified on Pinterest. Not only does this allow your followers to know that your profile is really you, but it also lets your cross reference stats from Pinterest with stats from your own website to see which pins are the most popular and how much traffic they drive to your website. These analytics will allow you to choose more selectively what you post from your website to Pinterest.

4. Adjust board names to increase search visibility.
If a particular board is not getting as many repins as you would like, it is possible that the name is too obscure for the general public. Changing a board’s name alone can cause the traffic on a particular post to increase. The best way to find a catchy name is to look up other boards related to yours and see what they are named. Naming your board similarly to related boards increases your chances of positive exposure.

Sourcing via Social Media Explorer.