Pinterest is different than any other social media network. While other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter focus on news updates and your friend’s statuses about how they need another cup of coffee, Pinterest users log on to find inspiration for a new recipe, place to travel, craft to make, or product to buy. Users can also see advertisements from their favorite brands and companies automatically in their feed thanks to what is known as “Promoted Pins.” However, smaller companies have not been able to apply for this feature on Pinterest until recently.

On January 1st, 2015 Pinterest announced that anyone can now apply to use their Promoted Pins. Advertisers who want their target consumers to try something new, whether its a product, event or anything else need to apply for Pinterest’s Promoted Pins. While Pinterest’s competitors have been advertising for years, Pinterest has the upper-hand because it provides it’s users the ability to create boards for products they want to buy, or information on places they want to travel. These advertisments work just like regular pins, only they have a special “promoted” label, along with a link to learn more about what that means.The best part is that they look exactly like regular pins on Pinterest (see below). This way users do not become frustrated with annoying pop-up ads that open to a new tab.

According to Cnet.com, Joanne Bradford, Pinterest’s Head of Partnerships, said a test was ran in June on a handful of companies using the Promoted Pins.

“Tens of millions of people have added more than 30 billion Pins to Pinterest and brands are a big part of this…Brands help people find inspiration and discover things they care about, whether it’s ideas for dinner, places to go or gifts to buy. We hope Promoted Pins give businesses of all sizes a chance to connect with more Pinners.”

Different brand advertisers see Promoted Pins “re-pinned,” or shared by users, an average of 11 times per advertisement. That means that every advertisement will be seen, on average, by 30 percent more people than the brand had originally paid to show it because users have shared the advertisement with friends by “re-pinning.”

Long story short – If you want to reach out to potential consumers, Promoted Pins are the way to go. You can target certain demographics and reach customers who are searching for or have shown some type of interest in what your company offers.

You can apply to advertise through Promoted Pins on Pinterest here.

Social media marketing mistakes are easy to make and easy for employers to find. It offers a very public insight to our lives and if we aren’t careful, our status updates and pictures could come back to haunt us. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make that turn employers away:

1. You do not believe that people will Google you:
If you type in your full name on Google and the first image that comes up is of you participating in drinking games, you more than likely won’t land that dream job you’ve worked so hard for. According to TheUndercoverRecruiter.com, 69% of employers did not hire a candidate because of what they found on their social networking sites. Although it is important to market yourself through social media for future employers to see, it is also important to be cautious about what they could potentially find.

2. You are unaware of privacy setting options:
Most, if not all, social media networks have privacy settings. You can limit status updates and pictures for only your family and friends to see instead of the entire world. Privacy settings do give us more privacy, however, be aware that anything you post online always has the chance to go viral. It is better to play it safe and not post anything that could come back to haunt you. If you don’t know where to change your privacy settings on your different social media accounts, here are the following: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Now, go on and make sure you have permission to be tagged or untagged in those photos from last weekend.

3. You bash current/previous employers:
You may not always be a fan of everything your boss does but venting out 140 characters on Twitter will not get you anywhere. Employers will be searching for this type of information on your profiles because they wouldn’t want to hire someone who won’t have any respect for them either. You don’t have to like everyone you work with but make sure you keep those opinions to yourself.

4. You give too much information:
We all have that friend who posts what seems to be a play-by-play of his or her entire life on social media. If you don’t have that friend, then you’re probably that person to your friends. No one needs to know every thing you buy, or everywhere you’ve been. Everything you do throughout the day is not important to most people. This can lead future employers to assume that you do not use your time as productively as you should be.

When all else fails, use common sense and good judgment. On the bright side, employers are also looking for reasons to hire you. If you use your social media networks to reflect your skills, character, and expertise you could land the job you always wanted.

Source: TheUndercoverRecruiter.com