How to Use Pinterest to Attract More Coaching Clients | By Ruby McGuire

We all have our favourite go-to business tools, whether it's an app to save us time or just our favourite social media platform. And there are some tools you just wouldn't want to run your business without.

One 'tool' that's really overlooked is Pinterest - essentially an electronic pin board - where you set up categories and save interesting online articles, images etc. I think it's overlooked because we think of it as a visual platform for recipes, home improvements, crafting and more.

However, I've personally found Pinterest really effective in attracting great clients!

I was doing some research on Pinterest a couple of months ago and found out there are over 150 million active Pinterest users, 2 million Pinterest users save shopping pins on boards daily and more than 14 million articles are pinned each day. I noticed recently too that Pinterest is now advertising on TV - which all goes to show there's a demand for 'pinning'.

I started using Pinterest a few years ago, mostly for card making ideas and crafty yumminess. Over time, I realised that it can be a great way to drive traffic back to your website. At the time of writing, I'm at nearly 10k followers. Not all of my followers are on my coaching/business boards, however about a fifth are, so it's still fabulous reach.

I spend as little as 10 minutes a week on Pinterest sharing content relevant to my business and still attract clients. (I won't share how long I spend per week on non-business content! Let's just say I'm a bit of a Pinterest addict!)

So, why do I love Pinterest?

• It's free
• It's FUN
• It's quick = less hours spent on social media
• Posts can go viral quickly (great images and titles are a key part in that)
• It boosts your visibility online
• It can help you attract dreamie clients

Specifically you can use Pinterest to:

1. Showcase your expertise and authority to a huge group of your ideal clients:

• Share your content that educates, informs & inspires your tribe
• Be seen as the expert/go-to person

2. Attract more of your ideal clients

• Build your know, like and trust factor
• Build your 'voice'
• Spread the word much quicker
• Build and showcase your brand

3. Boost your beautiful tribe and get more people soaking up your content

• Invite them to join your tribe

Here are 3 Steps to Use Pinterest for Business & Attract More Clients:

1. Set up a board specifically focused on your area of expertise

I started out with a board for Coaching (see link at end of article) where I saved lots of different quotes, infographics and links to coaching topics online. You could be a lot more specific and break this down into several boards e.g. Relationship Coaching, Teen Coaching, Stress Coaching, Self-esteem Coaching and more. Check out The Coaching Tools Company boards on Pinterest for more inspiration.

As my business has grown I have created business specific boards for people to view my blog posts, visibility tips and resources. Other ideas include boards for guest interviews, inspiring quotes, links to Facebook, other social media, video, audio… the list goes on.

Just starting out? Try this:

• Create one board for your business (share some of your content). It doesn't need to be salesy, it could be as simple as sharing a few blog posts to drive traffic back to your site.
• Create one board designed to help your dreamie clients with issues and goals they have (share useful and relevant resources).
• Create one board for fun (let people get to know a bit more about what you like - we all love learning more about people we want to work with).

2. Set up ONE group board

A "Group" board is where you invite people to collaborate, so it's a great way to connect. I used to run a coaching book club so I set up a board to enable me to chat with other people who are interested in coaching books, where we all pinned books that we wanted to read. My intention was just to have a place to share the books. What actually happened was it's allowed me to connect with people that I might not have been in front of before. Another great way I've used group boards is for my group coaching programmes where I share specific boards to help these clients.

Just starting out? Try this:

• Create a "Group" Board on favourite self-development books, quotes and invite people to pin their favourites too.

3. Follow, Explore, Start Pinning & Sharing!

Start following some people you find interesting. Search specific topics you're interested in. Add 'pins' to your boards and grow them so they become a resource for your followers.

And as you learn Pinterest, begin to create useful resources and links to your website, blog posts, videos, links to your freebies etc.

Tip: It's a visual platform, so use images and titles for your content that attracts attention and interest so that people want to click through.
Tip: Always keep in mind who your ideal clients is - and how you can help. That way everything you share on your business-focused boards will be on point, and help you to build your credibility.

PLUS Here are 7 Ways to Get New Followers for Your Pinterest Account:

Here are a few ways that I started out promoting my boards that you could try too:

1. Create a blog post about your (new) Pinterest account.
2. Create a post on a social media platform with the link to your account and an invite to follow you, i.e. 'I just created a Pinterest account, come and follow me.'
3. Share your Pinterest Profile link to your Skype profile and other social media profiles and descriptions – for example Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.
4. Add your Pinterest Profile link to your email signature.
5. Send a note out in your newsletter.
6. Share the link in any groups you're part of.
7. Send an email to people you know.

Wrap-up

I'm often asked how I've managed to get to nearly 10k followers on Pinterest. It's like any social media - it's about being consistent, showing up, sharing useful content, following others. The same principles all apply to Pinterest. What I love about Pinterest is that I don't spend lots of time plotting and planning how to use it as a social media strategy - I just treat it as a really fun way to build my business, attracting dreamie clients, without all the fuss!

I hope some of these tips have been useful in giving you some ideas of starting to use Pinterest for your business!

If you liked this article on using Pinterest to attract more clients, you may also like:

• The Secret Tool to Bring More Money into Your Coaching Biz | by Ruby McGuire
• 7 Steps to Create Your Own Social Media Graphics (Includes 5 Free Image Sites & 5 Free Image Creation Softwares!)
• 15+ of The Best FREE Business Building Resources for Coaches on the Web!

Contributing Author:

Ruby McGuire is a Business & Mindset Queen, certified by the IAPC&M. She's an expert Coach, Mentor, Trainer, Speaker, and Author. Her passion lies in empowering clients to lead their businesses like royalty. Through her guidance, they develop leadership skills, cultivate a success mindset, and attract dreamie clients. Ruby's on a mission to simplify life, opting out of social media marketing for her coaching and mentoring business to enjoy Scotland's beauty. Visit her pretty online home, Rock Your Fabulous Biz, for insights like her Mini Guide to Marketing Without Social Media.

Ruby's also a Certified Zentangle Teacher, so you'll often find her 'tangling'. Explore her artistic side on Ruby 2 Shoes Design, where she showcases her crafts and offers Zentangle®️ workshops. She also runs ZenFlow Workshops Beginner Zentangle®️ Workshops for Corporations & Charities. When not immersed in work, Ruby indulges in books, card-making, and quality time with her family, including her beloved dog and chickens, all accompanied by a delicious Whittard Vanilla cappuccino!

Learn more about Ruby & see all their articles here >>