Pinterest Primer

What resorts need to know to reach a new audience on Pinterest, the inspiration-focused platform.

Many travelers turn to Pinterest for inspiration, whether it’s a pin of a tropical sunset or packing tips. “Pinterest is the perfect social media platform for planning and dreaming up your next vacation,” says Adrienne Callandrello, director of social media at RCI. Because it encourages exploration, resorts can use the platform to reach a new audience that might not search for them directly. Follow these tips to get the most from your Pinterest page.

What to pin

Begin by creating boards about the resort’s location, local foods, nearby cultural landmarks or travel advice and pin corresponding images, videos or articles onto each board. “Pinterest users can re-pin and save those images for future booking and inspiration,” Callandrello says. The site is visually driven, so pin high-quality, eye-catching images with descriptions that clearly explain what users can expect if they click through. To stand out on the platform, Pinterest recommends long, vertical images with text overlays. “It’s important for travel brands to pin images that they create as well as re-pinning content from other users,” Callandrello says. Create style guidelines so that pins you create are consistent and on-brand, and when re-pinning content from another source, always check the click-through link to ensure it’s appropriate.

How often to pin

Before you make your account public, Callandrello recommends building at least eight boards with 10 to 12 pins each. “Over time, resorts can continue to add fresh content to their existing boards or create a new one when a new property, campaign or feature is added,” she says. Designate a member of your marketing or social media team to manage the account; new pins should be added weekly to maintain engagement and relevance.

Getting the word out

Include the Pinterest icon or follow button on your homepage and a “connect with us” signature on your outbound emails. Another tip is to add your social links in staff email signatures to engage owners and guests, and send out an email to previous guests about following you on the platform. To evaluate the performance of your account, look at shares. “Pinterest no longer focuses on followers as a measure of success,” Callandrello says. “Resorts should monitor shares, re-pins and comments more closely than followers. Pinterest is all about your content, so spend time on quality images you create specifically for this platform vs. repurposing from your other social media pages.”