There have been so many new social media platforms emerging in recent years that you may find it difficult to get your head around them all; which ones should you be using and how do you use them effectively for your setting?

In this blog we’ll be explaining the benefits of one visually arresting social media platform in particular; Pinterest.

Essentially a virtual pin board, Pinterest can be used in a variety of ways.

For nurseries and the early years sector it is ideal. Pinterest is one of the most visual social media sites, therefore bright, fun and colourful images make for highly appealing boards. Share images of the nursery itself, toys and games that the children use, artwork that they have produced and activities that they take part in each day. Obviously it is important to ensure you have parental consent before posting pictures of the children at your nursery, but other than that the sky is the limit! You can also share content that would be useful and informative for parents, ideas for things they can do with their families during the school holidays, for example. Sharing content such as this is a really good way of establishing yourself as an expert in your field, establishing trust between yourself and the parent.

As well as sharing your own content make sure you also make the most of things that people pin to their own boards. Find inspiration for your own business as well as sharing it with others. The education category is a great place to start where you might be able to find new ideas for your nursery. You can tailor your search to find exactly what it is you’re looking for or just browse a general category and see what you stumble upon. Equally, pin or re-pin content that reflects the values and ideas that are most important to your nursery. Create boards with different themes so that you and your followers can easily navigate through the different topics that are of interest to you and them.

Using Pinterest is a great way to spread the word about your business.

• Firstly, it is one of the best social networks to use to target mothers since women aged 25-45 use Pinterest more than any other demographic.

• It is also a great way to increase the number of people visiting your website as each pin links back to its original source, so pinning content which links back to your own website will drive traffic to it.

• Pinning appealing content is key to using Pinterest effectively because if someone likes what they see on your board then they might re-pin it which means more people will see that content, increasing the exposure of your profile and your website to the general public.

Although this network is a less traditional way of communicating with people than Facebook, for example, you can still directly interact with parents and other people that follow you, as people can comment on pins, allowing you to start a conversation with other ‘pinners’. So overall it provides a number of opportunities to help your business, so start using Pinterest today to share news and pictures, find inspiration, spread the word and keep in touch!

If you want any help getting started with Pinterest get in touch with us by email info@192.168.1.71:8888/shake or call us on 0115 901 7357

Ps Find us on Pinterest and have a look at the types of boards we have created Click here

By Madeleine Helme

Madeleine is a marketing manager and creative writer.  She loves to write blogs!