Since the news came out on December 8, 2012, that the White House had launched an official Twitter account (although they had to use the handle WhiteHouse44), it seems like the perfect time to start using the platform. Pinterest users spend more than those on any other major social media site, and the platform has expanded 145% since January 2012. Studies also show that 81% of US consumers trust pins as a source of information. Who wouldn’t want to use it for promoting their blog?

infographic courtesy of socially sorted

Feeling inspired to get pinning? We’ve compiled 7 tips on how you can improve your traffic or ROI on the network:

1. Optimize for Business

If you joined Pinterest before mid-November, now is the time to switch your page to a business account. It’s simple—just go to http://business.pinterest.com/, fill in some contact details, and agree to the terms of service for business users. Corey Eridon has written an in-depth guide on how to convert existing Pinterest pages to business accounts on the HubSpot blog.

Why should you care? Well, it only takes about 90 seconds. Second, the social media network has recognized that the site is kind of a cash cow for retailers, and they’ve started releasing resources on original research to optimize your presence just for small business owners. Finally, realize that business accounts on Pinterest are in the beginning stages, and there’s sure to be a host of features coming in the next year. Can we expect better advertising, analytics or even a “buy now” button? All of those options seem like distinct possibilities!

2. Source Your Images

Ensure you’re not pinning images with a copyright! I’ll admit, I’m not qualified to give any small business owner or blogger advice on intellectual property laws. However, I get my images from a safe source like Free Digital Photos or Creative Commons Search and give credit where credit is due.

3. Be Social

Even though it may seem more like a really appealing collage, you can be a social pinner. Pinning the work of someone on the network? Let them know by using their handle like “@User” in the text description. Jeff Bullas recommends taking the time to say “Thank you” for every repin you receive.

4. Be Pinnable

Have you ever seen a Pinterest user curate a board of stock photography? If you have, it was probably an elaborate joke or work samples. The point is, Pinterest is an inherently visual network, and even the most intelligent blog content will be overlooked if the images aren’t shareable. There are a few ways to make your visual content more appealing. Pin memes, or add personalized or descriptive tag lines to your images. Use infographics or video to increase your chances of being shared virally on the network.

5. Don’t Forget to Pin!

You never want to be in a position where you fail to pin the world’s best infographic. Make sure you’ve added the “Pin It” button to the bookmarks bar of your favorite browser, so the social network will be just one click away, wherever you go.

6. Curate Away

One easy way to enhance your company’s Pinterest boards to gain more attention and engagement is to curate other people’s visual content. After all, the network is centered around content curation. See an infographic or video your followers would love? Don’t hesitate to share.

Pinterest drives a whole bunch of search traffic. Make sure your content is optimized to be found by prospects by optimizing your profile and pins. Hashtags, links, board categories and buyer persona-optimized keywords will all increase the chances of being found.

image credit: Served Fresh