Pinterest is an excellent way to share images and content to promote your bed and breakfast inn. We will be discussing the benefits of using Pinterest as well as best practices. Moreover, we feature (in alphabetical order) ten different hospitality accommodations (located within North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia) who have Pinterest accounts.
Pinterest By The Numbers
Pinterest is a visual search engine not to mention one of the world’s leading social media platforms. According to Influencer Hub in their “31 Mind-Blowing Pinterest Stats for 2022” article, we know the following:
- 444 million people use Pinterest. Pew Research found that Pinterest ranked fourth after YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram in 2021.
- The United States has by far the highest number of Pinterest users. There are 42.81% desktop users in the U.S. Pinterest says that 85% of its users now use the mobile app.
- In October 2021, 77.1% of Pinterest users were female. Eight out of ten moms use it in the U.S.
- Pinterest also gets much usage from those earning more than $75,000 (40%) and those with a college degree and above (37%). Therefore, Pinterest is used by more people who can afford overnight travel.
- Statista found Pinterest has more than its share of visits across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices combined. It ranked second (to Facebook) with 12.4% of all U.S. social media site visits.
- Users visit Pinterest when they want to find something. 86% of Millennials use it to plan their big and small moments in life.
- Pinterest surveyed the most popular searches on the platform across categories like food, travel, health, and beauty. A bed and breakfast visit can relate to all 4 of these categories.
- People who use Pinterest weekly are 7x more likely to say it’s the most influential platform in their purchase journey compared to social media platforms.
- A survey of Pinterest users showed that 60% of them start their product research on the platform. They use the platform to get ideas on what to buy more than they use other social platforms.
- 28% of marketers worldwide use Pinterest to market their products or services. They can reach the 90% weekly Pinners who use the platform to make buying decisions.
- Pins have the longest life span. Pins have a three-month lifespan compared to Facebook’s five to six hours and Instagram’s forty-eight hours.
The Benefits of Using Pinterest
Pinterest offers another way for potential guests to find you online. Many hotels, online travel agencies, and magazines take advantage of using this platform, as well as Fortune 500 companies. Some have millions of followers and monthly viewers.
However, there is plenty of room for more bed and breakfasts to make their mark on this platform. We believe that more B&Bs will take advantage of using this platform as time goes on.
We share 10 accommodations located in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia. B&B Consulting follows all of these accounts as we continue to successfully grow our Pinterest account. We welcome you to follow us (and them of course)!
How Pinterest Works
Pinterest works using “pins” (visual bookmarks) that can be shared on boards (generally centered around one topic or theme). A pin is an image, video, or infographic that can link to another source (ideally to your own website). Boards of pins help you make it easier for your audience to find what they are looking for.
The best Pinterest accounts share plenty of details in their profiles as well as their pins. Sharing content makes it searchable online. The pin’s link does not have to take up space in the description. Each pin has an embedded link, that when clicked, takes the user to that content.
Perhaps we’ll write a future post will detail strategies in designing attractive Pinterest pins (that people want to click). In addition, we can talk about how to write the content for pins. Just know that this can be improved as well.
Optimizing Your Website For Pinterest
There are several ways to optimize your website for Pinterest. Here’s a few of our recommendations:
- Add the Pinterest icon (along with your other social media icons) to your header and/or your footer. This way people can easily find you in social media. Our website icon is circled.
- Follow Pinterest’s instructions for making your website pins pinnable with the “Pin It” button. Then people can save them to their own Pinterest boards. This is a pinnable image on our website.
- Check out Pinterest’s Business Community for more tips and for updates on the latest improvements.
- Change to a business account (free) so you can have access to analytics (tells you what is being pinned). Also, this enables you to use paid Pinterest advertising, which can be effective with the right strategies. The Pinterest Help Center has instructions for a variety of features.
The Value of Accessing Your Analytics
Our Pinterest Analytics screenshot on the left happened on January 12 of 2022. We have steadily grown our account. “Impressions” are the number of times your pin was on the screen (compared to the previous 30 days). “Engagements” is the total number of engagements on your pins (including clicks and saves). We can see which pins people respond to the most. This also gives us insight into the responsiveness of pins that feature our blog posts. Knowing this tells us what our audience prefers to read about. When you share your blog posts, you also can access this information from your analytics.
Share Blog Posts & Recommend Reading
Creating pins that link to your blog posts is a great way to sway Pinterest traffic to your own turf (your website where they can book a room). Consider adding your logo, brand colors, & other ways to make your pins stand out. Furthermore, feel free to recommend books. For example, we have a pin board dedicated to recommending B&B books.
Showcase Delicious Recipes on Pinterest
One of the most popular categories of Pinterest pins is food. Pinterest is a social media network that focuses on images. If they are pictures of your own recipes, that is even better. Perhaps you have some signatures delectable eats that your guests rave about. Depending upon how many recipes you have, you may want to create different Pinterest boards like we did.
Share DIY Boards on Pinterest
Pinners love to look at DIY (Do It Yourself) Pinterest Boards. We have a variety of DIY Boards: baskets, blanket ladders, centerpieces, coasters, coffee mugs, decorative vases, flower pots, holiday trees, mason jars, napkin rings, tiered trays, and welcome mats. You can even feature items from upcoming holidays.
Feature The Holidays on Your Boards
Holiday pins are quite popular. In the board description you can include, “[Your Name] likes to cook and decorate for all kinds of holidays. We like to feature ways to celebrate [name of holiday].” Make pins that feature blog posts about how your inn celebrates that holiday. This encourages your visitors to return.
Promote The Seasons on Pinterest
To encourage guests to return, be sure to promote each of the seasons. Consider adding pictures of seasonal decor that guests will see during the appropriate times of the year. Perhaps you have your own seasonal themes like: Spring (flowers), Summer (watermelon), Fall (pumpkins), and Winter (snowmen).
Use Hashtags & Keywords To Be Found Easier
Add hashtags and keywords so your pins show up easier in searches. Types of hashtags include:
- Branded: to your brand or another brand
- Breakfast: #breakfast #breakfastinspo #healthybreakfast #tastybreakfast #eggs
- Evergreen: (it never goes out of trend) #bedandbreakfast #travel #vacation
- Popular: search online for a popular hashtag tool that tells you #’s related to your content
- Seasonal: #autumn, #christmas
- Switch: try changing your hashtags to see if it brings you more traffic
Share keywords related to your brand, your location, and your content.
10 Hospitality Accounts To Follow
Support your fellow providers of hospitality by following them on Pinterest. They will likely follow you back. We invite you to look at these accounts for more ideas. Of course, every account will be unique because every property is unique (even those with more than one location). The key is to make your Pinterest account reflect your own unique brand to attract your ideal guests.
Arrowhead Inn Bed & Breakfast (Durham, NC)
Arrowhead Inn Bed and Breakfast on Pinterest:
- Their “Inn The News” Pinterest board features articles and blogs written about them
- A Pinterest board is dedicated to a major university (Duke) that is located in the same city
- They feature their own elegant gourmet dining experience for guests
- Beautiful Gardens board “Six acres of secluded beauty at the edge of Durham NC”
- Weddings: guests may utilize the gardens or Manor House for an intimate wedding!
- Images of activities, events, food, romance, rooms, & much more!
Beaufort Inn Weddings (Beaufort, SC)
The Beaufort Inn on Pinterest:
- A Pinterest board showcases their town & inn as the place to have the wedding of your dreams
- Features their Tabby Place, a venue for hosting wedding receptions & other gatherings; video pin gives people an inside look at it
- Shares Beaufort places to eat and area festivals
- Press and accolades for the Inn & town of Beaufort, SC
- A look at their beautiful Tabby Garden & previously hosted events
- Shows off their boutique hotel (inside & out) to attract guests & familiarize them with the inn
Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast (Durham, NC)
Morehead Manor Bed & Breakfast on Pinterest:
- Shows the grandeur & craftsmanship of the rooms in this historic estate
- Boards dedicated to showing off the city of Durham as a place for shopping, sports, museums, performing arts, gardens & more!
- Pin boards dedicated to specific types of food & recipes including breakfast & dessert
- Holiday & seasonal boards share great ideas
- Boards dedicated to awareness of the achievements of black leaders, entrepreneurs, inventors, scholars, artists, writers, & athletes
- DIY boards, decor, & tips (cleaning, first aid, etc.)
Orchard Inn B&B (Saluda, NC)
The Orchard Inn on Pinterest:
- Pictures their rooms and cottages, their website has clickable pin images as well
- Does an excellent job sharing blog posts, which are also displayed in their Pinterest header
- Features their Saluda & Asheville, NC area as the place for a dream vacation
- A pin board is dedicated to showing off the cuisine at their Newman’s Restaurant
- Wedding board “The Orchard Inn is a perfect place for your North Carolina Mountain Wedding”
- Christmas at Orchard Inn shares images of their gorgeous mountain snow
Presidents’ Quarters Inn (Savannah, GA)
Presidents’ Quarters Inn on Pinterest:
- Displays their blog posts in their header and also features them in a pin board
- Pin board shows small garden weddings are hosted at Presidents’ Quarters Inn
- Shows pictures from some of their 16 well-appointed guest rooms
- Inspires Savannah, Georgia travel ideas
- Why their inn is quintessential Savannah, & the charm of this historic location attracting tourism
- Seasonal Savannah pin boards spotlights fun things to do & encourages visitors to come throughout the year
Snowbird Mountain Lodge (Robbinsville, NC)
Snowbird Mountain Lodge on Pinterest:
- Food board & cocktail with their own branded recipes
- The Great Outdoors (beauty & activities)
- “Favorite Vistas & Views” shows off their gorgeous mountain setting
- Lodge room photos inspire guests to visit
- Event board shares pictures of their workshops, live music, birding, hiking, holidays & more
- Snowbird in the News (including article about teaming up with Tesla to offer car chargers)
Swamp Rabbit Inn (Greenville, SC)
Swamp Rabbit Inn on Pinterest:
- “Cool Greenville”: places, events and people that inspire, impress us and touch our hearts
- Breakfast dishes to serve at the Swamp Rabbit Inn in downtown Greenville SC
- Recommendations for Greenville, SC food & drink
- “News and Such From The Swamp Rabbit Inn” shares area activites & inn awards
- Greenville attractions–great places to visit within walking distance to Swamp Rabbit Inn
- Urban and rural gardens in Greenville, SC
The Groome Inn (Greensboro, NC)
The Groome Inn Bed & Breakfast and Wedding & Event Venue on Pinterest:
- Photos of each one of their rooms so that you can decide where to stay!
- Weddings & events from right here at The Groome Inn in Greensboro, North Carolina
- Reception Inspiration and Wedding Inspiration Pinterest boards with awesome ideas
- Engagement Photo Ideas board and Group Wedding Boards
- Amazing NC Travel board with guides
- DIY and Amazing Farmhouse Decor
The Mast Farm Inn (Valle Crucis, NC)
The Mast Farm Inn on Pinterest:
- Why the Mast Farm Inn is perfect for your North Carolina getaway
- Mouthwatering breakfast recipes, some of which are served at The Mast Farm Inn
- Features accolades: Historic Hotels of America hotel, a Select Registry Inn, and is on The National Register of Historic Places
- When you stay at their Valle Crucis Bed and Breakfast you are close to multiple North Carolina breweries
- Road trip ideas for the Coast and Charlotte, NC
- Grab your friends and family and head to their North Carolina Inn for a wine country getaway in Valle Crucis
The Umstead Hotel & Spa (Cary, NC)
The Umstead Hotel & Spa on Pinterest:
- Their soothing Umstead Spa board and their luxurious Rooms & Suites board
- Weddings at the Umstead: whether you’re planning an intimate gathering or an extravagant wedding
- Holiday Decor presented by Watered Garden Florist in Raleigh
- Private art collection carefully curated, & features the works of renowned local and national artists
- A variety of unique gifts from their Gift Shop
- Nature: naturally landscaped grounds to the central Chihuly glass sculpture to botanically infused Umstead Spa products
B & B Consulting
Thus, Pinterest is a wonderful way to promote your hospitality business. We hope you’re inspired to do more it. As a visual social media platform, it is ideal to share images of your accommodations, cuisine, amenities, area activities, gardens, & much more. Hence, there are so many possibilities.
If you have any questions about Pinterest, feel free to email B&B Consulting’s Marketing Director, Kristi Dement, at (kristi.dement@bandbconsulting.us). She has experience managing Pinterest accounts, including using their advertising for clients. Kristi is passionate about pinning images and happy to point you in the right direction.