Media Coordinator Molly Nickel has a love of all things digital media. An online advertising internship three years ago spurred her interest in the field, and she hasn’t looked back since. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Molly graduated from the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in public relations.

Does your brand target female consumers under the age of 50? Do those interested in food and drink, DIY and crafts, home décor or holidays and events fall within your brand’s target audience? If so, Pinterest is a medium you should consider for both owned and paid media.

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard that allows users to upload, save, sort and manage images, or ‘pins.’ A relatively new platform, Pinterest launched in 2010 and has grown quickly over the past six years, with total users doubling in the past 18 months. The site now boasts 100 million monthly users, with 70 percent actively pinning or clicking on pins each month.

Want to reach those 100 million monthly users? Here are some best practices for your brand’s Pinterest account from an owned media perspective:

• Write strong descriptions with keywords to take advantage of the guided search feature. Include things like your product’s color, style, and where and how it might be used.
• Make sure to link your pins. If you pin directly from a website, Pinterest will automatically hyperlink the pin, but you can edit the link. Pins uploaded from a computer will not be hyperlinked, and you should manually enter a link.
• Board names should be creative and engaging but also clear and short (less than 20 characters).
• Copy should be timeless. Pins are forever.
• Pinterest is all about inspiring the user. When users pin products they have the intent to purchase, but it’s not immediate; brands that use Pinterest effectively understand patience.
• Use analytics to track the effectiveness of pins. The number of followers is not the only measurement.
• Repin others’ pins when appropriate; engagement is important.

Pinterest also offers a variety of ‘rich pin’ types to enhance the consumer experience:

• Product Pins include real-time pricing, availability and where to buy.
• App Pins include an install button, so users can download an app without leaving Pinterest.
• Place Pins include a map, address and phone number.
• Article Pins include a headline, author and story description.

While not technically a ‘rich pin’, a Buyable Pin is a type of pin that enhances the user experience. Buyable Pins have blue price tags that indicate they are buyable. Users can filter to find the right item/price and buy it with one click. Pinterest does not take a cut from sales and lets the brand handle all shipping and customer service details.

Are you following the tips above yet not reaching as many Pinterest users as you’d like? Promoted Pins, launched in 2015, could be a great addition to your brand’s advertising strategy. With Promoted Pins, you have the ability to promote pins already on your Pinterest page or create a new pin. Users browse Pinterest for inspiration, ideas or when they are actively looking for something – they have intent. Pinterest advertising offers advertisers a way to capture that intent at a larger scale.

Currently, Pinterest offers the ability to target Promoted Pins by search terms, location, language, device and gender, but anticipates expanded targeting in the next few years. New targeting options will include both interests and stages of life, such as traveling or designing a home.

Pinterest advertising offerings are still new and limited compared to other social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter. Even with the limitations, the future of Pinterest advertising looks bright. Additional targeting and new types of advertising, including cinematic ads that auto-play as a user scrolls down the page, will strengthen their advertising offerings.