Pinterest Goes Tech: Veeam, IT Vendors Leverage Pinterest for Social Media Marketing

Many vendors in the channel are leveraging social media marketing (SMM) as part of their overall marketing plan. Some place a stronger focus on Facebook (FB) or LinkedIn, while others have been leveraging Twitter by tweeting out to their followers with announcements, tips, and clarifications on products. Yet another popular social media platform has been tapped as a B-list celebrity in channel: Pinterest. To find out how vendors in the channel are using this platform, Talkin’ Cloud reached out to Veeam Software, a company that develops backup and management software for VMware (VMW) vSphere and Microsoft (MSFT) Windows Server Hyper-V environments in this Talkin’ Cloud exclusive.

While some IT vendors are experimenting with Pinterest, it’s not mainstream for these companies. A quick Google (GOOG) of cloud computing companies in the channel reveals that some have Pinterest pages, some don’t.  Some of them keep their pages updated, and some of them only created a Pinterest page to hold a presence, protecting their brand in the process.

Veeam Product Strategy Specialist Rick Vanover told Talkin’ Cloud that Veeam created its Pinterest page in the first quarter of 2013.

He said Pinterest was implemented into the company’s SMM strategy to “collect community related content of interest to our core customers and to deliver any Veeam content that has a visual element.”

A quick scan through Veeam’s Pinterest page, and you’ll find exactly what Vanover means. Video blogs, Veeam attire, and company memes anchor the company’s Pinterest page to tell the company’s story.

While Vanover admits that the company’s Pinterest page is not where its customers go for content, it serves another purpose.

“It basically functions like a bookmark after it’s set up, so from the perspective of stewardship of the brand, it’s worth it as a community service measure,” he said. “Further, we measure the success of social interaction and community engagement by answering a simple question: Does this activity serve the brand well?”

Pinterest provides vendors with options. Vendors in the same area of expertise may categorize boards differently, placing an emphasis on one area or another. Some vendors may split their boards up by solutions, while others focus on company conferences.

“There are four boards that basically deliver our own content and ‘things we like’ from the Internet,” he explained. “Most of the pins are content from non-Veeam web properties, which, again, is a sign of our commitment to community.”

Organizations interested in implementing a Pinterest page should define who does what. Vanover explained that “three have access, and one person generally ‘pins’ content.”

So there’s the inside look at one vendor’s Pinterest strategy, kicking off the discussion around Pinterest for vendors and partners in the channel. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn may be top destinations in the social media space, but that doesn’t mean Pinterest should be a B-list platform.