With over 70 million users, Pinterest's popularity in the United States has surged amongst the ideal client demographic for design-build contractors. 

Far too many businesses still don’t get why they should be using Pinterest. The sheer volume of users is one reason to join: Some 20 percent of U.S. adults use Pinterest, including a third of U.S. women, according to Pew Research. And the site is only four years old. Pinterest should be part of a social media strategy for design-build clients seeking to grow their business or attract better clients.

Residential design-build firms have even greater incentives than most to use Pinterest, and those who are not are missing out on opportunities. Here’s why:

• Residential building is an extremely visual field, and Pinterest is a social media platform based entirely on images and videos.
• “Home” is consistently one of the most popular categories on Pinterest.
• Consumers consistently use Pinterest for advice on what to buy.
• The average Pinterest user has a household income of more than $100,000.

You don’t have to be an active user to benefit from Pinterest. In fact, you don’t have to create a Pinterest account to place it a “pin it” button on your website that allows visitors to share content. However, the residential design-build firms that take full advantage of Pinterest’s features have the most success.

Setting Up a Pinterest Business Account

Setting up a Pinterest business account for your residential design-build firm is easy. Find the business tab in the drop-down menu on the top left-hand corner of the page. From there, Pinterest will walk you through the process. If you’ve set up a personal account intended to be a business account, you can convert it.

Pinterest for Design Build ContractorsThe next steps is creating boards and attracting followers. Create a few boards on specific topics such as home remodeling, architecture or home decorating. Think about what potential customers want when you create boards and pin photos. Don’t just show off homes you’ve designed and built; share what inspires your audience. If you think your target customer would like a photo or video, pin it.

If you’re unsure where to start, it helps to scroll through some of the most popular home-related boards. Keep in mind that attracting followers is all about pinning images that other people want to share, not just promotional photos.

How Residential Design-Build Firms Can Make Money from Pinterest

The key to success with Pinterest is to share images that entertain, but the ultimate goal is obviously to generate leads and create new customers. Here are some tips that will help residential design-build firms convert pinners into customers.

• Create a portfolio board to show off your work. Just make sure that portfolio board isn’t your only board. You can’t be too self-promotional. 
• Pin video testimonials and video tours of your recently completed properties.
• Share home improvement and home design tips. Residential design-build firms should pin photos on related topics, not just homebuilding.
• Pin lists such as “the top 10 interior design trends for 2014” or “five ways to cut your remodeling budget in half.” Pinners love lists.
• Create an image that shows the increasing popularity of residential design-build firms in comparison to the traditional design-bid-build method. Choose a few excellent statistics and design an image that is eye-catching but clean and simple.
• Create an infographic displaying the benefits of hiring residential design-build firms, including time savings and cost savings.
• Repin photos of your clients enjoying their new home.
• Take the extra time to add rich pins capability. Your business logo will show up in search results, and it will be easier for to pinners to find your website. Rich pins help you stand out on Pinterest.