When I’ve asked clients why they haven’t created a business profile on Pinterest yet, I almost always get one answer in return: many small businesses believe that Pinterest will only work for big name corporations with huge followings and massive potential ad spend.

Fortunately for us all, this isn’t true.

Small businesses can create strong, engaged followings on the platform just like big corporations.

Many can benefit from Pinterest marketing, even if they don’t fit into an obvious Pinterest niche of interest. Since Pinterest has a ton of influence in what its users purchase, you don’t want to neglect it.

Still having some doubts about getting the results you want? I’ve got a list of 6 examples of small businesses mastering Pinterest marketing to draw inspiration from.

1. Mojo Spa, IL

The Mojo Spa in Illinois has a very unique, distinctive brand. They create good-for-you cosmetics in an affordable price range, and the creator of the company calls herself the “Willy Wonka of beauty.” Their Pinterest does a remarkable job of capturing the whimsical and wonderfully quirky nature of their brand while promoting their products simultaneously.

Just in case you aren’t familiar with their brand, they give you an excellent rundown in their profile bio, including adding in a note about their “Willy Wonka World of Beauty.”

Many of their boards are distinctly feminine, matching their site. Their unique interest boards (like their Alice in Wonderland board) are captivating and unlike what you’ll see from most other businesses.

These boards aren’t about selling products; it’s about establishing their brand. Since they know this content will be interesting to their target audience, this was a genius move. This also sets them apart, and it is almost certainly part of the reason they have over 17,000 followers.

I can almost guarantee you won’t find too many businesses with eclectic (but genius) boards like “Alice in Wonderland” or “Balloons.”

2. Tamara Knight Photography, FL

You’d think that Pinterest would be a haven for photographers looking to strut their stuff, but many don’t take full advantage of what the platform offers. Orlando’s Tamara Knight Photography is a great exception (and she also takes really, really gorgeous pictures).

One thing that Tamara does well on her business’s Pinterest (which all businesses on this list do) is optimizing their bio with all the information visitors could need, including location, website, and basic services/products offered. Supported by her board that showcases stunning photographs, potential customers will know exactly what she can do for them. When a business does this, it can be enough to send traffic to your site.

She uses Pinterest as a tool to plan and community with her clients. When I worked with her, she created a private board for just the two of us, where we could both add ideas for poses to shoot or makeup and hair that we thought would look great. It was easy for us to use, it consolidated all of our ideas into one place, and—here’s a big advantage—it got me on her Pinterest profile, where she has resources for clients including photographs to draw inspiration from and boards like “What to Wear” for best pictures. She also has a board dedicated just for men, an often neglected demographic on Pinterest, which helps her stand out.

3. The Kosher Express, CO

The Kosher Express, based in Denver, Colorado, sells high-quality kosher meat at affordable prices. They’re also killing it with their Pinterest marketing.

This business focuses in on Pinterest’s love of food and themed boards, and it does it exceptionally well. They’ve got plenty of recipe boards full of kosher recipes (many of which require kosher meat, of course). They’ve also got content that will appeal to a broad audience, which can help expand their reach, like their School Sack Lunches board.

They also have individual boards for important Jewish holidays and events, like their Shabbat Dinner board. Since users will search for this keyword, this can connect you with new audience members.

Their last excellent move that too many small businesses neglect on Pinterest is having a community board. This can mean a local community, a religious community, or a community with a shared interest. Identifying as part of a community and having a board sharing content from it can connect you with peers and industry experts. It can show users that you’re just as engaged in the community as they are, which builds loyalty and trust.

4. Kettlebell Kickboxing, NY

It would almost feel blasphemous not to have some sort of fitness studio on this list, given Pinterest’s high ranking category of health & fitness. Fortunately, New York studio Kettlebell Kickboxing has built a strong profile on Pinterest.

First, they do a fantastic job describing why potential customers should come in and join them in their profile. This can be difficult to do, but they explain exactly what their program is and why it benefits you in just a few words.

Next, the first board you’ll see is their Kettlebell Boxing board, which features articles and information about the program. This can help interested users get more familiar with the brand without having to leave Pinterest.

Immediately next to it, they have a board called “Dasha’s daily tips,” featuring health-related tips that can help users reach their fitness goals. These tips all come from the business’s site, which can them send interested traffic and help convert leads.

Their other boards include everything that potential customers would need to meet fitness goals. This includes food tips and recipes, “fitspiration,” playlist suggestions, and fitness fashion. All of this will interest most of their target audience, giving them a variety of content to use.

5. Calder Clark Wedding Planner, SC

Calder Clark, Wedding Planner, is based in South Carolina, and her Pinterest is stunning. The first thing you see when you go to her profile is her portfolio board displayed above the others. This board displays a body of her work, showcasing everything from bouquets to beautifully plated dishes from weddings she helped facilitate. Couples (or brides) can look at this portfolio and know that she can do the exact same for them, too.

Her Pinterest board, unsurprisingly, is full of specific boards that can give prospective brides all the inspiration they need for everything from their centerpieces to the bridesmaid dresses. She’s even got boards for blue weddings, gold weddings, and rose weddings. If a couple comes to her with no idea what they want, she can refer them to her Pinterest and ask them to find examples of what they like.

She also has a board full of her blog posts, which she actually maintains. This is a pretty big one; tons of SMBs will have a strong foundation for their Pinterest, but won’t actually update it regularly with blog posts. This is missed potential, and this business is making sure she’ll get all the traffic she can.

6. Baker Marble and Granite, CA

Baker Marble & Granite, based on California, also make use of a work portfolio on their Pinterest page. Their portfolio is stunning, and their “What We Do!” board is full of high quality images of their gorgeous work. While quite a few businesses on this list have portfolios showcasing their incredible work, it’s good to note that most do not. This is a missed opportunity; it’s one thing to show off beautiful inspiration from another blog, it’s another to say “look, I’ve done this before and I can do this for you, too.”

In addition to their portfolio, they also have a board titled “Celebrating 25 great working years!” with behind-the-scenes pictures of people who make the company tick—including clients. This adds a more personal element to their profile which can immediately appeal to users. It also masterfully highlights their 25 years of experience, which is a big plus.

The rest of their boards are also fantastic, all the way down to their “recipes for your new kitchen” board which can help increase the excitement factor for prospective clients who are close to purchasing.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a big name or a big marketing budget to prosper on social media, and these 6 small businesses killing it on Pinterest have proven it. Each has creatively and uniquely used the platform to showcase their products and engage with their target audience, and every SMB can follow in their footsteps.

What do you think? How do you use Pinterest to promote your brand? Do you follow any small businesses killing it on Pinterest? Let us know in the comments below!