By Jill Kurtz, Kurtz Digital StrategyPinterest, a prime visual-based social media platform, can be a great tool if you are able to translate your primary message, product, or service into compelling visuals.While it doesn't have one of the largest user bases - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn get those honors - Pinterest continues to have a strong following, especially among women. In 2014, 92% of pins were posted by females.Just like any other social media network, engaging effectively on Pinterest comes down to understanding who is there to connect with and conveying your messages effectively within the unique environment of the platform. Every post on Pinterest is an image and a brief description.Pinterest users are looking for ideas and inspiration, not a direct pitch. A search function lets users research new content. Users pin items to boards that they set up to organize interests.The following are 3 effective strategies to leverage Pinterest:1. Create a profile and a board that speaks to your core audience. It's great to have people find and pin your content, but to truly engage you need to have a presence on Pinterest. Make sure that everything you post speaks to your desired audience.2. Create and share visuals with Pinterest in mind. Portrait-oriented (tall) images get re-pinned the most. For every image that you post on a blog or website, include a Pin It button so that users can share your content.3. Write short, targeted image descriptions. Keep text minimal and, again, targeted to your audience. Always make sure to put the URL of your blog or website as a shortened link in your image description.[author]About the Author: Jill Kurtz founded Kurtz Digital Strategy to help clients see the communication potential of the newest trends and technologies. She is an expert at website strategy and redesign, social media planning, and developing exceptional content. [/author]