In her Chain Store Age “Expert Insight” article, Elizabeth Cosgwell Baskin (CEO of Tribe, a communications company) offers a number of suggestions as to how retailers can encourage employees to become more engaged in Pinterest, a social media site where people “Organize and share things you love.”

Here’s what Baskin recommends:

• “Start with a focused campaign of internal communications to encourage employees to create their own Pinterest boards, pinning company products. You might ‘gamify’ it by suggesting a different theme each month with the best boards winning a prize or discount. The themed board for July, for example, might be ‘Best Ways To Show Off Your Tan,’ with employees pinning the brand’s new short shorts, strappy sandals and halter dresses.”

• “These boards might also include other images not available at the store, like a long stretch of sandy beach on ‘Prettiest Pale Neutrals.’ This makes the boards more than just a way to hawk your products. Instead, they become more akin to third-party endorsements, which are powerful influencers for potential customers.”

• “This Pinterest program is a great way for executive-level associates to build relationships with the rank and file, by humanizing themselves and letting employees get to know them a little. A sales associate in Des Moines, Iowa might feel a new connection to the CEO when she discovers that they pinned the same pale lemon chiffon scarf. Next, she might re-pin the CEO’s image of a perfect neutral pump.”

• “At the same time, employees gain celebrity-like status with customers on Pinterest. Some could even gain a significant following of customers who admire their tasteful selections. There’s also a gamification aspect there, in recognition of those employees who attract the most followers.”

• “Using existing internal communications vehicles, from the Intranet to the company magazine, the best employee boards can be spotlighted, both to acknowledge the creator and build enthusiasm within the employee population. Further, it’s a cross-promotion that will convert more people to Pinterest, which has the potential to influence more folks — exponentially — than your existing channels.”