Pinterest- The Unsung Marketing Hero
February 6, 2017
Whether you’re looking for some home decor inspiration or how to cook the perfect grilled cheese, you’ll find everything you’re looking for on Pinterest. People use the platform to discover things that inspire them. The main reason people join the social media site is to save things they like for themselves but anything they “Pin” or “Like” is actually seen by their “followers” who are looking to discover things from people with similar interests. As a business, utilizing the site is a great way to advertise your products while gaining exposure to its online users. In addition to pinning shirts you like for example, you now have the option to “Buy it” directly from Pinterest (currently only available for iPhone, Android, or iPad).
In case you aren’t familiar, Pinterest allows you to create and manage themed photo and video collections (called “boards”) and then share them with your audience (called “followers”). It does seem to be more popular among women than men, but it attracts a diverse age demographic and boasts 100 million active users (via DMR). Don’t think that just because your brand isn’t female oriented you shouldn’t use Pinterest. Women hold about 70-80% of consumer purchasing power and influence (via Forbes). They aren’t just buying things for themselves, women are influencing someone else’s purchase.
How can I use Pinterest for my business?
Pinterest can be a powerful channel for your content marketing especially if your website features high-quality video and photos. Here’s a list of ways Pinterest can help grow your online presence and business:
- This social media channel is all about the visuals so if you intend on using the site for marketing purposes make sure your images and videos are high quality and of course relevant to your brand.
- Make sure your “Username” is appropriate (your business name is perfect) because it will be part of your profile URL.
- In the business’ “About” section, optimize SEO to give your business more visibility during searches.
- Each board has a cover photo so choose one that is visually appealing and is a good representative of what else a user might find inside the board.
- Pin images/videos to that board that are also visually appealing as well as being relevant to what the board encompasses.
- Adding “Categories” to your board is key because it can help bring traffic to your board when a user is using the “search” feature.
- If your business sells products, implement the “Buy it” option on all your pins. This option allows a user using a iPhone, iPad, or Android device to purchase the item directly on the Pinterest app using either their credit card or Apple Pay. The “Buy it” button prompts the user to take action.
- On your business’ webpage embed the “Pin it” button on landing pages, blog posts, and products as applicable.
In conclusion…
Pinterest is a place to gain inspiration, organize interests and ideas, advertise products, and now purchase them as well. If you’re looking for greater quality exposure online and want more leads to turn into customers, you should definitely consider creating a Pinterest profile. Once you’ve created your profile you can promote and sell your business’ products there and promote your Pinterest page via other promotional channels you have. Pin away!
