How can Pinterest bring added value to your marketing strategy?

November 18, 2021

When most businesses plan their marketing strategy in terms of social media, the top social networks that come to mind instantly are Facebook, Instagram, Viber, and even Tik-Tok. However, an important piece of the puzzle remains overlooked and left behind – Pinterest. In this article, we are going to explore how this social network can be used as a strategic marketing tool for your brand. 

What is Pinterest and how does it work?

If we look at Pinterest, we will discover that the keyword here is one – images. The essence of this social network is the sharing of images. The people behind Pinterest say that its mission is to connect people worldwide through interesting things. While users browse through photos, videos, and other types of multimedia content, they can organize what they like on the so-called “boards”. When people browse the internet and see something they like they can put a “pin” in it and find it later on their profile in Pinterest on the right board. A lot of people do this for wedding planning, for example, to store in one place everything they have seen and liked – from wedding dresses, through decorations and food. In this short video, you can check it out.

Pinterest allows users to follow other people on the social network, to share and comment and tag each other. For business owners and their brands, Pinterest is a great option for sales and marketing in a creative way. It combines two of the best things that make it so popular for users – visual content and the option for users to share everything they like. This social network is based on interests and that can help brands reach relevant audiences that are interested and actually looking for products and services like the ones they have.  

Who is using Pinterest the most? 

Data shows that Pinterest has 478 million users that actively interact with the social network each month. Half of them are from the USA. Another country with a large number of users is Germany (17,5 million). If we speak about numbers, here are some statistics that can show you the potential of the network: 

  • People have used the “pin” option 240 billion times; 
  • There are over 50 billion different boards created on the social network; 
  • There was a 30% growth in the number of users in just one year for 2020. 
  • Since 2016, Pinterest has increased the number of active users by almost 330 million people. 

From a demographic point of view, women, in general, use Pinterest more. They account for over 77% of all users. 

Can Pinterest be an important factor for increasing sales? Definitely! Almost 90% of the users say that Pinterest is an inspiration for them before making a purchase. Data shows that ⅓ of all users earn in the range 50 000 -75 000 $ per year, which indicates a good purchasing potential. 

How can Pinterest help your business? 

Like everything in life, the usage of Pinterest to promote your business has some pros and cons. It can turn into a strategic tool or it can be a waste of time and effort. It is really all up to you (and your marketing team). The main things you can do with Pinterest are: 

  • Become more visible to potential customers (helps you increase traffic and sales); 
  • Integrate a “pin” button on your website to allow Pinterest users to save something that they like and review it later;
  • Generate backlinks to your website – this is possible because every pin from a website keeps the link as well. 

A lot of people use Pinterest for inspiration and to find something that is similar to their taste. The social network shows relevant visual content based on the interests of the users, which often are actively looking for something specific. This can help your business a lot if you are going strong with high-quality visuals in your marketing strategy. You can achieve great organic results with good visual content. 

There is also the option to advertise on Pinterest to achieve even better results. You can create a campaign, set a budget, and choose the target audience. You will have to select specific pins to promote. Data shows that brands running campaigns to increase brand awareness spend 2 to 5 dollars to reach 1000 impressions, while a single engagement from users on ads is valued between 0,1 $ up to 1,5 $. Think of Pinterest as the pre-sales stage – this is the place where a lot of people decide what to buy. 

On the downside, there is the fact that maintaining this social network can take a lot of your time. You can dedicate some people from your creative or/and marketing team to this task and If the strategy is not good, you might lose their time without achieving any results. On the other hand, if you are looking to automate the processes, it can also be challenging and time-consuming. Pinterest still remains a niche social network and if you don’t have the right strategy, it might turn out to be a waste of time, despite the potential it has for your business. 

Is Pinterest suitable for your type of business?

There are several industries that Pinterest is great for. Keep in mind that the majority of users are female and this influences the results a lot. Here are the top industries for Pinterest: 

  • Fashion and clothing;
  • Cosmetics; 
  • Wedding agencies; 
  • Travel and tourism; 
  • Food and gourmet. 

There are many more as well. Any brand with good visual content can use Pinterest. Online stores (B2C) are also a prime industry that can look into Pinterest as a marketing tool. Don’t forget that users are there to enjoy beautiful visuals and be inspired. A picture can tell 1000 words – use that wisely. 

What is the place and importance of Pinterest in our marketing strategy?

The place of Pinterest in the marketing mix depends on your current goals. We know that everyone wants to sell, but you might have to work a little bit in other aspects as well. That will help you drive sales up eventually. Pinterest as a marketing tool is great for any companies and brands that want to: 

  • increase their brand awareness; 
  • drive conversions up (and sales eventually); 
  • create a bond between the brand and the target audience. 

We already mentioned that Pinterest can bring added value to your SEO. 

How to successfully adopt Pinterest in your current B2C communications? 

The first thing you can do is remember that this is not about you. People go on Pinterest to be inspired and they look for something beautiful. Give them that. See what the users like that are relevant to you. Not all pictures on the boards can lead to your website. Create thematic boards that can be explored, see what is trending and try to “catch the wave”. 

When you put a pin with a link to your website, make sure that you want to take users to the right section or product. This will help you increase your conversion rate a lot. 

And remember to socialize. At the end of the day, this is a community in an open social network. 

Will Pinterest work as a marketing channel for your business?

We get to the most important question – is Pinterest going to work for my business? At the end of the day, Pinterest can be an essential channel in your marketing strategy for getting more sales and traffic. This social network can become a powerful tool for any brand and business that sells to end customers (B2C) and provides different levels of interaction with your potential customers. We definitely recommend using Pinterest as a channel in your marketing strategy, especially if what you sell can be represented by inspiring visuals. 

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