With 320 million active monthly users, Pinterest offers a solid platform for many businesses to build brand awareness and reach a critical demographic: moms and millennial women. Pinterest allows businesses to inspire and connect with household decision makers, drive traffic to their website and get free exposure for their products and services.
73% of U.S. women ages 25–54 use Pinterest
52% of U.S. millennials use Pinterest
Pinterest as a Discovery Tool
According to Pinterest CEO Benjamin Silbermann, “Pinterest is not a pure media channel, nor is it a pure utility. It’s a media-rich utility that satisfies both emotional and functional needs by solving a widespread consumer problem that is unaddressed by many other platforms.”
And he’s right. Pinterest answers the demands of modern shoppers, who think about how products can improve their lives and who seek to express themselves authentically. It also satisfies young consumers who “browse, dig, explore, dream and master, and then…buy with confidence,” according to Diana Howell, CEO at Saatchi & Saatchi X.
Pinterest has proven to be a critical platform for businesses that want to make it to the consideration phase of the buying process. This new part of the consumer journey exemplifies what Google calls the Zero Moment of Truth — the moment in the buying process when a consumer researches a product prior to purchase — demonstrating the need for content development as consumer behavior evolves.
89% percent of U.S. “pinners” use Pinterest at the beginning of their path to purchase
Now that you’re excited about marketing on Pinterest, here are some tips on how to use Pinterest for business.
1. Use SEO techniques.
Pinterest is part search engine, so do keyword research and apply SEO best practices to your company’s Pinterest profile, boards and pin descriptions.
2. Encourage users browsing your website to pin your images.
If your website is built on WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Tumblr or Blogger, you can use simple plugins or features offered by those platforms. Specific directions for sites hosted elsewhere can be found here.
3. Make sure your website is fast and mobile responsive.
80 percent of pinners use Pinterest on mobile.
4. Create content, not ads.
To win on Pinterest, you need to stop selling products. Instead, sell a look, an aspiration, a lifestyle. Think of creative ways to showcase your product.
5. Conduct market research.
What are people interested in seeing more of? A good way to stay current is to review Pinterest 100, which is published every December. It analyzes global search volumes to understand and predict cultural shifts. Pinterest 100 can help marketers as they think of ways to position their products. Looking for more insights? Check out Pinterest Trends, a recently launched tool that gives marketers a view of the top U.S. search terms within the past 12 months.
6. Think carefully about key performance indicators.
Followers are a major KPI for most social platforms, like Facebook and Instagram. For Pinterest, focus more on conversions on your CTA and brand awareness.
Pinterest is a long-term game that requires a thoughtful content strategy, high-quality photography and time. When done right, it can reach potential buyers at the zero moment of truth, build brand awareness and inspire potential customers to act.