Pinterest may not be the first social media platform that you think of when it comes to marketing. However, 250 million people use Pinterest every month and between 2017 and 2018, this very visual platform added more users than Facebook and Twitter combined. The site has seen a 75% increase in Pins in less than two years and a rise in the numbers of both men and women who are using the site. So, it’s thriving, but what does Pinterest really offer in marketing terms?

What can you do with Pinterest for marketing?

Especially if your business benefits from the use of images (which is most companies today), Pinterest has a lot of potential appeal. The site also has a number of functions that can help to support better marketing, including:

  • Analytics insight into the performance of both your organic and promoted Pins
  • The opportunity to create Pinterest Ads to reach a wider audience and generate more interest
  • A versatile profile – you can choose to use it to display only your latest Pins or to focus on those from a specific board
  • A wide range of options when it comes to the content you create, from video posts, to Pincode features
  • The ability to schedule Pins through a platform like Hootsuite

How to use Pinterest – tips for business

 

Pinning

Make sure you Pin regularly. Once a day should be the minimum, especially during peak times

Work ahead

Work with a 45-day window if you’re focusing on a specific event or launch – start posting 45 days before the date in question if you want to ensure that you get as much attention as possible

Imagery

Use the right images for the platform. For example, straightforward product images don’t fare that well but incorporate the products into a lifestyle image and it will do much better. Lifestyle images generate a third higher click through and 170% higher check out rates

Mobile-optimisation

Pinterest is very mobile-first. In fact, 80% of users are browsing it via their phone. So, make sure that the images you post are optimised for mobile – anything taller than 1560px is going to end up getting cut off

Using text

Keep text short and sweet. Use keywords and personalise to increase saves by around 30%

Links

Pinterest encourages linking – you can link multiple images back to one website

Branding

Don’t forget to add your business logo to the images that you post. Just be sure to avoid the bottom right hand corner, as this tends to be where the icons sit

Paid Ads

Use the Ads function – these can be Pinned and saved and should result in 20% more organic clicks on top of the Ad itself in the month after

Rich Pins

Find a use for rich Pins – these use metadata from your website for blog sharing and add a CTA function to drive more traffic to it

Engage

Like any social platform, engagement is key. Avoid following competitors and focus instead on others in your industry – get your customers and employees involved by asking them to contribute to group boards

Pinterest is a fast growing platform and has a lot more to offer than many businesses realise. Get in touch with Iconic Digital to find out how Pinterest would work as part of your social media strategy.