Gotta pin it, to win it: Pinterest for Business

When businesses get started on social media, it is common to head straight for Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While these platforms are valid options for a business beginning on social media, there is a silent powerhouse that needs to be brought into the spotlight, Pinterest.

Pinterest is a social media platform that allows its users to share ideas by ‘pinning’ them to their online profiles.

Likened to a virtual mood board or scrapbook, users upload, save, sort and manage images and related links – known as pins on the platform – into collections known as boards, allowing you to personalize your experience.

Not convinced it’s for you? I am going to give you six reasons why Pinterest is a social media platform worthy of consideration for your business.

Pinterest is an incredibly interactive and creative platform, allowing businesses to extend upon the identity and personality they have worked to achieve on other social media platforms.

Pinterest defines itself as a place where businesses can be “discovered by millions of people looking for things to plan, buy and do”. This platform is a hub for eager users seeking ideas and solutions, making them at the perfect stage of the sales process to be marketed to.

Pinterest posts can also link directly to your website, giving businesses another reason to be on the platform. Virtually every post made to Pinterest has the potential to be an organic way for users to click through to your website. This is great for increasing traffic, brand awareness, and interest among your target market.

Users are in control of their marketing experience, choosing where and how to navigate the platform rather than being told to ‘click here’. This, in turn, builds a trusting audience who are more receptive to organic forms of marketing. These same users will carry that trust through to your website.

If the first two points weren’t enough to convince you that Pinterest is worthy of your business, then maybe more than 170 million users worldwide will do the trick. 71% of these users are female and a whopping 67% of users are millennials.

Among these users, 93% of them said that they use Pinterest to plan or make purchases. These statistics are proof that if your businesses main target market consists of women, young people, or the person in the household who makes the buying decisions then this is a platform for you.

One of the main features of Pinterest that differentiates it from other social media platforms is the fact that content on Pinterest is evergreen, meaning quality content no longer has a shelf life as it does with other platforms.

Due to Pinterest’s non-linear display functions, content that is rich, immersive, and engaging will stay in the view of users for much longer than on any other platform.

For businesses, this means more return on investment for the time and money you put into creating quality content. A piece of content that may circulate for a month on other platforms could stay relevant and viewed by users on Pinterest for a year or more.

Reason number five to consider Pinterest for your business is that Pinterest effects purchases. As previously mentioned, Pinterest users are engaged audiences who are seeking answers. Pinterest allows your business to provide answers to these questions and if your business is providing the solution to a problem through a ‘pin’, consumers are more likely to engage with your brand.  

Millward Brown research found that 87% of Pinterest users have purchased a product because of something they saw on Pinterest and 93% of Pinterest users have used Pinterest to plan a future purchase.

Finally, 67% of Pinterest users often consult the platform prior to making purchasing decisions in the physical store. For businesses, this means that if you are not on the platform this consumer won’t consider you when it comes time for them to purchase.

Pinterest may not be the first platform that comes to mind when you’re considering social media for your business. However, the potential power of Pinterest as a marketing and consumer relationship tool is definitely worth considering for your brand.