10 Mar The Power of Pinterest
I am addicted to Pinterest. No, seriously; I have almost 7,500 pins spread over 22 boards, amassed over two years. That’s an average of ten pins a day. I pin colour coordinated bookshelves, far flung beaches, tree lined country gardens and vintage Porsches. It helps me to plan my next adventure, work out what to wear first thing in the morning, and allows me to collect inspiration for an upcoming haircut.
And as it happens, I’m not the only one. Pinterest, launched almost five years ago, has now amassed 70 million users – a figure that’s not just impressive, but outstanding. So it’s not surprising that businesses across the board, from retail to real estate, have taken note. Here are five good reasons why your company will benefit from using Pinterest:
1. It’s all-inclusive
Pinterest is what you make of it. It offers the chance to get creative, whatever your business. On the face of it, it’s perfect for visually led brands such as retailers or magazine titles, but other types of companies can benefit from the platform too. Some interesting examples include The University of Nottingham, who pin everything from interior tips to spruce up your student digs, to pictures advertising sporting societies, and the latest academic research within the institution. Another creative profile is that of the music festival Bestival, who post fancy-dress inspiration for their themed weekends, as well as the latest line-up and promotional posters. Nevertheless, Pinterest is perfect for business too; global tax and audit company KPMG have boards for infographics, data and events. Don’t be concerned if you’re the first in your industry to wake up to the site’s benefits; pave the way and they’ll be sure to follow.
2. It’s the perfect place to show off your product
By creating boards of your choice, you can divide up your product and/or services as you wish. For example, a clothing retailer might want to separate their products by item – ‘dresses’, ‘jackets’, ‘accessories’ – or perhaps by style – ‘floral’, ‘leather’, ‘brights’. However you decide to organise them, each pin can be given a caption (i.e. product name and price) and a direct link to the appropriate page on your website where said product can be purchased. A Pinterest page is your digital brochure, so use it wisely.
3. More than a brand: creating a lifestyle
Nevertheless, your profile isn’t just about flogging your wares. If you want to create a band of loyal customers, who will always look to you when making a purchase, then you need to create a lifestyle for them to buy into. Your products need to make them feel a certain way, make them feel like they’re part of an exclusive club; purchasing your products will give them that ideal style of living that you promote. Amongst your product boards, ideas might include boards on inspiration, collaborations, campaigns or behind-the-scenes shots. All you need to do is populate these boards over time.
4. It has the potential to drive traffic (and sales) to your website
The pinner is able to peruse your offerings as they would on a website, and if your boards are correctly organized then they can find what they’re interested in quickly. Your Product pins are hidden advertising – behind each pin you can place a link. With a simple click on the pinned image, the pinner is taken straight to the desired website. So, if you were pinning a picture of one of your bestselling lamps, it would be a good idea to place a link behind it, directing pinners straight to the page where you can purchase said lamp. Not only does this drive traffic to your website, but it has the potential to up sales. And if you’re lucky enough for your pin to go ‘viral’ (i.e. pinned to a large number of boards), then its reach will be even wider, as more people are likely to see it.
5. It gives direct access to your customer base
When your customer follows your Pinterest page, all of your pins will pop up on their feed. In turn, you can access your followers and monitor their activity. You can see what they’re pinning, from both your boards and competitors, and also see who they’re following. In the long term, studying their wider interests beyond just your brand can give you a pretty detailed idea of what they like, potentially shaping your marketing methods and even the products you create.
By Annie Quinton