The social media world is constantly evolving, and new tools and platforms come and go. One platform that has staying power is Pinterest due to its traffic-driving and converting capabilities; however, the key question for many brands is should we be active on it?

I’m (P)interested, tell me more…
Pinterest has a staggering 291 million active users and its emphasis is on visual content. Think of it like a virtual pin board that allows users to curate (‘pin’) images and videos they like for people to browse. However, unlike other photo sharing sites, the raison d’etre of Pinterest is the discovery and curation of other people’s content (vs your own). The users are eager to share their dream products, plans and aspirations via the boards they set up.

So how does Pinterest actually work?
People who use this platform are a passionate, addicted bunch who just love talking about the site, their pins and boards! Pinterest allows users to post visual assets, like photos or images, as a type of social currency in their own right; the subsequent likes and “re-pins,” are then the equivalent of shares or retweets. Plus, it is easy to post images from other websites to your Pinterest account using the “Pin it” taskbar button.

This visual aspect of the site is one reason why it’s captured the interest of so many. Users can say which products they love (from shoes to cakes, furniture to tech) and want to buy for themselves and then their friends and followers can further the endorsement by pinning the pictures to their own boards. And that makes your brand and your products discoverable!

I get it now, the question is, should our brand be active on Pinterest?
We wouldn’t be honest if we said Pinterest is absolutely for everyone – it isn’t. But if you want to leverage Pinterest to reach a new generation of “visual influencers”, increase visits to your website and generate leads or retail sales then you should consider it as a place to invest some of your marketing efforts.

Pinterest holds the proud tag of being the most female-skewed social platform in the world with a whopping 81% of users being women (though male use of the platform is increasing). And the majority of these people on Pinterest are under 40 years of age. So, it is important that you really consider is this who you are after?

If it is, then remember Pinterest users are keenly interested in what’s hot and what’s cool – a behaviour that translates well into the kind of influencer marketers desire to attract. Aesthetically pleasing e-commerce websites are best positioned to benefit from the kind of link building Pinterest offers but don’t give up so easily if your business is not. What aesthetic content are you creating that people might be particularly interested in sharing and saving as a pin? Then use Pinterest to take advantage of it.

Another one of Pinterest’s most prominent characteristics is the ability to reduce the number of steps from “awareness to conversion” as the platform’s visitors convert into leads or sales faster than from other social media sources. By employing simple visual inspirational content featuring your product in context, you can create an online shop window that allows people to browse then make that all-important click-to-buy.

Need content ideas for Pinterest?

Found that introduction (P)interesting and want to trial Pinterest for your brand? Then drop us a line for we can help you create and implement your Pinterest content strategy.