Pinterest is so much more than a social media platform. Pinterest is a powerful search engine. Yet, it’s often overlooked by businesses in favor of platforms like Instagram.
Every Pin in Pinterest can link to a website, but every image on Instagram does not. Pinterest, therefore is a traffic tool as opposed to an engagement tool.
What can Pinterest do for your business?
Let’s find out.
1. Pinterest can drive long-term traffic to your website
If you’ve ever wondered why Pinterest is worth using, it’s because it can drive traffic to your website for months or years into the future. Unlike many other social media platforms, Pinterest is not about immediate engagement or customer service. It has more in common with Google search than it does with Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
In fact, Pinterest is more of a search engine than all of the other major social media platforms. (The only other one that comes close is YouTube.)
Pinterest users are specifically looking for things to buy and trying to solve problems they’re having. They often don’t even realize they’re on a social media site. They go to Pinterest as a search engine to find solutions to problems they’re having.
2. Pinterest is more than just images
Pinterest is more than just images. It uses keywords in the titles and descriptions of pins to help your content reach a wider audience.
To improve your results on Pinterest, it’s important to include the right keywords in your pin descriptions. For example, if you’re an interior designer and you pin an image of a bedroom, you might use the keywords “bedroom design” or “bedroom decor.”
These keywords are a great way for Pinterest users to discover your pins. If people search for “bedroom design,” for example, your pin might show up in their search results.
Optimizing your Pinterest boards and pins for search is key to getting found, so use keywords in your profile description as well as the titles and descriptions of your boards and pins.
Another example, if you’re a personal chef, you can create a board called “Cooking Tips & Recipes” or “How to Cook Dinner.” In the description of this board, include some keywords so people searching on Pinterest will find it. Your board description could be:
Cooking tips & recipes from a professional chef. How to cook delicious meals from scratch! DIY cooking ideas for delicious dinners.
3. Video Pins & Idea Pins
To give people another way to engage with your content, Pinterest has rolled out video pins and idea pins.
Video pins will play automatically when people scroll through their smart feeds or search results. They’ll also have a small button in the upper right corner that allows people to expand their view of the video if they want to see it larger.
You can bring more life to your images and make sure they stand out on Pinterest by adding an animated GIF.
With the new idea pins, people can get a preview of how much time they’ll need and what tools they’ll need before they click through to your website.
4. User Engagement is High on Pinterest
Pinterest users know what they want. They’re pinning things to their boards that represent something they plan to do or buy. If you can convince them to pin your product, it’s like a vote of confidence in your brand.
Pinterest is a place for discovery. When someone pins one of your images, the algorithm is likely to show them more of your images in the future.
Users of Pinterest (pinners) are taking action by pinning your images/products/videos to their boards. This action is a positive form of engagement with your brand.
So, go beyond pinning images of your products – share lifestyle images that feature your product being used. This is far more relatable and engaging within the context of Pinterest.
5. Pinterest converts browsers into buyers
The business of ecommerce is about turning browsers into buyers. To do so, you need to capture their attention and convince them to give your product a closer look.
If you’re a blogger with a product to sell, Pinterest can be a great tool to help convert readers into buyers. The key is using it strategically, and knowing how to make the most of the platform’s unique features.
‘Rich Pins‘ use schema data from your website, pulling the title, description, price and live stock information from your website into Pinterest.
This makes Pinterest a shopping platform as well as a discovery platform.
That’s right – people can shop without even leaving the app! If you’re selling a product, you’d be a fool to ignore Pinterest as a marketing channel.
Reasons to stop ignoring Pinterest – Our final words
It is important to remember that Pinterest is a search engine, just like Google. It’s a social network, yes, but the primary function for users is the discovery of content, and it’s this discovery process which drives much of the success behind many social networks.
There are multiple ways that Pinterest can be used to support your business goals, including building brand awareness, communicating with customers and making sales.
Pinterest could be a goldmine for your next marketing campaign. It’s powerful, robust, and quick to pick up. The best part is that it’s very easy to use. Just create a business account and start pinning!
