Pinterest marketing for businesses and online shops

Pinterest works more like a visual search engine than a social network. People use it to look for inspiration on home living, food, weddings or fashion, which is why it pays off mainly for e-shops with good photos.

Pinterest offers businesses a huge opportunity to promote their products and services through visual content that attracts and engages their target audience. People here are simply looking for inspiration. They scroll through photos and save what they like. Oh, and they also categorise the content. Pinterest is used more by women, who look here for inspiration on clothing, fashion, design, their home or decorations, for example. Unlike on Instagram, people here do not share entertaining content or their holiday photos. Visual content on Pinterest focuses on objects, not people.

What is Pinterest marketing?

Pinterest marketing is a strategy that uses Pinterest to promote a brand, products or services. It is a powerful tool for reaching a large, enthusiastic audience that is actively looking for inspiration and ideas. According to Pinterest, 85% of weekly users use the platform to start a new project (such as a build or a renovation), which shows its potential for engagement and inspiration.

Pinterest is also very easy to monetise and useful for companies, because posts and advertising here are relatively cheap and highly native. This means people find it hard to tell content from ads.

Tips for Pinterest marketing

1. Content strategy: – High-quality visuals: Pinterest is a visual platform, so it is important to create high-quality images and videos that are attractive and relevant to your target audience. Use relevant keywords in board names, Pin descriptions and hashtags so that users can easily find your content when searching for specific topics. – Variety is key: While it is important to focus on your field, it is also important to offer varied content to keep your audience engaged. This can include infographics, product demos, short blog excerpts and user-generated content (UGC).

2. Engagement and growth: – Create engaging boards: Structuring boards around a clear theme with appealing names is key. Use board covers that accurately represent the content inside. Pin fresh content regularly so that your audience remembers you and comes back for more inspiration. Interact with others: Like and comment on other users’ Pins, take part in relevant group boards and run contests or giveaways to increase engagement and attract new followers.

3. Growing traffic and sales: – Link to your website: Include a clear call to action (CTA) in your Pins so that users can easily find your website or sales pages, where they can get more information or buy the products they have seen. – Track your results: Use Pinterest Analytics to track your results and see which content resonates most with your audience. This data can help you optimise your strategy and improve the performance of your Pins.

How to use Pinterest for small businesses?

Small businesses can use Pinterest marketing in several ways:

• Reach a targeted audience: Pinterest has a large, enthusiastic user base that is actively looking for inspiration and ideas. With creative content and search optimisation, you can target specific demographic and psychographic groups that are already in “shopping mode”.
• Cost-effective marketing: Although Pinterest ads can be a powerful tool, organic reach on the platform is considerable. With high-quality content and strategic use of keywords, small businesses can gain attention without a large budget.
• Drive website traffic and sales: Unlike users of other social media, Pinterest users actively look for ideas and inspiration for purchases. With creative Pins that link to your website or sales pages, you can drive valuable traffic and convert clicks into sales.

Using product Pins

If your business is a retailer or an online shop, Pinterest is the ideal place to share attractive product photos that help users better imagine how they could use or style the product. Pinterest is a major discovery engine for shopping. More than half of users see Pinterest as a place where they can shop.

Using Rich Pins

Rich Pins offer more information both for you and for your audience. They use information from your website and update automatically if a product’s price changes on your website. There are three types of Rich Pins: recipe Pins, article Pins and product Pins.

Using trends

It is always ideal to stay ahead of a trend and adopt it early. The Pinterest Trends dashboard lets you follow current trends and the keywords users are searching for more or less often. This is important for creating timely content that meets your audience’s needs, and also for choosing keywords for your topic and Pins.

Using Pinterest ads

Marketing on Pinterest does not necessarily mean a paid strategy. However, investing in Pinterest ads can increase brand awareness and audience growth. According to Pinterest, brands see about a 2.3x more efficient cost per conversion on Pinterest compared with other social media. There is a range of creative formats you can use, such as cinematic Pins, promoted carousel Pins and paid partnerships with Idea Pins.

Pinterest in a nutshell

Pinterest is a dynamic and inspiring platform that offers businesses a wide range of options for promoting themselves and engaging their target audience. From visual content to Rich Pins and ads, Pinterest offers a comprehensive solution for businesses that want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic and boost sales.

How to use Pinterest for marketing step by step

If you are starting from zero, the order of your first steps matters. A clear setup saves you from rebuilding your profile later.

• Create a business account. It is free and gives you access to analytics, ads and the Pinterest tag. You can also convert an existing personal account.
• Claim your website. This links your domain to your profile, so your name appears on Pins that lead to your site and you can see how content from your site performs.
• Install the Pinterest tag. This piece of code on your website shows which Pins lead to sign-ups or purchases, not just clicks.
• Plan five to ten boards. Base them on topics your customers care about, not on your internal product categories.
• Prepare Pins in a vertical format. A 2:3 ratio is the standard, and short, readable text on the image helps people understand the Pin at a glance.
• Publish on a steady schedule. Adding a few Pins every week usually works better than uploading a large batch once and then going quiet.
• Review and adjust every month. Keep the topics and formats that bring saves and clicks, and drop the rest.

Pros and cons of Pinterest as a marketing tool

Pinterest works differently from feeds built around followers, so weigh both sides before you commit time to it.

Advantages

• Content lasts longer. A Pin can keep bringing visitors months after you publish it, while posts on most social networks fade within days.
• People come with a plan. They are collecting ideas for something they want to do or buy, so they are open to products.
• You do not need a big following. A new account can reach people if its Pins match what they are looking for.
• Visitors go to your website. Pins are built to send people off the platform, which is rare among social networks.

Disadvantages

• Results come slowly. You usually need months of consistent work before traffic grows.
• Not every offer is visual. Services that are hard to show in an image, such as accounting or industrial software, tend to struggle.
• Little conversation. The platform is not well suited to building a community or handling customer questions.
• Narrower interests. Home, food, fashion, weddings and DIY dominate, so some fields have a small audience.

Common mistakes in Pinterest marketing

• Treating it like Instagram. Team photos and behind-the-scenes posts rarely work here. People want ideas they can use.
• Linking every Pin to the homepage. Send people to the exact product or article the Pin shows, or they will leave.
• Repeating the same image. Create fresh designs for the same page instead of pinning one image over and over.
• Vague descriptions. Say plainly what the Pin shows and who it is for, rather than writing one generic line.
• Forgetting phones. Many people browse on mobile, so check that the text on your images is readable on a small screen.
• Paying before testing. Promote Pins that already perform well organically. A small test budget, for example $10 a day, tells you more than a large launch spend on untested images.

Frequently asked questions about Pinterest marketing

What is Pinterest marketing in simple terms?

It means using Pins and boards to show your products or ideas to people who are planning a purchase or a project. Each Pin links back to your website, so the goal is usually traffic and sales rather than likes. You can do it organically, with ads, or with both.

Is Pinterest a good marketing tool for every business?

It works best for businesses with visual products, such as home goods, fashion, food, beauty or weddings. Brands whose services are hard to show in images often get less from it. If your customers plan and collect ideas before they buy, it is worth testing.

Is Pinterest business marketing free?

Yes, the business account, analytics and organic publishing cost nothing. You pay only if you decide to promote Pins with ads. Your main cost is the time needed to create good images and publish them regularly.

How does Pinterest fit into a wider digital marketing plan?

Pinterest works well as a steady source of visitors to your product pages and blog articles. Content you already have, such as product photos, guides or recipes, can be turned into Pins. Use it alongside your email, website and other social channels rather than as a replacement for them.