Open for Business: How to Sell On Pinterest

Pinterest usage has been on the rise since early April. More and more consumers are turning to Pinterest for shopping recommendations and finding new products. The platform has seen a 44% YoY increase in Pinners engaging with shopping Pins on the platform . Pinterest is full of e-commerce features that can help you drive traffic to your website and close sales. 

Pinterest may often be overlooked, but it can be one of the best platforms for driving awareness, clicks, and sales. As a visual platform, Pinterest is great for showcasing your product to new relevant audiences, in a lifestyle format. The experience is fully clickable, making it easier to turn browsers into customers. According to a survey by Cowen and Company , 47% of social media users saw Pinterest as the platform for discovering and shopping for products — more than 3 times higher than those who cited Facebook or Instagram. Ready to begin using Pinterest as a social selling tool? Follow these tips to get started! 

It is time to get familiar with Product Pins , which are the easiest way to make your content shoppable. Product Pins make shopping more accessible as they include real-time pricing, availability, and information on where consumers can buy your product.  Earlier this year, Pinterest introduced a new Shop tab making the shopping experience even easier. Previously, Product Pins could be found in the search results, home feed, and on boards. With this new update, in-stock items can now be found under the dedicated Shop tab, which appears in the search results and on shoppable Pinterest boards. Start adding Product Pins to your profile with these steps from Pinterest.

Another Pinterest shopping feature is Catalogs , which is an easy way to turn all your product listing into shoppable Pins. Think of Catalogs as a fully clickable and shareable product brochure! To create a Catalog for your business, you’ll need to make sure these technical requirements are met. If you need any help, the BriteIdea web team is just an email away. Once you have completed the requirements, your Pinterest catalog will automatically update as your update your site’s product feed. Catalogs make it easy to always showcase your latest product offerings. 

Pinterest is a search heavy platform, which is excellent for businesses looking to increase their organic reach. Like website SEO, you’ll want to add relevant keywords specific to your business and what your target audience will be searching for. For example, if your business is a nail salon, you may want to include terms like “Nail Art” and “Nail Designs.” If you’re unsure what search terms are trending, use Pinterest’s Keyword Research Tool for inspiration. Head to the search bar and search for a generic term like “Nails,” you will see a selection of keywords provided by Pinterest to make your search more specific. Keep in mind that these recommended keywords are ordered by search popularity. Once you’ve nailed down the best keywords for your industry and business, you can start to optimize these key fields:

Pins are meant to be shared far and wide, making Pinterest the perfect platform for brands looking to increase their reach and find new customers. To make most of Pinterest’s viral potential, it is worth keeping shareability in mind as you design your pins. First, think about what is important to your audience and what will resonate with them. Is it an infographic, styling tips, or a branded quote? Good design is critical. Canva is a great tool to help you design beautiful scroll stopping Pins. Be sure to stay true to your branding, incorporate eye-catching colors, and easy to read text.  

Pinterest is the go-to platform for lifestyle inspiration. Consumers turn to Pinterest for fashion, home decor, party planning, career tips, cooking and baking recipes, DIY walkthroughs, or fitness. It is worth thinking about how you can make your content more lifestyle focused. For example, if you run a specialty bakery, you may want to share cake decorating ideas for trending holidays like Halloween, Fourth of July, or Easter. Be sure to add keywords to your Pin titles such as “Mother’s Day Cake Ideas” or ” Mother’s Day Party Cake” to help you gain valuable exposure and tap into popular search topics. The same concept can be applied to any business, even those without a physical product. For example, a cloud-based company could offer Pins around data management tips or a how-to guide on keeping data organized. Not only is this great for getting your brand in front of more people, but it is also a way to contextualize your non-tangible product or service.  

Video has been on the rise over the last few years. Social media posts with video have 48% more views. Pinterest is no different, and creating Videos Pins can help your brand stand out from the crowd in search results. Pinterest favors video by having Video Pins at the top of the search result page. Videos are a great way to showcase your product or service in a more detailed and engaging way. Show your product in action, which can help give consumers a better idea of how they can use your product, leading to more sales.

Creating a strong sense of community is crucial for your social media strategy, especially when it comes to wanting to boost sales. When passive followers become an engaged community, brands tend to see a higher level of loyalty and repeat customers. Since Pinterest is a search-orientated platform, it can seem difficult to build an active and engaged following. One way to get your community involved is by featuring User-Generated-Content (UGC) in your Pinterest boards. UGC makes your featured community members feel special, like VIP contributors. UGC is also great as it shows potential new customers how to use your product and its benefits. Another way to engage your community is to create a Group Board with other complementary brands or content creators. Not only will you increase your collective reach, but you might find new partnership opportunities too. 

Promoted Pins are one of the easiest ways to get your content in front of more eyes. If you’re looking to drive social sales overnight,  Pinterest Ads is the right place for you. Promoted Pins will be severed up higher in the feed and more frequently in search results. Like any other social ad platform, you can build a target audience based on their demographics and interests in the Pinterest Ad Manager. Optimize your ads by using Pins that are designed to attract attention and encourage clicks. Your Pin should be eye-catching and have a clear visible message. 

It has never been easy to build a social selling strategy on Pinterest. Ready to kickstart your e-commerce strategy? Our team of social media experts is available to do the heavy lifting and help you reach your sales goals. Don’t get left in the dust as shopping shifts away from brick and mortar to e-commerce.