Pinterest – what you need to know

Sahail Ashraf posted on 25 May 2022

Pinterest is more popular than you think. A powerful platform that uses visuals to create engagement, it is something many brands can gain value from. But what are the key things you should know about?

Pinterest is a social media platform that has chugged along quite well over the last few years. It’s all about ‘pinning’ images onto boards. The images are share-worthy, and businesses have capitalised on the fact they can share images of products, for example, and boost engagement with the brand.

We have put together this guide to Pinterest so that you have the full lowdown on what you need to know to get the most out of the platform as a marketer. 

First up, the audience

As with any marketing strategy, you need to know the audience you are marketing to. The most important thing to remember here is that women are the largest audience on the platform. This has been the same ever since Pinterest started. The male audience is growing however, so there may be a slow change taking place.

We’re not talking about a young, TikTok audience here. Most of the people who use Pinterest are over 30 years old. However, this audience is also an audience that is ready to buy. The visual nature of the platform makes it a real hotspot for those ready to make a buying decision.

It is a shopping platform

Back to that visual element. Users of the platform actively use it to make buying decisions. If brands are able to get high quality images of their products on the platform and pinned, then those products can become part of that shopping process.

The whole process is quite simple. People go on Pinterest to try and find ideas for their next purchase. If your products are pinned up there and the algorithm is suggesting them as well as other products you sell, you’re doing it right.

It’s a shopping platform. People browse and then shop. Marketers need to remember that the audience is ready to buy.

It’s truly organic

The good thing about Pinterest is that it is a truly organic platform. Pins don’t go anywhere, and they can keep being discovered for a long time after they have been posted. Obviously, this means creating Pins that you know are of good quality and worth seeing.

There are brands that post over ten Pins a day. There is a reason for this. They know that Pins last forever, so they are getting as many of them up there as possible. 

It is a two-way street though. Because the platform is organic, it’s vital that you engage with other users too. Likes and comments are still incredibly valuable currency. This all takes time, but if you’re serious about pulling together a strong strategy, then focus on engaging, and posting a lot. 

It really only works if you keep it relaxed

Pinterest is made for the soft sell. The users of the platform don’t want to feel anything less than complete control over their purchasing decisions. This means your brand or client should be using a warmer approach.

Try using a personal photo rather than a brand logo as a picture. This takes away the ‘faceless’ feel that so many brands can fall into. And keep the Pins simple, without too much of your voice coming through.

Quality counts

The photography you use for your Pins has to be of the highest possible quality. Of course, you may not have an in-house photography team ready to help you send out 12 Pins a day. But you can use good photos and images, even if this means buying in high quality images. 

Your audience wants to see quality. This is how they connect with you and feel that you are worth engaging with. Remember that Pinterest is visual. Make the visuals extraordinarily good.

This ties neatly into the next point…

It’s not all about you

You don’t have to spend all day sending out Pins of your own stuff. Remember that Pinterest has a lot of engagement at the core of its operation. Pin other people’s stuff to get the most out of the experience and also ensure that engagement increases.

Take a look at what is out there and find stuff that links to your style and ethos. Then Pin that, while commenting on and liking the images. This sets you up as part of the community and very much ensures long-term success.

Pinterest may actually not be for your brand or client. It does rely on you having a visual feel to your work. However, if you can use it and it makes sense, then think about the points made in this post. It could be one particular area of social media marketing that can mean real growth for you.

Are you a social media marketing powerhouse? Even if you are, you will still want to get your hands on Locowise. This all-in-one metrics solution will help you get on top of the numbers that matter. Get in touch to try it out today.