The Power of Pinterest

    In the modern digital age, social media sites have a great influence on customer behavior and brand interaction. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are perhaps the top priority for most marketers, but Pinterest is an underutilized but effective site for businesses. Essentials of Social Media Marketing Chapter 8 highlights that Pinterest is a visually oriented discovery site and therefore a great site for brands that plan to merchandise products, generate traffic, and gain a loyal customer base.

    Unlike the other social networking websites filled with social and conversational messages, Pinterest is a discovery visual engine. People come to Pinterest purposefully—they actually search for inspiration, ideas, and solutions. That is good news for businesses because it allows them to reach intending buyers who are ready to purchase. Internal Pinterest studies show that 85% of users purchasing something every week due to Pins they discovered due to brands.

    To be able to tap into Pinterest's marketing potential, businesses must create high-quality, engaging Pins that stand out. Here are Pin optimization best practices:

• Use High-Quality Images
• Include Keywords in Descriptions
• Include a Call-to-Action (CTA)
• Use Rich Pins
• Design for Mobile

    Boards are huge when it comes to content discovery and engagement. Businesses must create boards that are branded around their business and their audience's interests. For instance:

• A clothing company can have separate boards for season fashion, fashion tips, and wardrobe essentials.
• A home furnishings company can have boards for room inspiration, do-it-yourself inspiration, and furniture inspiration.
• A food company can have boards on recipes, meal planning, and holiday recipe ideas.

    Organizing content makes it easy to find what someone is looking for and be more likely to cooperate with the brand. One of the most powerful features of Pinterest is that it has the ability to drive heavy traffic to other websites. Since each Pin is a click-through link, it is an ideal site to send traffic to product pages, blogs, and landing pages. Here's how businesses can capitalize on this traffic opportunity:

• Pin Frequently – Posting new content on a regular basis keeps a brand front of mind and increases engagement.
• Leverage Pinterest Ads – Sponsored Pins allow brands to reach members of their audience by interest, keyword, and behavior, creating more visibility and conversion.
• Make the Save Button available on Sites – By implementing Pinterest's Save button on their sites, businesses enable visitors to Pin content to their boards directly, expanding organic reach.
• Measure Performance on Pinterest Analytics – Tracking measurements such as impressions, saves, and outbound clicks allows businesses to refine strategies and content for enhanced performance.

    Different businesses have been successful in utilizing Pinterest to sell. For example:

• Etsy has seen increased sales by encouraging handmade and vintage products using eye-catching Pins.
• Whole Foods creates boards with recipes, healthy living tips, and sustainable living solutions that are consistent with its brand values.
• Sephora publishes beauty tutorials and product suggestions on Pinterest to guide customers in making the right buying decisions.

    These success stories tell us that Pinterest can not only inspire but also turn users into customers. In the end, Pinterest is a treasure trove for businesses that know how to tap it. With its role as a visual search engine, businesses are able to target highly engaged customers who are ready to act. By creating good Pins, practicing keyword optimization, and using Pinterest Ads, businesses can drive high traffic, develop brand awareness, and increase conversions. With more individuals currently shopping on Pinterest and pinning for ideas, businesses that use this site will have the upper hand in the online marketplace.