When it comes to social media advertising, most marketers turn to Facebook, Instagram, and, more recently, TikTok. But there’s another well-known social platform (designed specifically for sharing content and products) that doesn’t always find its way into a marketing plan. We’re talking about Pinterest. If it hasn’t been part of your plan, let us tell you why and how to use Pinterest for marketing.
Pinterest is a social platform that allows users to share and discover through visuals. While it’s commonly associated with recipes, DIY projects, and weddings, users can find content regarding just about any possible hobby or interest, such as technology, finances, cars, fashion, travel, history, art, and more.
If Pinterest hasn’t been on your radar, it may be time to reconsider and reallocate your social ad budget. Let us explain.
Why Pinterest?
While Pinterest may not have the highest number of users among social platforms, 459 million monthly users is still an impressive audience. But the most important thing about these users is their intention. They’re there to make discoveries and find inspiration. 85% of Pinners use the platform to start a project or make a purchase decision.
This results in a 2x return on ad spend compared to other social channels and at a lower average cost per conversion.
Intrigued yet?
How to Use Pinterest for Marketing
Pinterest is designed for users to browse, discover, and shop. Content is presented in a visual format (called Pins) for users to peruse as they fine-tune their taste.
As a business, you create Pins that will be shown to your audience and made discoverable through search and personalized recommendations.
You can boost the reach of your Pin through advertising. Unlike other social platforms, relevant ads can enhance the experience rather than distract from it. You’ll set a budget, curate an audience, and launch your ad to get started.
Pinterest Marketing Strategies & Tips
So, the Pinterest audience is looking for inspiration, and you’re ready to answer that call. Set yourself up for success by utilizing these Pinterest marketing strategies and tips.
Claim Your Domain
Claim your website domain for accurate attribution and tracking. Once your domain is linked to your Pinterest account, content shared from your website will be tracked and attributed to your brand.
Instagram account lets you auto-publish posts into a dedicated board on Pinterest, for example. YouTube also attributes pinned videos as another example. (This is no longer a feature: https://help.pinterest.com/en/article/claim-your-account)
Optimize for Search
Optimization starts from the moment you launch your account. Choose a username that utilizes a relevant keyword. For example, Rustic9 Custom Furniture incorporates the brand name and a term users may search. You’ll also want to include keyword-rich content in the 160 available characters of your About section.
Create Your Boards
Boards allow you to organize your Pins into logical categories and themes. For example, if you’re a recipe creator, you may have a Board dedicated to different meals of the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts) or dietary restrictions (vegan, Paleo, etc.). Since individual Boards can be searched and followed, you can expand your reach and followership by having thoughtfully planned and curated Boards.
Design Long Pins
All social platforms have an ideal dimension and shape for graphics. For example, Facebook prefers landscape posts, Instagram has square posts, while you’ll get the best results from long, vertical posts on Pinterest. They recommend a 2:3 ratio of 1000 x 1500 pixels.
Test Designs & Layouts
Pinterest is a visual platform, so don’t be afraid to experiment with your designs and layouts. Try colors that pop, attention-grabbing animation, and beautiful photography. Switch up your designs to highlight different elements and see what resonates.
Optimize Descriptions
Pinterest allows 500 characters for Pin descriptions, so take advantage of them to make your Pins more discoverable. Include at least one relevant keyword and your business name in the first sentence. Use precise language and a clear call-to-action to encourage click-throughs to your site. If you’re a local business, make sure you include your location to help you get discovered.
Use Hashtags
Like other top social platforms, you can’t slack on your hashtags. While the Pinterest algorithm focuses on keywords, hashtags will still help your Pins get discovered more quickly. You can use up to 20 hashtags per Pin, but two to eight are recommended for best results.
Enable Rich Pins
Rich Pins pull data from your website to ensure your Pin descriptions are current, complete, and compelling. These can be used for products to show the most recent pricing, availability, and information, for articles to show the title, headline, and author, or for recipes to show serving size, ingredients, and cook time.
Upload Your Product Feed
Product feeds allow you to turn your Pins into shoppable content which can appear organically or through advertising. You can upload your product data, then schedule updates from that source so Pinterest can keep the information current.
Share Blog Posts
Pinterest users are looking for inspiration and knowledge, so the platform naturally lends itself to driving blog traffic. Combine a captivating headline and subheading with a compelling image and call-to-action to encourage clicks directly to your post.
Direct to Lead Gen Pages
Develop lead capture tools, such as quizzes or guides that provide value to your target market. Then use Pinterest to drive users to the landing page with a clear call to action. Once you have their information, you can begin to develop a relationship through email and other outreach.
Use Pinterest Marketing to Generate Leads & Sales
If Pinterest is starting to look more appealing, it’s time to develop a Pinterest marketing strategy. If you need a resource that knows the platform and provides enticing designs and compelling copy, Square 205 is here to help. You can stay focused on running your business while we drive leads and sales. Contact us to start your project.
