Pinterest is one of the most effective social media platforms for boosting online sales. Nearly 40% of active Pinterest users log in to follow or research brands and products; moreover, 85% of weekly U.S. Pinners have purchased based on products pinned by brands.
While Pinterest is best known for its feed of gorgeous images and curated boards, the platform has been adding powerful new features over the past few years that offer new ways to connect with customers. Take inspiration from this list of unique ways to use Pinterest for your business and engage your audience.
Background: types of content on Pinterest
Before we dive into the best ways to use Pinterest, let’s review how you can share content (aka “Pins”). There are a few different types of Pins:
- Standard Pins are basic images.
- Video Pins are video clips that automatically play when a user scrolls past them.
- Idea Pins are multiple images or videos (up to 20) that can be used for step-by-step guides or behind-the-scenes style content.
- Rich Pins automatically sync information from an e-commerce page and can include price, availability, and product details.
- Collection Pins allow you to showcase multiple products related to a single theme.
- Try-on Product Pins use augmented reality (AR) to help users to virtually try on products using Pinterest Lens.
With these different formats, you can create a visual narrative on your Pinterest page that engages users and translates to conversions. Here are some ways to use these tools to your best advantage.
[Read more: How to Measure and Understand Pinterest Analytics]
Create a gift guide
Gift guides are a great way to boost sales. One study found that emails featuring gift guides generated a 48% increase in transactions compared to other mailings. Pinterest’s format is practically custom built for curating gift guides. Simply create themed boards with Rich Pins to highlight gift ideas for everyone.
Toys R Us launched a campaign in collaboration with Pinterest to make their gift ideas stand out in users’ feeds. The toy retailer used Pinterest’s “Gifts for Kids” holiday badge on their video and standard Pins. “Their ads highlighted the season's ‘best gifts’ and ‘top toys,’ which was the winning holiday recipe to grab consumer’s attention and share of wallet,” wrote Pinterest.
The campaign was tied to a 2x uptick in in-store visits and +6.9pt higher ad recall than baseline, proving that shoppers were paying keen attention to Toys R Us’s gift ideas.
Think about ways in which you can evoke an emotion or connect with your audience in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re constantly selling something.
Create a shopping soundtrack
Pinterest is primarily a visual platform, but it doesn’t have to be. “Try pinning music videos from YouTube to create a playlist board,” wrote Business News Daily. “With a huge fitness community on Pinterest, for example, this could be a good way for fitness-related companies to stray from the norm of sharing workout guides and exercise gear.”
Workout playlists are just one example. Travel brands can share music from popular vacation destinations (think salsa for the Caribbean, fado for Portugal, or reggae for Jamaica). Retailers can share their in-store shopping playlist to help set the mood for online shoppers. Think outside the box!
Launch exclusive products
One way to get customers to flock to your Pinterest? Create an exclusive offer or product that can only be found on this channel. Luxury skincare brand La Mer did just this. “[La Mer] has created product sets that are exclusively available through Pinterest, enticing users who discover the brand through Pinterest to make a purchase that isn’t available anywhere else,” wrote HubSpot.
La Mer couples its exclusive set with educational content to help customers find and use the right product properly. Its visuals are consistent and cohesive with other La Mer marketing campaigns, making it a natural extension of the brand’s in-store and digital marketing.
[Read more: 6 Ways to Build Engagement on Pinterest]
Focus on vibes
Many brands use Pinterest narrowly to show their products in specific settings. McDonald’s approach to Pinterest shows that you don’t need to focus on — or even show — a product in order to engage your audience. The fast-food chain was looking to reintroduce the Big Mac to Gen Z on Pinterest. Rather than showing hamburgers, McDonald’s posted images and videos showing how the Big Mac inspires nail art and fashion looks.
“Organized by color and mirroring the layers of the Big Mac, the board offered a visually compelling exploration. It transformed the beloved burger into a piece of art. This was more than just an ad campaign—it was a vivid incorporation of the burger into the fabric of Gen Z's trending interests,” wrote Pinterest.
Think about ways in which you can evoke an emotion or connect with your audience in a way that doesn’t feel like you’re constantly selling something.
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