Whether you aim to promote your own products online or work as a professional web or graphic designer and outsource your services to third-party businesses, Pinterest can be a lucrative promotional channel to consider. According to Shopify, 98% of people try new things which they discover via Pinterest, compared to 71% on other platforms, with Pinterest users 39% likely to be active online shoppers, spending approximately 29% more than those who don’t use the platform.
Given its visual-first nature, coupled with back-end SEO, Pinterest can not only increase your brand’s revenue but also ensure that your content ranks well with global SERP on search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing and others. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most practical ways in which you can utilize Pinterest and sell more as a result.
The Benefits of Selling on Pinterest
Let’s take a look at what makes Pinterest such a good choice for advertisement before we dive into the specific ways in which you can do so for your brand. Pinterest is a social media platform oriented toward visual content, much like Instagram. However, what separates Pinterest from the likes of Facebook or Twitter lies in its design and UX philosophy.
The platform is specifically designed for content browsing and sharing of said content via Pins and Boards. This effectively eliminates any “noise” which may divert a customer from ad content, allowing you to position your brand and sell products/services more efficiently. As a result, selling on Pinterest can prove advantageous in a number of important ways, including:
- Increased brand awareness and industry authority
- Increased website and online store traffic
- Better reach due to users sharing Pins and Boards
- Higher lead and revenue generation
Types of Content to Post on Pinterest
Now that we have a better understanding of the benefits behind Pinterest, let’s take a closer look at the content types you should utilize on the platform. As we’ve mentioned previously, Pinterest is a visual-first platform – however, external links, keywords and direct sales via Shop the Look Pins feature can be used to boost sales beyond using visuals exclusively.
Coupled with a dedicated localization platform such as The Word Point, Pinterest can be used to attract a global audience to your brand via a number of different content types which combine writing and visuals. That being the case, some of the most predominant content types you should post on Pinterest with the aim to sell products/services are:
- Infographics, charts, graphs – data from your industry, agency’s performance or current trends can be visualized and posted under your brand’s name
- Product mockups – for example, T-shirt designers can utilize Pinterest to showcase their work; the same applies for any number of design-oriented niches
- Visualized tutorials – how-to guides and charts which showcase DIY processes can quickly go viral on Pinterest
- Social proof – quotes, reviews and testimonials from satisfied clients and customers can further boost your sales
Optimize your Keyword Selection
The search functionality on Pinterest operates on a keyword basis, just like global SERP. This means that your content pieces should be retrofitted with relevant keywords in order to reach as many potential customers on the platform. Once your content is optimized locally on Pinterest, it will automatically rank on public search engines such as Google and allow users to find you regardless of their prior use of Pinterest.
For example, if you aim to outsource your web design skills to third-party clients, your content should include keywords such as “web”, “design”, “layout”, “mockup”, etc. Use only the keywords relevant to your niche, and make sure to consult platforms such as Google AdWords to find out which words and phrases are currently trending in the industry.
Organize Content into Boards
Pinterest offers a plethora of features when it comes to publishing and organizing visual content (hence its popularity). In order to facilitate as many interactions and sales with your content going forward, you can take the initiative and organize your posts into various Boards per their category.
When it comes to design-related content, for example, you can organize your content into Boards such as “Web design”, “T-shirt design”, “Inspiration”, “Tutorials”, etc. These Boards will allow users to easily find their way around your Pinterest page and engage with the content that suits their needs and interests, further facilitating their purchase incentives.
Coupons & Time-Limited Offers
In order to encourage sales on your Pinterest posts, you should ensure that users react to your content as soon as they see it via calls to action and exclusive offers. Embedding coupons, discount codes or limited-time savings offers on your Pinterest content is a great way to boost not only your sales but also your website traffic.
Make sure to frequently update your Pinterest posts with current codes and coupons to avoid out-of-date offers which might turn off your followers. Rotate between different offers periodically in order to efficiently create a FOMO effect with Pinterest users and your content will perform well in terms of lead generation.
Utilize Pinterest Pins
On top of Boards, Pinterest also features Pins as a means to quickly share relevant content with the platform’s user base. The more context and information you include with each Pin you post on the platform, the better your odds at increased sales will become over time.
You can use Rich Pins as a means to easily update your content with up-to-date product information, change the value proposition or pricing of your services, as well as add more content to the page as a whole. Pinterest Pins are mobile-friendly, easy to use and allow for seamless cross-platform sharing, ensuring that your content is seen by as many online users as possible.
In Summary
Positioning your brand or personal services on Pinterest is a net-positive regardless of your current scale or growth plans. Start creating a presence on the platform with personalized content and affordable deals to spark interest in what you do with the global audience. Before you know it, your products/services will attract a customer base with the buying power and interest in what you do – making the advertisement initiative worth the effort.