Do you know that the human brain cannot retain around 90% of auditory and 80% of literary information? When visuals come into play, our willingness to read increases by 80%.
That’s not all.
A study also found that 50% of the audience can be persuaded by speech but the same number increases to 67% when you add visuals to the mix.
In ancient times, cave paintings and hieroglyphics were practical devices to record and convey messages when it was not achievable by language. In a post-industrial society, names like ‘Uncle Sam’ and ‘Guru-Chela’ still incite a memorable visual. Now, with Canva and AI tools, creating such visual cues is easier than ever, but for the same reason, it’s easy to be replaceable.
This is where Pinterest saves the day. Whether you look from the marketer's point of view or the potential customer’s, Pinterest makes the journey of discovery effortless. Founded in 2009, Pinterest defines itself as a ‘visual discovery engine’ and currently has a monthly user base of 518 million. You can use it to build ideas, save products you like, and visualise your plans.
Is this social media platform an underrated part of your marketing strategy? Leverage it to create brand awareness, grow web traffic, increase sales and more.
What is Pinterest Marketing?
Pinterest business marketing involves sharing your branded content. Like on other social media platforms, you can post images and videos, text descriptions and links to your blog or websites.
It also works like a content management system (CMS), as every post (Pin) you share or save is organised into a section called a ‘Board’. You can create multiple boards, and each one may include products of similar categories.
This allows your followers or customers to easily view all your products and services. Users then ‘re-Pin’ them and share them with their followers who have similar interests, and this cycle continues.
This way, if you have added the link to access your product or service on the post, it will reach a wider audience of similar interests and in a similar demographic. This will continue to happen as long as your post is available on your profile.
Through this, you are marketing and increasing brand awareness and sales. However, content marketing on Pinterest is not limited to this, as some brands also use influencers for Pinterest affiliate marketing. Anyone with a big following can reach out to brands to monetise their platform.
One of the best Pinterest affiliate marketing examples is Amazon. Under its affiliate program, influencers earn a commission on every sale.
Relevance of Pinterest in B2B Marketing
Many leading B2B companies, such as IBM, HubSpot, Samsung, General Electric, and Staples, use Pinterest to showcase their products and services. Why? Well, pins have a longer visibility when compared to posts on other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
When used correctly, the pins created and shared have a higher potential for increasing visibility and traffic for your brand.
How to Leverage Pinterest in Your Content Strategy
Pinterest is very different from other social media platforms as its main objective is entertainment with knowledge sharing. Users come on this platform with a goal in mind and search for content accordingly. So, your content strategy has to be direct and visually appealing.
Keeping this in mind, here are a few pointers for effective content marketing on Pinterest.
Increase Brand Awareness
First and foremost, Pinterest is a great way to make your brand known. Your Pins can show your brand essence and identity. Incorporate your logo in the posts to leave an imprint on anyone who sees your Pin. Use the right keywords to make your posts easily visible in the vast sea of content.
Educate and Inform
Any Pin with education and informative content has the potential to go viral. After all, 96% of users on this platform use it to gather information.
For example, say you have a winter clothing brand with a line of cashmere sweaters. You can create a post with the title ‘7 ways to style a cashmere sweater for brunch’. This way, you can share fashion advice while marketing your product.
Create a Business Account
Another Pinterest business marketing option is to become a verified merchant so your customers can find you easily. With the Verified Merchant Program, you can get elevated organic reach. You also get access to many analytical tools to monitor your reach with a business account.
Build a Community of Like-Minded People
You can easily reach out to people with similar interests, which can help you find your target audience and build a personal relationship. Follow accounts, re-pin, like, or respond to requests to create a sense of loyalty. This will help ensure that your audience refers to you for ideas and inspiration and, eventually, buy your products.
Tips for Effective Marketing on Pinterest
Now that you know how a Pinterest business marketing strategy can come to life, here are a few tips to effectively use the platform to your advantage.
Choose Your Pins Wisely
Make sure all Pins in a board have a theme to maintain content validity. Check for broken links, add SEO-enriched descriptions, and choose the best images.
Mix Branded Content with re-Pins
To avoid sounding promotional and build a community, re-Pin other posts in the same genre and industry.
Engage with Other Users
Like any other social media platform, growth and reach is a two-way street on Pinterest. Sharing content that matches your brand aesthetic is an excellent way to build your community.
Add a Pin Button to Your Website
This way, you can increase your content shareability. Anyone visiting your website can Pin your product with the link on the board and share it with their followers.
Post Consistently
The more often your brand’s post appears on their dashboard, the more likely it is for users to click on the links.
Keep the Content Quality Rich
Choosing high-quality videos and photos and adding SEO-friendly text and descriptions helps you gain more Pins and clicks.
Keep it Mobile-Friendly
The Pinterest team recommends that you make vertical content, as it is suitable for desktop as well as mobile users. Content with a 2:3 aspect ratio works best.
Use Analytics to Know What Works
To achieve your Pinterest business marketing goals, you must trust the analytics. Based on the data, you can identify what your audience likes and modify your content accordingly.
Using Pinterest analytic tools and visual storytelling, you can leave a lasting impression on your target audience. With iconography and the right set of words, you can make your content stand out and be memorable.
Need help? Contact us to check out how we can help you harness the power of images and words.
