Why You're Leaving Money on the Table if You're (Still) Not Using Pinterest

It’s no secret that Pinterest is our favorite “social network” (we’ll explain the quotes later).  Maybe it’s because we’re visual creatures. Maybe it’s because Pinterest has played an integral role in both of the brands we’ve built from the ground up.  Pinterest has helped us grow our email list to over 2,000 engaged subscribers in the first year of business -- twice.

It has been the reason why we’re able to accrue 15K+ monthly pageviews each month.  And, it’s why on nearly every post on this blog, you’ll find someone in the comments saying, “I found you ladies on Pinterest.”  Maybe that’s why it still baffles us whenever we encounter an online entrepreneur who tells us that she isn’t using Pinterest to grow her brand.  And if that’s you, we invite you to keep reading to understand why a presence on Pinterest is non-negotiable.

First, why does Pinterest even matter?

Ok, let me explain why we chose to put social network in quotes up there in the introduction.  Pinterest technically isn’t a social network. It’s always categorized as one, but, when you take a closer look at the purpose of Pinterest and user behavior, it’s clear that Pinterest isn’t meant to be social.  When was the last time that you commented on a pin or sent a pinner a direct message? However, you’re likely to engage in conversations and leave comments on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Pinterest is unique because it’s more of a search engine rather than a social network.  Meaning, people use Pinterest the same way that they use Google or Bing -- to find the answer or solution to their problems.  As a business owner, this is extremely significant. Whether you’re B2B or B2C, your product or service is the solution to a problem.  When you are savvy enough to publish your content on Pinterest, you’re making sure that potential clients/customers can find out how you can help them rather than your competitors.  And if you think that your target audience isn’t actively searching on Pinterest, think again.

Pinterest has 175 million active monthly users, and of those users, a whopping 93% of active pinners said that they use Pinterest to plan for purchases and 87% said that they purchased something because of Pinterest.  And 72% of pinners use Pinterest to decide what to buy offline (source). If you aren’t utilizing Pinterest or using it effectively, you’re missing the chance to increase your business’ revenue.

Related: 7 Reasons Why Pinterest is a Marketing Powerhouse

Because Pinterest is a platform (and arguably the only social platform) that clients and consumers use to make purchasing decisions, if you’re selling a product and/or service online, don’t make the mistake of not putting your content in front of people who are already inclined to buy (aka not using Pinterest).

Think about this for a second -- why do business owners always go crazy over SEO?  The idea is that if a potential client or customer is typing keywords related to your brand/business into Google or Bing, you want to make sure that you’ve optimized your website for those keywords so that you appear in the search results.  And you want to appear in those results for two main reasons:

1.  If someone is typing a phrase into Google, they really want to know the answer to a problem or they’re pretty close to buying something.  For example, if someone types “high-waisted blue jeans” into Google, there’s a strong indication that they’re seeking to actually purchase high-waisted blue jeans.  

2.  Because of the above point, you want to show up in the search results to signal to those searching that your brand/business is relevant -- so they’ll select you over your competition.

The same is true on Pinterest.  Pinners are entering phrases into the search because they really really want to know the answer to a question, or they already know that they want to buy something and want to weigh their options.  And guess what? If you’re not on Pinterest, they’re being directed to your competitors instead of you. See why that’s such a costly decision?

Related: How to Use Pinterest for Business

Ok, so if I’ve convinced you to be on Pinterest, or to approach it strategically, you might be wondering what you need to do to make it work for you.  Here are three things that will get you off to a great start:

Have a clear brand identity.  

Because Pinterest is a visual platform, it’s important to have pins that stand out in the feed, resonate with your target audience, and accurately reflect your branding.  Over time, you’ll want your pins to be recognizable in the feed. With a quick glance, pinners should know that they’re seeing content from your brand, and an easy way to accomplish this is to use the same colors, fonts, and layout that you do on your website.

This is one of the multiple Pinterest templates that's used for our H&W pins.

Have a high-quality blog.

Pinterest won’t be nearly as effective if you aren’t pinning content that leads back to your website.  You’ll want to take the time to create informative articles/blogs or vlogs (if video is your strong suit) that are clear, actionable, and valuable.  The reason why you’ve got to have high-quality content is that the way that you increase your repins and your chance of going viral is by creating content that is actually beneficial and worth consuming.

Have a well-defined niche.

If you’re very clear about who your ideal client/customer is, that will help you reach the right pinners.  By default, you’ll have a better understanding of which keywords your target market is likely searching for, which you can than include in the description of your pins, your board titles, and your bio.  Also, if you have a well-defined niche, you’ll be able to find relevant group boards to pin your content to, which are likely being followed by your target market.

We commonly encounter business owners making excuses about why they (still) aren’t using Pinterest: no idea where to begin, it’s too complicated, don’t have the time to focus on another social network, etc.  That’s why Pinterest is such a great platform to outsource. It truly does require a strategic approach, but once you do spend the necessary time implementing your strategy, your business practically grows on autopilot and you aren't leaving money on the table any longer.  

So, if you’re ready to stop hiding your product or service from people who are actually ready to buy or preparing to buy, contact us and we’d be happy to provide Pinterest management for your business!