You may have heard of Pinterest – the online platform using “bulletin boards” where users “pin” ideas, pictures, quotes, and products
found on the internet.
You may have a personal Pinterest account with boards you’ve created. You may have even collected hundreds of pins on your boards.
But do you know how Pinterest can help your small business?
From a macro perspective according to figures just released, 150 million people are on Pinterest each month. The platform initially attracted primarily women, but today, 40% of users are men which represents an increase of 70% more men than last year.
PINTEREST IS A TOOL FOR MARKETING
As a visual platform, Pinterest is perfect for businesses with products that can be shown in pictures, like specialty coffees or garden tools. When a user finds your products on your website, they pin them to their board as part of a theme they have created like “Sunday mornings” or “backyard projects.” These pins are often a reminder to buy products and the pins always link back to the place they came from (your website!). As a small business owner, start by identifying a few major interests of your audience, create a few themed boards, and pin beautiful imagery, aspirational content, and worthy tips. Of course, add your products to the themed boards.
Pinterest works for service-based businesses, too. For example, if you’re running a financial services firm, you could create boards that share tips and tricks on saving money, making better financial choices, and common financial misconceptions. Then, add your products to the boards.
PINTEREST IS NOW A TOOL FOR SALES
In addition to marketing, here is the most exciting new feature for small business owners: Pinterest now offers Buyable Pins. These pins allow Pinterest users to buy your goods or services without ever leaving the Pinterest platform. We all know how distracting the internet can be, so keeping the audience captive on the platform increases the likelihood of a purchase decision on the spot. To date, Pinterest is compatible with five e-commerce platforms (like Shopify). For more info, click here.
PINTEREST IS A TOOL FOR NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Take your lead from Caribou Coffee, who created a new coffee flavor through customer involvement on Pinterest. The company built a loyal following, asked for input, created a new flavor based on that input, and saw much higher engagement than ever before. Pinterest also offers help for businesses on its website.
Leverage Pinterest and watch your small business blossom.
