If you're an ecommerce store owner looking to expand your reach and increase sales, then you've got to check out Pinterest!
This social media platform has become a must-have for businesses of all sizes thanks to its unique visual focus and incredible reach.
Whether you're a scrappy startup or a big-time player in your industry, Pinterest can help you showcase your products and connect with your audience like never before.
In this article, we'll give you 15 excellent reasons why you should use Pinterest in 2023 to take your ecommerce store to new heights.
Let's get started!
1. Free traffic
One of the best things about Pinterest is that it can drive free traffic to your ecommerce store!
Unlike expensive PPC ads, Pinterest offers a cost-effective way to generate sales. You can simply create a business account, upload images of your products, and start ‘pinning’ right away.
With the right keywords and hashtags, you can get your products in front of the right audience and drive traffic to your store without spending a dime on Pinterest advertising.
The best part? Pinterest has 450 million monthly active users, making it the 14th largest social media platform in the world.
But it's not just about quantity 一 Pinterest users are also high-quality visitors. According to Shopify, Pinterest users have a higher average order value than users from other social media platforms.
In short, Pinterest is a platform you can't afford to ignore!
2. Visual nature of Pinterest
Pinterest, like Instagram, is a highly visual platform where users save and share images and videos that inspire them.
This visual nature makes Pinterest an ideal platform for showcasing your products and telling your brand's story.
You can create eye-catching pins that highlight your products in a way that's not possible with traditional text-based ads or other social media platforms like Twitter.
And it's not just that! Pinterest also allows you to create boards that organize your content around different themes or topics.
This makes it easy for potential customers to discover your products and understand your brand's style.
So if you're looking for a platform that can help you showcase your products in an engaging and visual way, Pinterest is the ideal choice!
3. Highly engaged users
Pinterest has one of the most highly engaged user bases of any social media platform out there.
In fact, Pinterest users spend an average of 14 minutes per session on the platform. That's not too far from Youtube's 19 minutes per session.
But wait, there's more that makes Pinterest a powerful marketing tool for ecommerce stores!
Pinterest users actively seek inspiration and ideas for their purchases and are more likely to purchase based on what they discover on the platform.
Believe it or not, 83% of Pinterest users make a purchase based on the content they see from brands on this social media platform!
4. Target audience
One of the main reasons why you should use Pinterest to market your brand is because of its audience.
Here are a few statistics that will help you know if Pinterest users are your target audience:
- 60% of Pinterest users are women.
- About 85% of Pinterest users are from the US.
- Pinterest generated $685 million in revenue in the last quarter of 2022, out of which $575 million was generated from the US and Canada alone.
- According to Pinterest, 45% of Americans with a household income of $100K and above are on Pinterest.
- Millennials are no longer the most popular age group on Pinterest. 38% of Pinterest users are now between the age of 50 and 64. However, Millennials now stand at 34% and Gen Z at 32%.
- Dads are three times more likely to share boards than the average male Pinterest user.
5. Let customers checkout directly on Pinterest
Pinterest has added an in-app checkout feature for Shopify ecommerce stores.
Although it's still in the beta phase and available only in the US, users can simply browse and select the products from the Pin and jump straight to the checkout page.
You can also sell variable products with different colors and sizes, as Pinterest users can easily select their preferences in the app itself.
Pinterest will also boost your product Pins organically in the home feed, search, and shopping surfaces.
In short, this new feature will streamline shopping on Pinterest since there's less friction in the checkout process.
If you invest in marketing your products on Pinterest, you can expect a higher conversion rate and increased sales for your Shopify store!
6. Seamless integration of Pinterest Ads
One of the best parts about Pinterest Ads is how they seamlessly blend into search results.
This enhances user experience rather than annoying them, which makes them more likely to engage with your content.
Pinterest has the following ad options:
- Try on Product Pins. It combines your content with augmented reality to give the customers a virtual ‘dressing room' experience. ‘Try on Product' pins work well for beauty and jewelry brands.
- Collection Ad. A collection of a large video or image with three supporting images. Collection Ads are best for ecommerce stores in beauty, home decor, and fashion niches.
- Carousel Ad. A group of images. Carousel Ads are great for displaying products from various angles.
- Promoted Pin. A single image or video in the home feed.
- Idea Pins. Short videos or a series of up to 20 images similar to Instagram Stories. Idea Pins work best for how-to videos.
- Shopping Ads. One image or video. Shopping Ads are perfect for all types of ecommerce stores.
As per Pinterest, Pinterest Ads have a 2.3x better cost per conversion than ads on any other social media platform. This results in 2x higher returns on advertising spend for brands.
7. Pinterest Predicts
As an ecommerce store owner, you always look for ways to stay ahead of the game and predict your customers' interest. That's where Pinterest Predicts comes in.
Pinterest Predicts is Pinterest's annual report which is released at the end of the year. It provides details like what users have been searching for and predicts emerging trends for the next year.
You can leverage this data and stay ahead by ensuring your products align with current and upcoming trends.
In fact, Pinterest states that Pinterest Predicts has an 80% accuracy rate!
Pinterest accurately predicted the popular trends of 2021 would be loungewear, at-home date nights, and virtual beauty.
As a result, many ecommerce stores were able to capitalize on these trends and drive sales. So don't forget to check out Pinterest Predicts when you're looking for products to sell!
8. Branding opportunity
Pinterest is a visually and aesthetically driven platform. It offers you to showcase your brand's personality online.
By curating boards that align with your brand's values and vision, you can display your products in a visually appealing way.
Plus, Pinterest has two features 一 Rich Pins and Story Pins, that allow you to show your products more interactively.
For example, Rich Pins automatically update information such as pricing and availability from your online store to the Pins. This makes purchasing decisions easier for users.
On the other hand, Story Pins offer a more immersive experience where you can share multiple products and ideas. You can use Story Pins to show behind-the-scenes content, tutorials, and more.
If you're worried about how you can stand out from a name brand, then check this out 一 more than 97% of Pinterest searches are unbranded. This means Pinners are open to discovering new brands and products.
All in all, Pinterest is a valuable tool if you're looking to build a memorable brand in 2023.
9. Long shelf life of pins
Unlike other social media platforms where content quickly gets buried in a user's feed, pins on Pinterest have a much longer lifespan.
MarTech says a Pinterest pin takes 3.5 months to get 50% of its engagement! This means pins are slow to garner attention but last for months and years from creation.
So if you can create a pin for your ecommerce store, it has the potential to be discovered and saved by users for months to come. Plus, the more Pinners engage and save your pins, the more your pins will surface in the search results and related content.
The long shelf life of pins means you can continue to see organic traffic to your website long after you've created the initial pin.
10. More about products, less about people
Pinterest is a visual discovery platform that lets users search and save images they're interested in.
This is wildly in contrast with other social media platforms, which are more focused on personal connections and sharing.
That's why Pinterest is an excellent platform for ecommerce stores to show the benefits and features of products.
By creating visually appealing pins that highlight the unique qualities of your products, you can attract users who are actively searching for those types of products.
Plus, Pinterest's search functionality lets users easily discover products based on keywords and categories. And boards and collections help users save and organize their favorite products conveniently.
11. Integrates with your website
According to a study by Shopify, Pinterest drove 13% of all social media visits to their client's websites in 2020. And with its seamless integration with ecommerce stores, it's easy to see why!
A Pinterest tag is a code you can add to your online store. It lets you track user behavior and optimize your ads for conversions.
So you can check how well your Pinterest ads are doing and increase your chances of making a sale.
Using the Pinterest tag, you can also measure campaign performance and check conversion insights.
Besides the Pinterest tag, you can also add a ‘Shop' tab to your profile. It lets Pinners browse products featured on their boards by simply clicking the ‘Shop' tab.
Overall, Pinterest's integration with ecommerce stores is a huge benefit for brands!
12. Less negative comments
Unlike social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter, Pinterest focuses on product discovery.
This means that comments are typically related to product recommendations or feedback, rather than personal opinions or arguments.
So you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that negative comments and reviews are less likely to occur. This can have a positive impact on your mental health as a business owner, as dealing with negative comments can be stressful and time-consuming.
You also get to focus on building your brand through positive interactions with users.
Besides, you can always moderate comments on your pins, giving you greater control over the conversations happening around their products.
13. Collaborate with influencers and brands
Did you know that according to the Trust Barometer Special Report, 63% of social media users trust influencer endorsements more than what brands say about themselves?
And that's not all 一 Astute Analytica found that 89% of marketers think influencer marketing ROI is just as good as or better than other marketing channels.
So it's clear why collaborating with influencers and brands can be a game-changer for your ecommerce store in 2023.
While many brands think of Instagram first when it comes to influencer marketing, Pinterest shouldn't be overlooked. With its focus on product discovery and sharing, Pinterest is the perfect platform to showcase your products and reach a wider audience.
In fact, Pinterest recently launched Idea Pins in 2021 to help brands collaborate with influencers. Creators can tag brands and add affiliate links in Idea Pins.
A paid partnership label automatically appears when the creator publishes the Pin, just like on Instagram.
As you can see, your brand and influencers can provide a new perspective and fresh content to showcase products.
14. Easy sharing of product catalog
According to Pinterest, 80% of Pinners have discovered a new brand or product on the platform.
But do you know how that's possible?! It's because of the ease of sharing product catalogs.
You can upload your entire catalog and turn your products into dynamic Product Pins, which makes more shoppable Pins available to Pinterest users.
The feature allows businesses to organize their feed in a way that makes it easy for Pinners to discover and purchase their products. With this functionality, businesses can streamline their sales process and reach a wider audience through Pinterest's platform.
So, if you're looking for an easy and effective way to expand your reach, consider uploading your product catalog to Pinterest and take advantage of the platform's robust shopping features.
15. ‘Shop the Look’ pins and ads
Have you heard about Pinterest's Shop the Look Pins? They're a game-changer for ecommerce businesses!
With Shop the Look, you can tag products in your pins, making it super easy for users to find and purchase them.
And it's not just for clothing brands 一 if your Pin shows a room with furniture and decor, you can tag each specific item and make it easy for viewers to shop the look. No more wondering where you can get that cute rug or lamp!
Seeing the success of ‘Shop the Look' pins, Pinterest announced ‘Shop the Look' ads, making it easy for brands to feature multiple products in a single ad.
So why not try Shop the Look and make your pins even more shoppable for your audience!
Summary
Before we go to the conclusion, we've created a quick summary of this article for you, so you can easily remember it:
- You can drive free traffic from Pinterest to your ecommerce store by optimizing keywords and hashtags.
- Pinterest and Instagram are both visual platforms. You can add products and highlight their features and organize your content into different boards.
- Pinners spend 14 minutes per session on the platform.
- More than 85% of Pinterest users are from the US.
- Pinterest has an in-app checkout feature for Shopify ecommerce stores.
- Pinterest has many ad options for various purposes. For example, ‘Try on Product' Pins can be used by beauty brands to show their products in augmented reality.
- Pins have a long shelf life, so you can expect to see organic traffic months after creating a pin.
- Since Pinterest focuses on product discovery, the comments are generally more positive and related to products recommendations.
- Pinterest has features that let you collaborate with influencers with ease.
Final thoughts
To sum up, Pinterest is a powerful platform for ecommerce businesses to showcase their products, connect with potential customers, and increase sales.
We hope our article has given you some ideas on utilizing Pinterest as a marketing tool for your business.
And if you’re not on Pinterest yet, you’re leaving a big opportunity on the table!
Check out our recommended articles for further guidance, including great ad examples, tips for free traffic, and product research strategies:
- 12 Great Pinterest Ad Examples for Ecommerce
- How to Do Product Research on Pinterest (6 Great Tips)
- How to Get Free Traffic From Pinterest for Ecommerce 2023
Plus, you can check 12 Pinterest account examples from other ecommerce stores for inspiration.
And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to drop a message below!
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