Should I Be Using Pinterest As Part of My Marketing Strategy?

 

 

There’s no doubt what the hottest new social media site has been this year: Pinterest.

 

While almost all businesses can benefit from some sort social media presence, it’s important to understand what, specifically, that social media strategy should be. That means before going all in on a new platform like Pinterest, it’s important to understand the platform and see if it matches up with your goals. We’ve talked about establishing a social media presence before, today we’re going to look specifically at Pinterest and see if it’s something you should pursue. First ask yourself these questions.

Does my product have visual appeal?

If someone has never looked at your product and said, “cool!” or “beautiful,” it might not be worth your time to use Pinterest. The key to successful Pinterest marketing is visual appeal. People are scrolling through hundreds of images and if yours doesn’t “pop,” you’ll never gain much traction. If we look at the companies right now that are having the most success on Pinterest, it’s obvious that visual appeal is key. Companies like Etsy, Real Simple, and West Elm are succesful on Pinterest because it’s a natural fit for their business. They make stylish and visually attractive products. Do You? A bakery or a cupcake shop are great fits. If you’re a lawn service company, Pinterest probably isn’t for you.

Seriously,  If you are in any way involved in the cupcake industry, GET ON PINTEREST NOW.

Does Pinterest Have My Target Demographic?

One of the reasons that Pinterest has drawn so much interest from the internet marketing community is that it allows us to market to a demographic that was much harder to reach before, middle and upper-class women, aged 25-55. Is that a fit for your target demographic? Even though Pinterest is still in the middle of a rapid growth cycle, the growth is mainly coming within that already existing demographic. There aren’t a whole lot of video games being sold because of Pinterest, but there are plenty of home decorations.

Am I Ready to Be Social?

Pinterest, like other Social Media Platforms, actually requires you to be social. While it looks simple enough: just throw up some products on there and watch the sales come in, Pinterest requires more giving than taking. That means interacting. No one likes to be sold to and posting you’re whole product catalog on there won’t do you much good.

One of the reasons that brands like Etsy and Real Simple have been successful on Pinterest is because they integrate self-promotion with a real sense of community. The majority of pins on Etsy’s page don’t link back to their site, but they are things that their audience identifies with.