The content platform Pinterest is not only a source of inspiration but also a buying motivator. We will explain to you in this article which content formats there are, how you generate traffic, and when a channel makes sense for you.
In addition to Instagram, Pinterest also shows that information on the internet can be distributed effectively via other modes than just texts. Since its inception in 2010, the network has evolved into an alternative network to known platforms such as Facebook or Twitter for delivering a lot of referral traffic.
With more than 175 million users worldwide, more than 50 percent of whom live outside the US, Pinterest founder and creative head Evan Sharp would not have expected to develop the platform primarily for private purposes out of his love of design and architecture.
Meanwhile, Pinterest, which consists of the words “pin” for attaching and “interest” for interest, is available in over 30 languages. 80 percent of traffic comes from mobile users, of which 80 percent is generated by female and 20 percent male users.
The company itself does not provide exact information about its users, which is why there are only assumptions about how many people in Germany use the social network.
The blogger Christian Buggisch estimates the user numbers at about three million active users in Germany. According to statistics from the year 2014, 14 percent of the “pinners” are between 16 and 24 years, another 14 percent are between 25 and 34 years.
What a Pinterest profile looks like
On Pinterest, every user has a profile, in which they can communicate their interests in an individual arrangement of the world. It is possible to upload and attach pictures to your own virtual wall or to add images from other users to your own collection.
The charm of a social network is awarded to Pinterest by giving a commentary function as well as a like and follow button. Companies can also incorporate these icons on their own websites.
Subdivided into many different categories, specific topics can be targeted in the application. Here you will find everything from fashion and food, to practical tips for everyday life and landscaping pictures. Videos are also available on the platform, but the focus is on images.
Behind every “pin” hides with a click the link to the original source. The placing of links facilitates the generation of traffic and clearly shows how Pinterest is in competition with Instagram.
Visitors perceive the content more consciously and orient themselves to the given categorization, which can be expressed in a faster interaction on the platform itself, which ideally provides the company with more sales.
Anonymity and networking
The main difference to networks such as Facebook is above all in the anonymity. The profiles on Pinterest are rather simple: username, followers, image collections and possibly a profile description are visible.
However, there is the possibility to link Pinterest to Facebook, Twitter or your own website/blog. A clear advantage of the simple presentation is the better perception of interesting images, which tend to be faster in networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
Since Pinterest succeeds in combining the content format “image” with a link, the platform is definitely interesting for companies as well as private use.
Business profile and advertising formats
Traffic can be generated by linking to products, your own website as well as the Pinterest button on your own website.
In addition, the correct use of Pinterest can enhance the company’s image. The platform is only suitable for the application of your own products. Here, companies can take a look behind the scenes.
The Pinterest boards ensure an order in every account, which is not given on Instagram in the louder picture forest. A board can be created for each topic so that every visitor to the profile can get a clearly structured overview of the content at a glance, and can pursue their interests in a targeted manner.
However, it is important that you remain active and interact with other users as you would any other network. The “Business Profile” option, which can be selected when you log in to the platform, makes it possible to be verified as a company. The success of the profile can then be evaluated with Google Analytics.
Various advertising formats such as “Buyable Pins,” where Pinterest itself acts as a sales portal and visitors no longer have to leave the platform to buy a product, can significantly increase sales in their own shop.
The “Shop the Look” or “Pinterest Lens” feature allows the customer to receive detailed images that highlight the respective product or show it in use. In this way, targeted interest in potential users can be aroused.
A new approach
By combining the skills of a social network with content creation, Pinterest can be the right way to approach a female target group. Pinterest works especially well for posting content related to beauty products and fashion, and can help users better understand the products, campaigns, and companies themselves.
As a result of the fact that pictures are much more emotional than text, Pinterest is particularly interesting for brand companies, online shops, tourism and lifestyle products – from fashion to architecture. Such companies should incorporate Pinterest into their communications channel.
According to a US study conducted in 2014 by Pinterest, up to 47 percent of the purchase decisions for cosmetics products, or 23 percent for design and photography products are met.
The German companies DaWanda and Nivea show how much potential is on Pinterest. In addition to decorative and useful tips for their decorative and fashion items, which uses DaWanda to get closer to their target audience. Nivea provides a lot of content on the topics of beauty and lifestyle, incorporated with their distributed products.
Pinterest can be a new opportunity to create new paths to a target group of interest and to improve the image of the company. Of course, to what extent a profile on the portal could be worthwhile is dependent on the industry in question since, for example, insurance tends to be ill-illustrated more clearly than beauty products and thus the desired traffic increase may be absent.
