With so many social media platforms to choose from, it’s challenging to pick the ones that would benefit your business the most. With 444 million Pinterest users, 40% of them earning more than $75,000 (Source), it’s logical to wonder if Pinterest is right for your business. But before we talk about that, we need to understand that Pinterest is not just a social media platform. 

So what exactly is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual search engine designed for discovery. Unlike Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or even Twitter, people are not on Pinterest to connect and build a network. Instead, they are actively looking for ideas, inspiration, and solutions for a wide range of subjects.

When a person searches for something on Pinterest, they are shown visuals (called ‘pins’) related to their search. Each visual on Pinterest can be linked back to a website, sales page, or blog. Making Pinterest a great platform for businesses who want to drive traffic to their websites and make sales. 

The best part, you can still comment on the pins and share them between users. Making it a nifty tool if you want to build connections.

Take a peek at this mental health therapist’s Pinterest account that AOBM has recently created and manages.

Here are some other advantages that may help you decide if Pinterest is right for your business. 

• If your content is evergreen, then Pinterest may work great for you! Pinterest posts have a three-month lifespan compared to Facebook’s five to six hours and Instagram’s forty-eight hours. Twitter has the shortest lifespan of fifteen to twenty minutes.
• Most users use Pinterest for making purchasing decisions. So if your business fits the demographic of Pinterest users, you can easily generate sales.
• You can create buyable pins on Pinterest, where a person clicking on the Pin can purchase directly.
• Pinterest users love discovering new things and brands. Meaning small businesses have a better chance of standing out and making sales.
• Once set up, Pinterest can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you please. Much of Pinterest marketing can be automated.
• Pinterest champions itself as “the positive place” on the internet.(source)
• As Pinterest users are consistently searching for new, creative ideas, products, and tutorials, it’s the ideal place for bloggers to market and grow their blog.
• You can even use this platform to boost your other social media profiles. For example, post all your Instagram pictures onto Pinterest and have each picture lead back to your Instagram account.
• Since Pinterest is a visual search engine, people can actually type what they’re looking for in the search bar on Pinterest, and it provides them with answers just like Google. Only, visually. So, if you optimize your images for Pinterest SEO, they will appear on both, a web browser like Google and on Pinterest! Doubling your chances to get more eyes on your content.

Still wondering if Pinterest is right for your business? This might help.

Long story short, it depends on the niche/category of your business. Currently, there are 23 categories that you can choose from on Pinterest when creating your account. While highly visual content like food, fashion, events, travel, crafts, etc., performs well on Pinterest, it’s slowly becoming THE platform for people in the personal development space. 

Like our client, Alison.

In fact, in a Morning Consult and Pinterest survey, 90% of people polled went so far as to call Pinterest “an online oasis.”

But you still need to have creative visuals for this highly visual platform!

You may also want to do a quick search on Pinterest for the following:

• Are your competitors on Pinterest?
• Are people searching for information or inspiration in your niche?
• Is your ideal customer likely to be on Pinterest? Here are a few helpful stats that can help you determine that. 

The conclusion: If your target audience is active on Pinterest, it is definitely worth adding it to your marketing mix!

But before you dive headfirst into starting your Pinterest account for your business, it’s important to understand that Pinterest is a long-term game that requires preparation and a strategic approach, as well as patience. It takes a while to get traction and conversations on Pinterest, especially if you only market organically.  

At Amazing OBM, we know that you may not have the time required for that.  So if you need help with your Pinterest strategy and Pin creation, schedule a 30-minute consultation.  We are happy to chat with you and determine if we are a good fit for one another.