Image by Roxanne Ready
Pinterest is quickly gaining momentum today to being one of the top social Medias people like to use after Facebook and Twitter.
And of course like many things that are getting popular, entrepreneurs see an opportunity in using it to boost business.
Yet still not many people see the significance in using Pinterest as a marketing tool so here’s an overview of how Pinterest works in boosting any business…
Why Pinterest?
According to research (My biology class), humans process visuals 66% faster than text which means that we are more to visuals than words.
Ever heard the term “eye candy?”
Pinterest tempts us with eye candy – Beautiful visuals of a life we want. Pictures of glamorous, clever, humorous, or simple products or services to improve our life grabs us and sucks us in.
The proof is in the stats.
The traffic flow from social media sites to online store fronts has changed just over the last year.
In a study of a fashion website, researchers looked at where traffic came from by looking at how much sales volume was generated from each site.
The analytics showed that the average amount of traffic generated from Facebook visitors to this website produced $85 in consumer spending.
Care to take a guess at the average spending amounts from Pinterest users? It was $180!!
Prior to last year, Facebook was thought to be “the” site to promote your business.
However, from 09/2011 until 02/2012, Pinterest’s number of unique users grew by 866%.
People are attracted to more visual websites, like a moth to a flame.
Yup, that’s the power of Pinterest 😉
So what’s the market like for American users?
- About 86% are women.
And believe it or not, that’s actually enough to make entrepreneurs’ pulses race quicker than the heart of a running man being chased by a baboon!
I mean wouldn’t you?
The ones who get REALLY excited however, already know that women have input to how 85% of American dollars are spent.
- Between 70-75% of users have a college education whether a diploma or degree.
Generally, the greater one’s education is, the more stable the income, and the higher amount of discretionary income it is that’s available.
- Half of US Pinterest users had an annual income greater than $50k.
- More than half of Pinterest users have children, and most live in a Midwestern state.
Here’s what you’ve been dying to hear…
88% of users who pinned something on Pinterest purchased an item they pinned.
Also, 49% of users purchased 5 or more products they pinned or repinned.
Obviously, “she” takes her pinning seriously.
She doesn’t just like what she sees, she BUYS what she likes.
And because of this, retailers like The Gap saw the potential early on.
So The Gap then take action by taking beautiful pics of women wearing clothes and places them on their Pinterest Board.
It strikes a cord with a viewer.
She likes what she sees.
She pins it.
She moves over to The Gap website.
She buys.
Go ahead and check out Gap’s Pinterest page and see for yourself how many followers are they getting, especially the number of re-pins ;).
Steps on using Pinterest to boost your business
Image by 401kcalculator.org
Here’s how you can take action and implement on your own business as well:
1) Start a Pinterest Business Account.
A business can have a virtual storefront.
Images of hot, trending products will make people salivate.
Pinterest has a way for businesses to even include the product price for the item pinned so It’s not difficult to begin setting up your site.
2) PLAN your layout.
Your pages are called Boards and on each board are the pins/visuals.
Think about how to organize your business on these boards, there’s is nothing more frustrating than disorganization in a store, or a virtual storefront!
3) Create a board and begin pinning.
Pinterest has made it easier to move pins around from one board to another if you don’t like the placement. (This takes away all reason for your boards being disorganized!)
4) Share pins on Facebook and Twitter to leverage your entire social network.
What good are all your friends if they dont’ support you?
5) Optimize your Pinterest site with SEO as you are able.
The easier it is for people to find you online, the better.
6) Add a “pin it” button to your website.
There is a plugin for WordPress called JQuery Pin It Button For Images.
Plus, Making it easier for people to pin you will also boost click-through.
7) Use high quality pins.
Do your research on photos which are more appealing because visuals are your number one attraction.
Wearable product sell better when displayed ON a person rather than just on a surface.
Don’t forget to use smiling models.
Often, generic photos which don’t include a face, however, allows the “buyer” to see herself with the product.
8) Use visual calls to action.
If you’re selling swimming pools, pin images of not only the installation process, but families enjoying the pool on a summer afternoon.
This is because that you are NOT selling a container that holds water.
You ARE selling family enjoyment, family bonding, and a social outlet that includes friends.
Don’t overlook the imagery that sells, try to imagine yourself in the customer’s shows beforehand.
Conclusion
Pinterest is actually a very fun way to boost your business as it uses creativity and pictures in order to attract readers to click on it.
So as long as you have fun with Pinterest and use it regularly, you’ll see your visitors Pinning you back or even following in not time!
For more information on using social media for business, check out my Wealthy Affiliate review here.
