We often give Pinterest lesser credit than it deserves. The platform isn’t just for creating aesthetic mood boards or taking artistic inspiration; it’s much more than that. You can now use Pinterest for e-commerce marketing.
Yes, you’ve heard it right! According to an article published by Kommerzen, Pinterest is responsible for 23% of e-commerce web traffic referred to by social media sites.
Pinterest has become a game changer in eCommerce marketing. In fact, it has proven to be one of the most effective social media platforms for generating traffic and leads. So, whether you’re an established brand or a new business, it’s time to tap into Pinterest’s potential and start using its features to drive sales.
So, What Is E-commerce Marketing?
E-commerce marketing means promoting and selling products or services online using digital marketing strategies and techniques. It includes several methods designed to attract, generate and convert leads into paying customers.
E-commerce marketing can include various channels, such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC), social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing, and affiliate marketing.
Each of these channels can help businesses increase their online visibility, increase traffic to their website or online store, and ultimately increase sales.
Successful eCommerce marketing requires a deep understanding of your target audience and the use of data and analytics to track and measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
By adopting a data-driven approach, companies can optimize their marketing strategies and tactics to improve ROI and drive growth.
What Does The E-commerce Business Model Comprise?
The E-commerce business model comprises 7 general categories:
Business-to-Business (B2B)
B2B involves selling services or products from one company to another. For example, a software company sells its products to a manufacturing company, or a wholesaler sells goods to a retailer. B2B e-commerce platforms allow companies to streamline procurement processes, negotiate prices and manage transactions more efficiently.
Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
The B2C model includes businesses that sell products/services to individual consumers. Examples of B2C e-commerce companies are online retailers like Amazon or fashion brands like Nike that sell products directly to consumers through their websites.
Business for the Government (B2G)
B2G models include selling services or products from companies to state agencies. For example, a technology company that supplies software solutions to public authorities or a construction company that wins tenders for public infrastructure projects.
Consumer-to-consumer (C2C)
When individual consumers sell goods or services to other individual consumers, usually through an online platform that facilitates the transaction, it’s called C2C. Examples of C2C e-commerce platforms include eBay and Craigslist, where consumers can buy and sell used goods such as clothing, electronics, or household goods.
Business Consumer (C2B)
It becomes a C2B business model when consumers sell products or services to businesses. An example of C2B includes freelancers who provide services to businesses or influencers who sell sponsored posts to brands.
Government to Business (G2B)
The G2B category involves government agencies selling products or services to businesses. For example, government agencies that provide training or consulting services to companies or grant licenses to operate in certain industries.
Government to Citizen (G2C)
The Government to Citizen model includes government agencies providing products/services directly to individual consumers. One example of a G2C e-commerce business is government-run healthcare services.
Is Pinterest a Social E-commerce Site?
Pinterest was primarily known as a visual search engine and social media platform back in the day. However, businesses these days are using Pinterest more and more to promote their products and brands. Users can use Pinterest to discover and purchase products.
Pinterest includes features like:
- Visual search engine
- Buyable pins (users can purchase products directly from the platform)
- Saving and organizing content on boards
These features make Pinterest a resourceful tool for businesses. Businesses can promote their products and services to potential customers. With Pinterest, users can share product recommendations with their followers and discover new recommendations as well.
How To Use Pinterest for E-commerce
Here’s a list of Pinterest eCommerce strategies that marketers heavily rely on –
1. Create a business account
Go to pinterest.com/business/create. Complete the steps mentioned in Pinterest to set up your profile. After you’re done with setting your profile, you will get access to features like analytics and “buyable pins.” These features will allow your customers to purchase products directly from the platform.
2. Optimize your profile
Add your business logo, fill in the details in your profile description, and add a link to your website. Not only will these make your shop credible and trustworthy, but they will also help users discover your business and learn more about the services or products you offer.
3. Create boards
Organize your content into boards. Use keywords in the board titles and descriptions to help users discover your stuff. For example, if you have a clothing line, you create boards for “spring fashion,” “women’s dresses,” and “men’s shirts.”
4. Pin high-quality images
Take advantage of high-quality images of your products to make your products look more visually appealing and catchy. This will help your pins stand out more and attract more engagement from users.
5. Use keywords
Find some keywords that target your niche. Then use those in your pin descriptions and board titles. Doing so will help your potential customers find your content when they search for a specific product or service. Make sure to include relevant keywords that describe your products or services. For example, if you’re using Pinterest to sell ai-generated art (that’s possible), you will need keywords like – “AI arts,” “AI digital art,” “AI concept art,” etc.
6. Engage with your followers
Customers love brands that engage with them personally. Following your customers and liking or commenting on their pins will help you build relationships with them. You can also respond to their comment or questions on your pins as this will be helpful in giving them insights they might need to make a decision, increasing the chance to choose your products or services.
7. Use Pinterest Analytics
If you’re using Pinterest for business, it’s vital for you to know how to use Pinterest analytics. It can track your performance and calculate how many clicks and conversions your pins generate. Understanding the analytics will help you figure out what’s working and what’s not. And according to that, you can make adjustments to your strategy if needed.
8. Promote your pins
Do you want to drive more traffic toward your e-commerce business? Utilizing Pinterest could be one of the best ways for that. Creating promoted pins will allow them to appear in users’ feeds or search results and target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, and behaviors. As a result, you can target and reach an even larger audience and drive more traffic to your website.
9. Don’t keep the Alt text space blank
When creating a pin, you will come across something called “Alt text.” You need to type in words in the space. The alt text helps people using screen readers understand what your pin is about. You can use Keywords as alt text as well.
10. Post a pin at the right time
If you’re new, start by posting 2-5 pins per day. Of course, you can post more than five, but don’t overwhelm your users by bombarding them with pins. Posting a pin at the right time also makes a stark difference in audience engagement.
A good rule of thumb is to post a pin between 6-9 pm. 3 pm is by far the most popular time to post, according to the marketers who surveyed in construction, agriculture, consumer product
manufacturing, etc.
Bottomline
So, to answer your question, is Pinterest good for e-commerce? The answer would be yes. Pinterest can be an excellent platform for you if you’re trying to promote products and drive sales. With over 400 million monthly active users, the platform has a fairly large chance of attracting a flock of potential customers.
One of the key advantages of Pinterest for e-commerce is that it’s a visual platform, so if you want to showcase your products/services, you can do that with great ease. Another advantage of Pinterest for e-commerce is that users often use it for inspiration practices. This means that users will constantly find ideas and products to buy. So this will be a prime opportunity for an e-commerce business to showcase what they got to the world.
So, if you’re thinking of investing your time in Pinterest e-commerce, we’d say do it. You have nothing to lose, but you may gain a lot.