Grow Your Organic Pinterest Strategy in 2019
They say there’s no time like the present. But revenue-focused marketers know that when it comes to Pinterest, it’s simply not true. Consumers check Facebook for their memories, scroll the ‘Gram for what’s now, but when they’re daydreaming about their upcoming wedding or need inspiration for what house furnishings to buy, Pinterest is all about the future.
Why?
Pinterest takes direct-to-consumer marketing to the next level by acting as a curated lifestyle search at the very beginning of a buyer’s journey — during the ideation phase. There are over 250 million pinners every month, and 84% of them use Pinterest when they are trying to decide what to buy. Our brain needs only 1/10 of a second to understand an image, and we retain visual information 6x better than the information we hear or read (a few of the many reasons influencer marketing has been so successful on Instagram). This makes Pinterest the perfect launchpad for consumers to search, see, save, and plant the seed for future or current purchases. And the fact that they can click through directly to your product pages? Golden.
By now, marketers think they’ve figured out the basics of this website traffic haven. Have a presence, set up boards, add your product pages, and maybe a quote or two. But we’re here to say that this remains a huge area of untapped potential. Marketers can better use the channel to capitalize on its organic appeal, by guiding their audience through a brand narrative while they’re daydreaming about their future. Think of it as a “choose your own adventure” for consumers as they flow through your brand’s mood boards.
Now that we’re low-key-obsessed with all of the potential Pinterest holds, let’s dive into how savvy marketers are slaying the organic strategy of this marketing dreamland.
Timing is Everything
Pinners are planners. Whether they’re splurging on a new pair of jeans or investing in a new home, users are searching and saving ideas and products 30–45 days ahead of purchase time. Rule number one is to get ahead of seasonal trends and post the right pins when your buyer is researching. 98% of Pinners report trying new things they find on Pinterest, which gives you plenty of opportunity to influence and inspire your ideal customer at the beginning of their buying journey.
Need proof? E-comm maven Etsy has already started planting the seed (pardon the pun) for spring. Getting through the winter can be a slog and with pinners already gearing up to spring forward, their most recent boards and pins focus on Easter, Spring, and beautiful green plant buddies. So, where do you think pinners are headed when they’re finally ready to set up their garden and need some supplies? Back to the lush, spring botanical oasis they created with Etsy’s proactive pins months before. Boom.
Tell a Great Story
Successful brands know that creating a strong narrative is critical to building brand loyalty and meaningful relationships with their followers. Considering Pinterest’s long game strategy, it’s no surprise that the best of the best are investing in the whole picture.
Take powerhouse retailer URBN’s bridal brand BHLDN, as an example. Reminiscent of their brand as a whole, their Pinterest is the perfect balance of practical product shots, aspirational lifestyle photos, and beautifully-narrated mood boards. As a consumer, you’re guided through the journey of your engagement, wedding planning, and decorating. Boards highlighting love quotes and aspirational honeymoon ideas set the scene for the consumer to weave in and out of each pin, discovering an array of bridal products. They even take the opportunity to engage a separate audience by collaborating on a boardwith sister brand Anthropologie. Smart brands make their Pinterest about the journey, and in turn, they become the destination.
Set the Scene
Content creators, we hate to break the news — but best practice says you should be posting 5–30 pins a day. That’s a lotta meaningful creative to supply on the daily. But don’t fret just yet — we’re here to remind you of your not-forgotten Instagram hero, user-generated content (UGC).
Besides the obvious aesthetic and community-building benefits, pins that showed someone using a product or service were 67% more likely to drive offline sales. Pinners love to imagine how products will look IRL and using earned media helps to take a piece of the creative process off your plate.
Home decor luminary Wayfair is killing the UGC game on Pinterest with over ten million monthly viewers and almost half a million followers — casual. Their approach is two-pronged. By working with both UGC and influencers, they maximize accessibility and have a beautiful bank of content to feature with little investment. To collect UGC from fans, Wayfair boasts hashtags like #WayfairAtHome and #WayfairPetSquad, and selects rotating featured pins from a never-ending bank of curated content. For a more influencer-specific strategy, Wayfair challenged DIY bloggers to repurpose three products into something new and share it. Talk about knowing your audience and creating some serious community engagement.
Another stellar example is modern jewelry brand Mejuri. Their approach blends owned and user-generated content, recognizing influencers that feature them while drumming up over ten million monthly views to their profile.
Left on Read
Yes, Pinterest is a visual platform. But it’s also a search engine, which means keywords and messaging are your new BFF for feed discovery. Remember that you have board titles, board descriptions, and pin descriptions to leverage for discovery. Because you’re fostering a long-term relationship with your audience, keep your descriptions natural and helpful, and avoid overstuffing them with keywords. Use hashtags to hit your highest-ranking language.
Save Button
One last thing — let’s flip it upside down. We’ve identified how pinners can surface your content at the right time, and navigate through your Pinterest boards to start making buying decisions. Close the loop and arm your site with the Pinterest save button. As we’ve identified, pinners are often early in their purchase process when they’re perusing your site. The save button is one more avenue for pinners to remind themselves of your product once they’ve made their way down the funnel.
If increasing revenue and brand loyalty are important to your strategy in 2019 and you’re ready to tap into an unsaturated market (um, yes), this is the sign you’ve been waiting for. Considering the exciting presumed changes with a reported IPO filing, 2019 is the perfect time to nail down your pinning presence and get ready for big things to come!
Header image: @pinterest
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