Grow your E-Commerce Brand on Pinterest
In this blog, I share easy Pinning Tips for Promoting Your E-Commerce Brand on Pinterest. Pinterest users are actively seeking answers and products and are ready to buy. I will share how putting more content in front of potential customers with optimized pins will boost product awareness, referral traffic, and customer loyalty.
What is an E-Commerce Business?
Before we get into the details of using Pinterest Marketing for E-Commerce businesses, let's define what E-Commerce is exactly.
E-Commerce brands are online businesses (shops) that facilitate the purchase and sale of goods or services via the internet, and the transfer of money and data to complete these transactions. E-Commerce is often used to describe businesses that sell physical products online but it really can refer to any sort of shop transaction that takes place on the internet (think Digital Products).
Should Pinterest Be Part of Your E-Commerce Marketing Strategy?
YES! Pinterest should be part of your E-Commerce marketing strategy! Pinterest is a powerful marketing channel for E-Commerce Businesses that will help drive traffic to your online store and website. It is important that when you add effective Pinterest Marketing tactics to your overall marketing strategy.
Pinterest is a platform for visual search and exploration. It is a search engine that provides shoppers with an exciting product research experience as well as quick shopping once they find what they are looking for. As more people buy on Pinterest, it's important for E-Commerce brands to be present on the site so they can be identified in search!
If you want to compete with other brands in your niche, it's time to start learning about Pinterest for E-Commerce.
Why use Pinterest for E-Commerce?
Visibility
Pinterest provides e-commerce brands with the exposure that they would not have received if they only sold through social media and Google searches. Users visit Pinterest to find answers to their issues as well as goods to compare and buy.
Shop Features
Pinterest offers features that make selling on Pinterest easy. As an E-Commerce business on Pinterest, you will have access to features to enhance your potential customers’ search and buying experience.
Product Catalog
Pinterest makes it easy to set up your shop! You can easily add your Catalog and turn your product catalog into product pins.
Verified Merchant Program
Apply for the Verified Merchant Program and give your customers extra confidence when buying from you. You will receive a special "verified" badge on your profile to indicate you are part of the program.
Pinterest Tag
The Pinterest Tag will help you manage your conversions and follow how your products are doing on Pinterest.
Cold Traffic
Pinterest traffic is usually cold, top-of-the-funnel traffic. These are people who would not have found you if you hadn't appeared in their search results. Your future customers are finding you and getting to know you because you are pinning to your shop and other content!
What Types of Consumers Use Pinterest For E-Commerce Shopping?
People go to Pinterest to search and find so many things. Here are a few examples of what users are looking for:
Planning a Project
Pinterest users are on Pinterest to find answers to problems and products to purchase. They are often in the planning phase of a project or purchase and are not searching for particular brands.
Inspired searches for a Purchase
Pinterest users are looking for inspiration. They are searching for trends, ideas to purchase, how to do something a certain way. They may be searching for a new outfit, a new tool for the garden or how to make a certain recipe. The visual nature of Pinterest gives helps them see what they need to make decisions and purchases.
Planning a Trip
Pinterest is an amazing place to research and find tips for travel. Pinterest users are looking for destinations, tips, gadgets and guides.
Planning a Party
The beautiful visuals on Pinterest give party planners endless ideas. This includes themes, flowers, food, favors and much more. Products for parties are found in these searches.
The types of searches on Pinterest are truly endless. Your e-commerce products should also be there for users to find!
What Content Should E-Commerce Brands Pin?
Now that we've discussed WHY e-commerce brands should be on Pinterest, let's get to what you can do to be found on Pinterest: what and how to pin on Pinterest for your E-Commerce brand.
Obviously you will pin your products, but it is also important to offer other ways for potential customers to get to know you and your brand.
Products
Pin your products. When you set up your catalog on Pinterest, you will automatically have product pins. BUT, you should also create additional, optimized pins for your products. Each product should have multiple pins on Pinterest, showing it in multiple views and different pin formats including static pins, and video pins.
Blog
A blog allows you to personalize your business. Your informative posts will help potential customers get to know and trust you as a reliable source of knowledge. This will help to encourage them to consider your shop when making buying decisions.
You are selling a product but yes, you should offer another way to introduce your brand to potential customers. Offer searchers insight into your brand and expertise with a blog. Blog content gives you fresh ideas to pin about on Pinterest. Blog content will give searchers more ways to find you.
When a potential customer lands on your blog, they get to know you, learn about your brand and what makes you different. This is how you introduce yourself to a new audience that found you on Pinterest. Once they get to know you, they are likely to become your customers.
YouTube
Another area that you can share fresh ideas with your potential customers is through YouTube Videos. Link your videos from a landing page on your shop and allow your potential customers to learn from you and get to know you! You should create optimized pins to lead searchers to your YouTube content.
Podcast
Podcasts are an amazing way to educate and let your audience get to know who they are buying from. Link your podcast via a landing page on your shop and encourage your new visitors to listen in. You should create optimized pins to lead searchers to your podcast content.
How Can Non Product Pinterest Pins help E-Commerce sell their Products?
Planning
Many Pinterest users are in the discovery phase of planning a project or purchase (or both). By providing content other than product pins, you can offer ideas and inspiration that will help inform their plan and any buying decisions.
Non-Branded Search
Most Pinterest searches are not branded. This means anyone, big or small, can be found on Pinterest if they have optimized their Pins and content well. By providing non shop pins for your business, you are offering another way for Pinterest to serve your content to your audience.
Inspiration
Pinterest searches are looking for inspiration. By providing a variety of content beyond product pins, you are giving your potential customers more ways to know you and your content. If you help them solve a problem via your blog post, they are likely to stick around, read more and check out your shop.
Cold Traffic
Think of Pinterest as the top of your sales funnel. People are likely getting to know you there first. They likely don't know your shop or what you are selling. This is why content other than product pins is a great way to draw them into your world. For example, if you sell home lighting, maybe you post about the best types of lamps for a covered porch. Someone may be searching for lighting ideas for their porch, your blog pops up and after they read it, they realize you sell outdoor lighting!
What does an Optimized E-Commerce Pin Include?
It's finally time to talk about your pins! What should a pin look like and what is important when optimizing pins for your e-commerce shop?
Pinterest Pin Size
Standard Pinterest Pins should have an aspect ratio of 2:3. That is 1000 px by 1500 px.
Branding
Pins should include your business' branding. Include your logo and/or website on standard pins. Include your brand colors and fonts and be sure that the style of the image represents your brand well. Be consistent with your branding. Your branding makes you you, so show it off on your pins.
Image Variety
Use several images for each product or piece of material. If possible, display your product from various angles and in various environments. Display various mock ups and features if you sell a digital product.
Call to Action
Pins should include a call to Action. Tell your viewers what you want them to do. Download Now, Click Here, Click for More, Shop Now.
Pin Style Variety
Experiment with various forms of pins. Standard pins with and without text overlay, video pins (showing how your product is used) are all available. It is important to have a variety of pin styles because different pins can appeal to different people in your target audience.
Pin Title
Optimize your Pin title by using popular and relevant keywords.
Pin Descriptions
Allow someone who looks closely at your pin to understand what to expect when they click and visit your website. Optimize your Pin Description by filling out a brief description of the content with common and appropriate keywords.
Creativity
Get creative! Inspire Pinterest users with your pins. The more creative you are the more likely someone will stop their scroll to take a closer look.
Tag Products
Remember to tag your products on your pin. This is easy to do and will show anyone who clicks on your pin how to get to the product and any related products that you have tagged.
Keywords and SEO
Conduct extensive keyword analysis. You can have more success on Pinterest if you use related keywords and customized SEO for your website, Pinterest account, and Pins. Keywords and SEO assist Pinterest in determining what the account and pins are all about and delivering your content to the appropriate users.
What Type of Images and Pin Types Should E-Commerce Pins Include?
Product Images
Show your product in lots of views. Potential customers want to see exactly what they are getting when they purchase your product.
Lifestyle Oriented Pins
VERY IMPORTANT - Make sure to include lifestyle photos of your products. Shoppers want to see the product in person and imagine what it would be like in their own home.
Video Pins
Showcase your products in Video. Show them in use. Show viewers how to use the product and what it looks like in real life. Video is extremely popular on Pinterest. Video provides an eye catching format that will help people stop and look.
Round Ups
Round up Pins are a great way to show several of your products at one time. You can link to a particular collection of products, a single product or your shop's home page.
Gift Guides
Gift Guides are an excellent way to assist Pinterest users in their gift-buying journey. Your goods, or a combination of yours and complementary products, can be used in gift guides.
Conclusion
Pinterest offers an opportunity for visibility for E-Commerce businesses of any size. Pinning on Pinterest creates an opportunity for E-Commerce brands to be found via search.
Pinterest allows online businesses to connect, share, and showcase their products and share their expertise. This creates more exposure and opportunity for their potential customer to find them and to buy online.