It's no secret that consumers love Pinterest. The network has soared to 70 million users, who spend more time there than any other social site.
Yet some marketers are wondering whether Pinterest can drive real business value.
Read on to learn why Pinterest is the marketer's dream.
It's Brand Advocate Central
According to Mediahunter, 74% of consumers rely on social media to influence their purchasing decisions and 81% of consumers are influenced by their friends' posts. The upshot: it's crucial for brands to convert social followers into brand advocates.
What's the difference between a follower and a brand advocate? Brand advocates share your content passionately and consistently. You can find your advocates on any channel, but on Pinterest, interactions are propelled by sharing third party content. And users love to share their favorite products.
Just take a look at the data. On Pinterest, the top verbs used by users are "want to" and "need to'- the impulses that drive commerce.
It Gets Results
Pinterest users spend nearly twice as much money on follow-through purchases than users on other networks.
That's one killer stat. But how do you know whether it applies to your brand?
Use Pinterest's free analytics tool to understand your performance. You can measure your brand's pins, repins, impressions, reach, clicks and website visitors. Figure out what your followers love, and use that knowledge to inform future content.
For insight into revenue, create pins with unique, trackable links back to items on your site, and track conversions via your website analytics tools.
You'll get insight into Pinterest-driven commerce, and adapt strategies to maximize conversions.
It's Not a Full-Time Job
Still not sure Pinterest is a worthwhile investment? Consider this: 70% of brand engagement on Pinterest is generated by users and not brands. Which means it's a cakewalk compared to engaging on Facebook and Twitter, where the onus is on marketers to create engaging images and copy. On Pinterest, your followers and customers will do most of the content sharing and engaging for you.
Repinning user content is a great way to drive lightweight engagement. Don't just repin your own products - sharing fun content that's brand-relevant but not "salesy" will earn you more followers.
Of course, creating unique and engaging visuals for Pinterest will make a big impact. Mix original, existing, and follower-generated content for maximum impact.
Want more marketing tips? Follow Offerpop on Pinterest.