When to Consider Pinterest for Your Social Media Strategy

When to Consider Pinterest for Your Social Media Strategy

Introduction to Pinterest

In 2019, Pinterest was the 5th most popular social media platform in Ireland, with 700,000 Irish monthly active users. While this may not seem like a lot compared to the likes of Facebook, you shouldn’t dismiss Pinterest just yet. Pinterest’s audience remains somewhat more niche which makes it ideal for businesses who’s target market fits into this category.

Pinterest users also tend to be highly engaged and 93% of active pinners have stated they use a platform to plan their purchases.

“In 2019, Pinterest was the 5th most popular social media platform in Ireland, with 700,000 Irish monthly active users”

The Audience

Pinterest has a prominently female audience, with 79.5% of users on the website being female. This is a particularly noteworthy stat for consumer goods as women have been shown to influence 70-80% of consumer spending. However, while it is clear that Pinterest has a strong female bias in its audience, it’s also worth considering that the percentage of Pinterest’s male audience is increasing gradually each year.

In terms of age bracket, the median age of Pinterest users is 40, however younger users tend to be more active. Pinterest is particularly popular with millennials, with 1 in 2 millennials using the platform monthly last year.

Pinterest users also tend to have higher incomes on average. In 2019, research found that the majority of Pinterest’s user base was earning over 75K a year and that high income households are twice as likely to use Pinterest than low-income earners.

“Pinterest has a prominently female audience, with 79.5% of users on the website being female”

Why Do People Use Pinterest?

Pinterest is a collaborative and share based platform but it is unlike other social media channels in that social interaction is minimal. Pinterest users are not interested in engaging in the endless conversation and debate that other platforms provide and simply enjoy it for being inspirational or relaxing.

Pinterest users tend to be introspective and highly aspirational people that use the platform to plan events and developments in their life. Users will create Pinterest boards with a specific goal in mind; learning how to cook, getting better with money, re-decorating their kitchen, planning for their wedding etc. Businesses in industries such as home furnishings, financial advice, travel and fashion could potentially reach a number of new customers by having an active presence on Pinterest.

The Top Categories on Pinterest in 2019 were:

Travel
Health and Wellness
DIY/Home Renovation
Women’s Fashion
Beauty
Food and Drink
Motivational Quotes

Tips For Your Pinterest Strategy

Now that you’ve established that Pinterest is the right fit for your business, you might be wondering how to go about your Pinterest strategy.

1. Search Engine Optimisation

Firstly, repeat this mantra after me:

“Pinterest is not a social network, it’s a visual search engine!”

Pinterest is often included amongst the most popular social media channels on the internet, but it is important to treat Pinterest like a search engine, not a social network, when drawing up your digital media plan. Search engine optimisation should be at the forefront of your Pinterest strategy. Use strong, specific and targeted keywords in both the descriptions of your pins and your boards. Avoid using many iterations of the same keyword or “keyword-stuffing” however, as this is unnecessary since Pinterest recognises variations of keywords automatically.

2.”Evergreen” Content

One of the most advantageous aspects of marketing on Pinterest is that content on your Pinterest profile is “evergreen”. Unlike other platforms where users will likely only be exposed to your most recent posts, Pinterest users can easily stumble across a pin you created 6 months previously. This allows you to leave your Pinterest account dormant for some time and still have people discover your content. However, for this reason, Pinterest is not a good place for promoting date orientated content, such as pins pertaining to events and holidays and this should be considered when planning your Pinterest strategy.

3. Optimise for Mobile

Since Pinterest is largely a visual based platform, using appealing imagery and high quality photography is essential to garner the attention of your prospective customers. It is also important to consider that 85% of Pinterest users searched the app on mobile in 2019 and this figure increases every year.

Optimising your pins for mobile is a must. Keep the text on your Pinterest graphics clear and easy to read on a smaller screen.

“85% of Pinterest users searched the app on mobile in 2019 and this figure increases every year”

Contact Us

We hope you found this brief introduction to Pinterest useful. If you are curious about optimising your social media strategy further, drop our Digital Marketing Manager Jonathan Flynn a line and he will help you make the most out of your online presence.

Contact Jonathan