Owners of businesses and blogs need to take a serious look at Pinterest because it can and does drive sales. Further down in this post I will share a how-to video anyone can understand. For now, though, I want to make the case for why you should use it, and then provide tips on how it can bring you more income.
Chris Brogan mentions in this interview that Pinterest is driving more traffic to some businesses than Bing and Yahoo. I personally know two bloggers who get 30-50,000 visitors a month just from Pinterest. That is more than many sites get from all sources.
Pinterest does not drive only traffic- it is generating actual sales.
Knowing who uses Pinterest can assist you in determining whether it is a good fit for your business. Erin Ledbetter published some interesting detailed Pinterest demographics data. Review it, but do not make the mistake of assuming that because the majority of Pinterest users in the U.S. are female that you may not benefit from using it.
Women make more than 80% of all consumer purchasing decisions.
“Over the next decade, women will control two thirds of consumer wealth in the United States and be the beneficiaries of the largest transference of wealth in our country’s history.”
Women represent the majority of the online market.
She’s Got Game! Women And Sports: WOMEN MAKE UP:
- 47.2 % of major league soccer fans
- 46.5% of MLB fans
- 43.2% of NFL fans
- 40.8% of fans at NHL games
- 37% of NBA fans
- Women purchase 46% of official NFL merchandise
- Women spent 80% of all sport apparel dollars and controlled 60% of all money spent on men’s clothing
- Women comprise about one-third (34%) of the adult audience for ESPN sport event programs
The above are excerpts. I encourage you to read the rest of the detailed information in Marketing to Women Quick Facts
to better understand that even what you may perceive as only being of interest to men may actually be purchased by women for the men in their lives. And for themselves.
That data was from 2009. By 2012, The Next Web reported in 30 stats on marketing to women:
“Women make or influence 85% of all purchasing decisions, and purchase over 50% of traditional male products, including automobiles, home improvement products and consumer electronics.”
While I would argue that none of those are truly “male” products, I will emphasize that women buy most of what are products specifically for men.
Note the stats on sports above. Women most likely
are your target market – even if you think they aren’t!
In other countries, men are far more involved in Pinterest. Over time they are likely to start using it. The main reason women dominate is because mom bloggers recognized early on the power of driving sales using Pinterest.
Marketing on Pinterest
Pinning is not the important part of using Pinterest. That is why many miss how Pinterest could generate sales by showing what you have pinned to those interested in what you have to sell can get them to buy from you.
The easiest way to explain is by showing you some examples. There is a way to make Pinterest work for most any product or service, so first review these ideas, and then if no great breakthrough pops into your mind leave a comment or connect with me and I’ll give you suggestions specific to your business.
Case Study #1: Wholesale Sunglasses
This is the perfect time of year to sell sunglasses by associating them with a reason someone might buy them. Some likely reasons are:
- Fun in the sun
- Vacations
- Fashion
- Outdoor sports
- Outdoor events
So what would we pin to target these potential markets?
What: One of the most obvious is celebrities wearing similar sunglasses participating in any of the above.
Why? Because many people want to wear what people they recognize wear. Celebrities have huge numbers of fans – and that means huge numbers of potential buyers.
None of the images above were pinned by the business. So how do they benefit them? Easy.
What to do:
- Search for celebrity sunglasses
- First click the heart for “like” and then repin each photo AFTER you add a comment and a link to your store.
- Follow whoever pinned it first because they are obviously interested in celebrities or sunglasses and therefore likely to buy the sunglasses shown (or some that look similar).
Example comment to add to pin:
Love the sunglasses [celebrity name] is wearing, but can’t afford the name brand? Check out our Wayfarers at http://www.ctswholesalesunglasses.com/wayfarers-sunglasses/.
Note that I used a specific type of sunglasses and linked directly to the best landing page for that item. I did not use a generic “check out all our sunglasses” and I did not land them on the home page.
You want to send them directly to the page where they will see the type of sunglasses they are wearing. That will generate the most sales. Some will look around – others don’t know how. So make it simple.
Important: Do not miss the most important tip: follow the person who pinned the item originally. They are likely to follow you back or at least check out what you have on your page. Either way, they will see your products as well as other photos that interest them. That will become more apparent in my next case study.
This is just one potential audience for this product. They can do the same for sports and outdoor activities and events. For example, they can:
- Pin photos of famous athletes or musicians and follow their fans.
- Find photos of people surfing, or sailing, skiing, or just driving in convertibles.
Show people something they can identify with – whether a person or an activity – and tie that to your products. The stronger their connection, the more likely they will buy.
Case Study 2: Event Tickets
Here is an example that might be even clearer to see. If you want to sell tickets to events, it is easy to find people interested in that event. Here’s how:
What: Decide what a fan of that event would pin. If it is a band, search for the band by name. It is a sports team, search for the team name. If you want to target an entire sport, such as NASCAR, MBA, NHL, etc. search for that.
Why?: Because fans will be pinning photos of the bands, athletes, and former events. This makes it easy to find and follow them so they will see what you’re sharing.
What to do: Search for your target. When you find it, take steps 1-3 as explained above.
In order to do step 2, you need a related board. You can make these as you pin, or make them in advance. It is actually easier to create some boards you know you will want first.
See How to Create Pinterest Boards for Marketing Businesses for how-to details.
Here are two examples of Pinterest boards created specifically to target particular types of fans. One is sports related and the other is for a particular band. Click on the images below to see the actual pages. They are larger and easier to read.
Note the call to action in the text in the center pin above:
Chicago Blackhawks Tickets ~ We want to be YOUR favorite source for Blackhawks tickets. Check us out! We’ve been a major ticket seller for 13 years. We guarantee to get your tickets there are time! Have a question? You can reach a real person – just call our toll free number: 866-843-5042 or visit TicketStub.com.
People who are into sports will follow any board that pins interesting photos. You don’t even have to find them yourself. You just search, skim, and like and repin the ones you like!
Here is another example of a board, this time for a band. Music fans love their bands. They want to see all the old photos and all the new ones. Round them up in one place and they’ll follow your boards – where in the case of TicketStub.com they can then buy tickets when they come to town.
Note the text in the pins visible above:
Get your tickets for Chicago August 16, 2013 before they sell out. www.ticketstub.com/events/black-sabbath
Writer linked to us to get tickets…thanks!
Many use this strategy to sell other products. Anything related to the band could be offered, including:
- vintage albums
- t-shirts and other clothing
- hats
- memorabilia
- sunglasses of the type the band wears
- any other products associated with that band
- DJs who feature that bands music when doing gigs and private parties
The potential ideas are limitless. Do a search on pinterest for any topic and you’ll see thousands of examples of businesses offering goods and services.
Start Using Pinterest NOW
I don’t want anyone to leave this page thinking they’ll use Pinterest later – or Pinterest is too complicated or yet one more thing to learn.
No social network is easier and more fun than Pinterest. So click on the video below and you’ll find out just how easy Pinterest actually is to use.
Once you have your account open and some boards created you can invite others to pin to them – and let them grow your audience for you. You may find you really enjoy it.
Or you can hire someone to pin regularly. Leave a comment here or contact me if you need someone. I know several highly qualified people interested in doing more pinning. Clicking on images you like and pinning them has to be the most enjoyable paid work ever.
Did not know Pinterest had that much sales potential. Will try it out.
Great article, with useful tips. I used a couple of these “hacks” in my post that you might want to check out: http://www.turninbound.com/pinterest-marketing-strategy/
Keep up the good work,
David
Pinterest comes second in my digital marketing plan after facebook. It is the best platform to market anything in visual and the conversation rate of Pinterest is higher than other social networks.