Pinterest is a social media tool that is aimed at the discovery, storage and the sharing of visual content. The users pin pictures, videos and links to boards which are categorized by some topics or interests. Despite the fact that Pinterest does not prioritize social interaction, unlike Facebook or Instagram, it is considered a social media because it allows sharing content, communicating with other individuals, and subscribing to other accounts(Wikipedia).
Pinterest has social and business roles to companies. Products may be advertised, interest generated and traffic stimulated on websites. It is therefore significant that marketers and web developers understand that Pinterest is a part of a bigger social media ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
- Pinterest is often considered as a social media platform, although the platform is more of a visual discovery and content curation than a social networking platform.
- Communication between users is not directly made, rather it occurs through pins, boards and follows.
- Pinterest offers marketers access to special traffic, brand awareness, and highly engaged audiences.
- The platform is a social network visual search engine.
- Integration of digital marketing and web development would need the knowledge of the structure and user behavior of Pinterest.
Getting to know the Core Functions of Pinterest
Pinterest is a more of a visual discovery system. The users can pin the content to their personal boards, surf the trending topics and follow other users or boards they are interested in. Unlike the traditional social media, Pinterest algorithm is built on relevance, discovery, rather than the chronological updates and social relations.
The most significant ones are pins, personal images or videos that can be pinned on the websites and boards or collections of pins that can be divided by the topic. Pinterest is a social network and a visual search engine since users can follow accounts or boards and search ideas through a sophisticated search engine.
The Dissimilarity between Pinterest and the conventional social networks
Pinterest is not a communicative platform as it is with other social media. Direct communication is minimal, and the major form of interaction is saving, pinning and commenting on content. Their primary goal is to inspire and inform and not to facilitate discussions. The information is displayed in an algorithmic and not chronological order and the users can locate ideas in an effective fashion. Pinterest in a sense encourages window shopping and planning, and not personal relationships.
The social media properties are close to Pinterest because it allows users to engage with the content and form communities together around shared interests. Nevertheless, it does not resemble such platforms as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter as the emphasis is put on ideas and exploration, yet not on social relationships. It has become unique among the professionals because of its hybrid nature, and one of the co-founders, Ben Silbermann, describes it as inspirational platform rather than a social networking platform.
Pinterest Demographics and Pinterest Growth
Pinterest has over 450 million monthly active users worldwide.The female audience has always existed on the platform, but the role of men is also increasing. The most active users are between 25 and 54 years old although the young generations are also joining the platform. The most frequent areas of content are home decor, fashion, recipes and do-it-yourself projects.
Pinterest is a premium audience to companies. Approximately 90 percent of the users say that they use the platform when making purchasing decisions. The Pins offer a brand a unique long-term visibility advantage by ensuring that the engagement and traffic are created even after the post. Interest-based targeting also allows a marketer to easily target specific niches, and Pinterest is one of the platforms that should be considered in online marketing.
Marketing on Pinterest
Pinterest possesses the social media resources that can make it a valuable instrument of marketers. Brand in Marketing relies on Pinterest to create brand awareness, drive traffic and e-commerce goals.
Organic Strategies
Effective organic marketing in Pinterest is triggered by well organized boards that are grouped into specific niches or topics. The keywords must be in form of pin names and descriptive names and hashtags. Rich Pins can be used to increase the engagement, but they are product, recipe, or article metadata. The high frequency of posting will ensure permanence and topicality.
Paid Strategies
The paid Pinterest campaigns are Promoted Pins, which are displayed in the search results and feeds, video pins, which are utilized to attract the users, and Shopping Ads, which are utilized directly to promote a product. The discovery model of Pinterest, which is search-based, is also exploited by paid campaigns as it allows the marketer to focus on users with high purchase intentions.
Comparison of Pinterest and other Social Networks
Pinterest is not similar to such applications as Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok. In comparison with Facebook and Instagram which are more social, the real-time communication and interaction, Pinterest is more of discovery, planning and long-term content visibility. Tik Tok is a trend and a source of entertainment, but the customers of Pinterest are looking to be motivated or to get a solution.
The first one is the form of interaction. Users of Pinterest are more goal oriented, they want to be inspired, to see something new or to see products rather than being engaged in social conversation all the time. This means to the marketers that they can conduct campaigns with the aim of providing actionable, visually appealing content that fulfils the purpose of the user rather than relying on virality or comments.
Pinterest as a Search Engine
Pinterest is a social media platform that could be also defined as a visual search engine. The site is highly goal-centered because the users are dynamic and want to get ideas, products and lifestyles.
To maximize the Pinterest search, the brands will need to:
- Add description keywords in the title of pins and board names.
- It should have high-resolution and vertical pictures.
- Design pin descriptions that are user-intentional.
- Use trending and seasonal materials to be more findable.
Another factor that should be learned to use Pinterest in digital marketing campaigns is the search behavior of this platform.
Best Practices in Business
To maximize the potential of Pinterest businesses should:
- Conduct audience research to find out demographics, interests and seasonal behavior patterns.
- Optimize content with quality pictures, mobile version and vertical format.
- Add Pinterest to websites, blogs, and email campaigns to cover more.
- Track performance and optimize content strategy and maximize engagement by tracking analytics.
Case Study: A home decor brand restructured their boards and pins with trending keywords, which resulted in a 60 percent growth in traffic to the site within three months.
Expert Insights
“Pinterest is dissimilar since it is a discovery and intention. The population is engaged in shopping and this means that the brands have a chance to reach the consumers who have high purchasing powers.”
“Pinterest cannot be left out as far as online marketing is concerned. It possesses a long-tail traffic and visual engagement which is quantifiable in ROI.”
“Pinterest is a social media that is a hybrid in nature which harms the conventional meaning of social media though marketers can utilize its dual nature to expand their brands.”
Conclusion
The Pinterest is a social media platform, but unlike the rest of the social networks, it is content discovery-based. Pinterest provides marketers and businesses with two opportunities: to visually inspire users and to create a long-term traffic and conversions. The information about the specifics of the platform, target audience, and search-based character will allow the brands to integrate Pinterest into the digital marketing and web development strategies effectively.
FAQs
1. Is Pinterest more of a social media or a search engine?
Pinterest operates as both. Even though this is interactive to the user, it is primarily applied in making visual discoveries and exploring ideas.
2. Does Pinterest qualify as an advertisement platform?
Yes. Businesses can use Promoted Pins, Shopping Ads and video campaigns to target specific audiences.
3. What is the best content on Pinterest?
The content that would be the most appropriate to create is typically the high quality vertical images, DIY guides, recipes, fashion and lifestyle content, which would generate the greatest engagement.
4. Which is the difference between Pinterest and Instagram?
Instagram is a social media that has the orientation of real-time communication and interaction, and Pinterest is a discovery-based, planning, and content-visibility social media.
5. Do I need a Pinterest business account?
Yes. Business account is provided with analytics, advertising and Rich Pins to look better and do better.
