So you’ve heard the marketers screaming from the rooftops about how you should diversify your marketing strategy and how you should be on Pinterest.
(It’s me. I’m one of the people yelling from the rooftops. My voice is getting hoarse but I feel this to my core, okay??)
You’ve heard it. You know it. But maybe you don’t really know how Pinterest marketing works.
No worries - I’m going to break it down for you!
First and foremost, let’s get some basic info out of the way.
Pinterest is a visual search engine, not a social media platform. This means the algorithm is working for you in a way that sites like Instagram are not - you’re showing up in searches and being served to your ideal client (when you use the right keywords + SEO) regardless of your follower count.
The 400+ million monthly users are primed and ready to buy, coming to Pinterest with a problem looking for a solution. (And you can be that solution!)
One of the best parts of all is how long content lasts on Pinterest. Move aside Instagram, with your 24 hour stories and seemingly-less-than-that feed post lifespan - pins circulate for years, gaining traction the more engagement they get.
The main things you can get out of Pinterest marketing are brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, and sales.
Most Pinterest users are looking for inspiration or information. When you are targeting your ideal client on Pinterest and providing them with answers to their questions and solutions to their problems, they begin to trust you.
Once they’ve interacted with your Pinterest content, they are more likely to see it again. The next times they see your pins, they’ll start to recognize your branding and your name.
As time goes on, they lose interest in DIYing whatever it was they got on Pinterest for in the first place, and now they want someone to handle it for them. After the trust was built and the brand awareness grew through saving your pins and learning on your website, they think of you first.
Alternatively, if your Pinterest content catches them when they’re a little farther down the line when it comes to their readiness to hire, that one trip to your website from your pin could be the ticket.
(Especially if you have your funnels primed and ready on your website to receive that traffic!)
Let me give you an example.
You’re a family photographer in the Nashville area. Your ideal clients are families (duh) wanting photos done (duh x2) and when they come to Pinterest with that in mind, they’re in the inspiration phase.
You’ve written blog posts about family photos with small children and how to pick out family photo outfits and you have been promoting them on Pinterest. You also share photos from your family photo sessions.
When that mom opens Pinterest and searches for outfit ideas and to see if anyone has managed to get good photos with children as young as hers are, she sees your blog posts. Not only does she get her questions answered, but she also starts to trust you.
As she fills her “family photo inspo” Pinterest board, she starts to recognize your name on some of the photos she’s saving.
The next time she’s on your website, she checks out your prices and submits an inquiry.
Pinterest marketing guides people through the first few steps of your marketing funnel.
And not only that, by catching them at those preliminary steps, you’re giving yourself an even better shot at them choosing you to hire once they’re ready to sign on the dotted line.
Because they trusted you before they even realized they were looking.
That’s pretty much the gist of how Pinterest marketing works.
These days more than ever, marketing is about repetition to the right audience. The Rule of 7 says that someone needs to see something at least 7 times before they’ll take action.
By including Pinterest in your marketing strategy, you’re not only giving yourself the opportunity to be seen more, but you’re doing it on a platform that will continue to circulate your content for a long time. Resulting in you needing to do less in the long run.
We love working smarter and not harder!
If you’re ready to jump in after learning how Pinterest marketing works - check out my service guide. I can get you started on the right foot with an account set up + strategy help or I can take the whole thing off your plate with monthly management. Let’s chat!
