social media advertising Archives

How do you perceive Pinterest? Some online merchants are skeptical about this platform as they associate it with something far from transactions. People do come to Pinterest to plan house interiors and vacations and show off their looks and DIY ideas. But Pinterest eCommerce has a lot more potential than you imagine.

The thing is, people search for ideas to further buy similar goods seen on Pinterest. Why not provide them with an opportunity to get products from the social media platform without searching on Google?

Pinterest has different functionality to promote a brand and embed a link to the product or store. Shoppable tags, clickable links in the description, and buttons make it happen. It explains why you should consider Pinterest, being an online merchant.

This article will demonstrate tips for using this social media for business. We’ll review how to help your business sell on Pinterest, reach a wider audience, and increase sales. You’ll find out that Pinterest provides various advantages essential to eCommerce success, such as:

Attracting new customers;
Improving brand awareness;
Building stronger relationships;
Generating additional revenue.

How Pinterest Helps Promote an ECommerce Business

What is Pinterest’s role in the eCommerce world? It’s a service that converts entertainment into purchases. Keep in mind the following Pinterest facts:

Pinterest has about 400 million monthly active users.
Who is Pinterest’s intended audience? According to official research, over 60% of Pinterest users are female. In addition, 45% of the Pinterest audience has a household income of more than $100K and doesn’t mind purchasing through the social network. So, if you aim at such buyers, don’t overlook this channel.
Pinterest has shown to be an excellent promotional tool in various fields. Beauty, creativity, fashion, design, a healthy lifestyle and sports, photo ideas, tourism, cooking, and restaurants are just a few examples. It includes original tips, such as recipes, DIY hacks, decor inspiration, and fashion trends. Pinterest can be a valuable platform for eCommerce businesses looking to improve their mobile conversion rate.
You can share content via pins, which are bookmarks with an image or video and a link to the site or store. People save the pins to remember what to buy later. According to statistics, 85% of consumers use pins as a basis for shopping ideas. As a result, these bookmarks help your products stay in the mind of buyers in the long run.

This data explains why many retailers fine-tune their Pinterest business accounts. Every day, the Pinterest audience grows, while shopping takes up more than a quarter of people’s time on that platform. This number may appear insignificant, but it exceeds any other social media.

According to Marketing Charts, Pinterest has the highest customer satisfaction rating. While some social media indexes change, Pinterest’s score of 80 remains almost constant.

3 Benefits of Pinterest for Online Stores

Pinterest is great for interacting with clients who want to purchase from you. It has numerous benefits for eCommerce businesses, including:

Exhibiting products

Pinterest may serve as a catalog of products or services accompanied by links to the website. As a result, users can browse the social media and then go to the store to purchase.

Expanding the audience

Potential clients may not see your ads or find the website via search engines. As the competition intensifies, it’s hard to differentiate yourself from others, making it challenging for consumers to find your brand. That’s where Pinterest may help. While people don’t look for a particular company but rather a product, you can offer exactly what they need.

The best part is that you don’t need to invest much time and resources to advertise on Pinterest. Repurpose existing content from the website or other social media to promote the company without paying any money. For example, you can share images from the Instagram account, add descriptions from product pages, etc.

Getting information about your content

You can utilize this social network to learn about clients’ demands and needs. Pinterest’s built-in analytics lets you measure the effectiveness of the efforts without using any third-party tools, such as:

the popularity of your pins;
interaction with the content;
the number of clicks, etc.

But there’s more than free analytics. A Pinterest business account provides various tools, including advertising, online deals, and publishing special offers.

How to Promote an ECommerce Business on Pinterest

Tip 1: Choose an Account Type

Pinterest accounts are divided into two categories: personal and business. A business account enables you to receive reports with analytics to study the most popular pins. It’s also possible to connect it to the website, online store, or blog. If you already have a personal account, you can update its status to a business one.

Tip 2: Verify the Website

Site confirmation provides you with analytics and pin conversion data. This information helps in determining which publications perform best. You can use it to tailor the content to attract more viewers and convert them into purchasers.

To do so, connect the site to the Pinterest profile and slightly edit your website’s source code in one of the following ways:

embed an HTML tag to the store;
upload an HTML file to the website;
add a DNS TXT record to your website.

You can also verify Instagram, Etsy, and YouTube accounts.

Tip 3: Add Profile Widgets to the Site

You can show up to 30 of the most recent pins anywhere on the website using Pinterest’s “Profile” widget. The widget can serve as an opportunity to increase your Pinterest following. Demonstrate to website visitors why they should follow you on the platform before they decide to do so or not. Look at the screenshot for the example of a widget.

How do you incorporate this functionality into the website? Copy and paste a specific code from the Pinterest account. Pinterest will examine the site and confirm the widgets within 24 hours after inserting the code.

Tip 4: Organize the Profile

You’ve set up a business account or switched to one. What’s the next step toward earning money? Add a header, title, and brief description of the business with the link to the store.

If you need an illustration, look at how Michael Kors arranged its Pinterest profile (in the screenshot below). You can observe the verified blue mark, a link to the store, and the number of followers and views.

Screenshot taken on the official Michael Kors Pinterest account

Tip 5: Start Making Your Pins

Establishing a good first impression continues with filling the account with content or pins. Here are some pointers for organizing them:

Give links due attention. A profile description and pins should include links to relevant pages on the website.
Produce high-quality content. Pins should reflect the brand’s image and mission.
Ensure mobile optimization. This tip includes selecting the proper resolution and aspect ratio. It’s advisable to stick to vertical images with a 2:3 aspect ratio, as most Pinterest users access the platform from their mobile phones. Thus, such a resolution will satisfy mobile visitors.
Include shoppable tags and offer products in the Shop tab. You may have come across tagged Pinterest images with white dots. These are shoppable tags that you can click to open the product information and see similar goods. Below is such a case from the Stuller Pinterest account.

The Shop tab allows users to explore available items on the market. This page displays in-stock goods connected to keywords such as “sweatshirt embroidery”, “winter fashion outfits”, and whatever “pinners” search for.

It also has a filtering option that lets users arrange items by vendor and price. Some pins provide ratings or contain the “Popular” mark.

Focus on Pinterest SEO. Include keywords in the title and description of the pins, write concise content, and include links with calls to action.
Make a pinboard. Pinterest enables you to group pins into boards. They can be anything from tutorials to holiday makeup suggestions that work best for cosmetics brands. You can also organize products by category, such as skincare, haircare, and so on, to help visitors navigate.
Consider using targeted ads, which will be listed under the “Promoted by” heading.

Amongst the advantages of advertising on Pinterest is the long lifespan of the content. It doesn’t disappear from the feed with time and can return to the top no matter how old it is. Advertising on Pinterest is similar to advertising on Facebook and other social media. You select what you’ll promote, such as:

new pins;
image and video carousels;
current posts;
apps.

The promoted pins then appear in search results, suggestions, and feeds.

Make frequency and planning a rule. The more you post, the more Pinterest promotes the pins. Note that frequent posting doesn’t mean sharing seven pins once a week. Allocate posts evenly throughout the week, such as one pin per day.

To streamline this process, employ delayed publishing tools such as:

Tailwind. The solution offers a free version with essential features for one Pinterest account. You can upgrade to Pro, Advanced, and Max tiers to access more functionality and more Pinterest accounts. The prices range from $19.99 to $79.99 monthly.
Hootsuite. You may choose the plan from $49 to $739 per month with the ability to test the tool for 60 days for free.
Later. This solution costs $18 to $80 monthly with a 14-day free trial.
Others for scheduled pinning.

You can configure them to launch content at a specific time or a day or get recommendations on when to do it better.

Assess Pinterest search trends by season. Seasonal requests climb a little early before the event begins, just like in search engines like Google. It’s because pinners hunt for related content to prepare for holidays, seasons, and trends in advance.

Let’s look at the “Christmas gift ideas” query in the Pinterest trends tool.

Screenshot taken on the Pinterest trends section

The interest in gifts begins to grow somewhere at the beginning of September. And the most intensive traffic falls at the end of November – the beginning of December. Even if the celebration is still three weeks away, people begin looking for inspiration and gift ideas.

Final Thoughts: Pinterest ECommerce

Pinterest suits eCommerce companies regardless of their type and size. However, B2C fashion, cosmetics, and food businesses are certainly the most suitable spheres. This social media can drive traffic to the website, help promote goods, and encourage people to buy your products. Big online stores and startups leverage it to grow an audience, ensure brand awareness and make their products recognizable.

Pinterest is also a kind of search engine with algorithmic patterns. People insert their requests in the search bar and use specific keywords, allowing you to attract both organic and paid visitors to the profile.

Change the Pinterest profile to a business account, start posting pins, and organize them into boards. If you want to promote the store more actively, set up paid campaigns. Remember to keep track of your data. And you’ll see Pinterest meeting your expectations, if not exceeding them.

As of October 2022, there were roughly 4.74 billion social media users around the world. That equates to 59.3% of the total global population. That is an increase in 190 million people from the same time last year (and that number will continue to grow). THAT is why utilizing the influence of social media to advertise your eCommerce business is a good idea. Of course, there is more to it than my mere blanket statement of opinion, but never fear! I will be uncovering the blanket with a list of interesting facts to help prove my point below. Let’s get started!

A Covid eCommerce Miracle?

Let me first be clear that nothing was good about the world being under quarantine for over a year. However, it would be tough to argue that eCommerce did not receive a significant boost during that time. And thank goodness for it because people were still able to purchase food, medicine or any other types of supplies needed without risking their health.

During the span of Covid, eCommerce sales increased by an astounding $244.2 billion. This ended up altering the consumer landscape, shifting the dominance of in-store shopping towards the online experience. In turn, eCommerce businesses started stepping up their game by updating their search functionalities, payment methods, and the personalization of a customer’s experience through artificial intelligence. These positive changes in convenience left a lasting effect that has lingered on after the pandemic ended.

It’s Easy to Connect!

Over the last decade, people’s attention spans have been steadily decreasing. Advancements in technology have left little wiggle room for retailers to make their products known. As of 2022, the average U.S. household has approximately 20 smart devices that includes smartphones, computers, tablets, and TVs. That is a large number of potential connections that can be made through social media. The ease of having access to the World (wide web) at your fingertips is too high a commodity to dismiss. A customer is much more likely to purchase a product or service if the accessibility is easy!

The Advantages of Social Media

Depending on who your target customer is, a strong social media advertising strategy can be a helpful proponent for great success! Here are some of the great social media advantages that can benefit your eCommerce business:

Low Cost – Fortunately, most social media ad models operate on a pay-per-click (PPC) system, which means your business only has to pay when someone has actually clicked on your ad or video. Essentially, you only have to pay when your advertisement is working, which means your chances of earning money increase and could even offset any ad costs! Plus, the average cost for doing a PPC ad on a social media platform such as Facebook is only $1.68.
High Brand Awareness – Social media ads give your brand instant awareness, even before any potential clicks, by showcasing it to millions of people online. Having your business ad up on social media feeds helps keep your products and services fresh in people’s minds, even subconsciously. Increased exposure like this can bring about fresh leads and high conversion rates.
Healthy Brand Loyalty – In addition to promoting your business, social media provides a great opportunity to engage with your audience and develop a strong connection. You can also share testimonials from satisfied customers to help build a positive reputation for your brand.
Detailed Analytics – One very helpful advantage of social media advertising is its ability to quickly provide analytics and statistics regarding how well your campaign is performing. This will help you design future campaigns to optimize what works best. You even have the option of utilizing live campaigns and A/B tests to further refine your strategy.
User-Friendly Software – Yes, again, it’s easy! The majority of social media advertisers provide a simple, user-friendly platform to work with that will walk you through each step for getting set up. You just have to choose an objective, input your audience’s requirements, and specify your budget. Some platforms even allow you to create your own rules and customized reports that should make managing your campaigns even easier!

TikTok Customer Trends

It is being forecasted that in 2023, for the first time, more than half of U.S. social media users will make purchases via social platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and especially TikTok. These platforms seem to have mastered the logistics for putting out strong, easy-to-maneuver eCommerce sales content. However, TikTok has by far the largest audience. But how has an app that was known mostly for creating silly dance trends catapulted itself into the eCommerce spotlight? Well, it all started with TikTok providing a different type of eCommerce environment that included native shopping, payments, logistics, and fulfillment. The process benefited from the following:

The app’s commerce monetization follows a unique structure developed by their sister-app, Douyin, based in China.
Douyin already has eCommerce customer fulfillment centers, which enable them to operate like a true retail company. TikTok is looking to open their own fulfillment centers in the U.S. which would make their eCommerce platform even more streamlined.
The majority of TikTok users are younger people whose thoughts and behaviors are more impressionable and more receptive to purchasing products directly through the app.

Brands have also taken note of the advantages of advertising on TikTok and some have seen tremendous, if not overnight growth due to it. The influence of social media has never been more obvious than on TikTok; users frequently saying “TikTok made me buy it”.

Social Media’s Influence: In Closing

The influence of social media is clear and only growing. I hope that you now feel a bit more comfortable engaging your eCommerce business with a social media presence. It truly is a wonderful way of optimizing your brand’s reach without breaking your budget. Next time you’re on any type of social media platform, take a look at how many ads for things you may be into actually show up. You may be surprised how many there are, but know that YOU can have your own wonderful company/product/service up there as well, ready to help the right person who truly needs it!