Retail and Pinterest – A Perfect Match
Is your business on Pinterest yet?
Marketers are scrambling to figure out how best to use Pinterest, a niche social media phenomenon that has grown exponentially in 2012 – according to Chad White in his Email Insider article “Retail Email Marketers Rapidly Adopting Pinterest”, Pinterest was the Number 3 social network behind Facebook and Twitter.
Because it is so strongly visual, Pinterest may not ever achieve the wide use of the two social media giants Facebook and Twitter, but that’s not to say it can’t be a valuable part of your online marketing mix. Retailers, particularly those oriented to design and fashion, such as Williams-Sonoma, Anthropologie, and Garnet Hill have been making great use of Pinterest, especially in email campaigns and contests in which they urge customers to “pin” their products on “pinboards” or visit the pinboards of celebrities or recognizable industry experts who are “guest-pinning” on behalf of the company. Whew! The possibilities are endless!
If you have a highly visual retail business, consider promoting it by integrating Pinterest into your campaigns. Think about Pinterest like a dynamic magazine – people are looking for tips and ideas, not necessarily products, so position yourself as a hip, savvy “insider” with new ideas and you’ll attract a following.
And like any social media platform, spend some time getting to know the influential pinners in your market. Who has the most followers and is most active in your space? Follow them and get a sense of what attracts them, then do more of that.
And check out how companies are positioning themselves on the platform. Who is doing it well – who are you drawn to, and why?
Need more help? Read “How to Use Pinterest for Business” - a white paper full of good tips and tricks for using Pinterest.
Happy pinning!
