With so many other social media platforms to choose from, you are probably asking yourself if you should add a Pinterest account to your digital marketing strategy. We wish we could give you a “yes or no” answer, but when it comes to a unique site like Pinterest, the answer is: maybe.
But we’re not going to just say “maybe” to Pinterest marketing and drop the mic. We’ll explore this social media site, who is on the visual platform, and whether or not you need it for your social media marketing plan based on your industry and target audience.
What Is Pinterest?
Launched in 2010, Pinterest quickly carved out a signature style completely diverging from the other platforms of the time. Whereas Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were all about sharing videos, photos and text posts with friends and family, Pinterest took social media in a broader direction.
A Visual Search Engine
As Pinterest says about themselves, “Pinterest is a visual discovery engine for finding ideas like recipes, home and style inspiration, and more.” That’s right, Pinterest identifies as a social media search engine, and there are about 5 million monthly searches on the site.
If you’re being reminded of Google here, that’s because Pinterest search results works in a very similar fashion, but instead of showing you articles, it shows you pins. And even though Google and other search engines offer reverse-image searching, Pinterest pins offer more than just images. They can also include videos, GIFs and articles which adds to the site’s appeal.
Diverting from other social media algorithms (which often focus on interest and previous engagement), Pinterest’s algorithm is a “Smart Feed.” Pinterest shows you new content based on the terms you type into their search bar. Based on the relevant keywords you use, Pinterest pulls up related pins and relevant boards it thinks you might find interesting based on your previous engagements and searches.
Pinterest Users
Due to these unique search-based properties, Pinterest has become a social media platform that attracts artists, designers, creatives, and your everyday shopper looking for content to help them navigate creative projects such as home improvement, holiday decorations, office inspiration, cooking, and so much more.
Like Instagram, Pinterest is an aesthetic, aspirational platform focused on beautiful visual content and engaging with the creative community it attracts.
Does Your Business Need an Account?
Sounds fun, right? Well, here’s some fun facts you should be aware of when considering using Pinterest for you social media strategy (as reported by Sprout Social in 2023):
- Pinterest has 450 million active monthly users.
- The site has a 7.5% year-over-year increase in board creation, meaning the app continues to grow in popularity even today.
- 85% of weekly users have made a purchase based on a pin.
- Pinterest delivers 32% higher ROAs (Returns on Investment) than any other social media platform.
If you’re a business, those numbers may seem exactly like what you’ve been looking for in a social network. But hang on — there’s still more to consider before you start creating boards on your Pinterest profile. While there are powerful statistics in terms of shopping and actually engaging users with products and services on the app, Pinterest is still not for every business.
Is Your Target Audience on Pinterest?
The audiences and interests each app attracts determines what kinds of industries and businesses will succeed on any given social media platform.
From a 2023 report from HootSuite, we can learn that:
- More than 76% of Pinterest’s global users identify as female.
- 53% of internet users who identify as female in the USA access Pinterest while 18% of internet users who identify as male in the USA access Pinterest.
- Of American pinners: 38% are 50-64, 34% are 30-49 and 32% are 18-29.
- Gen Z’s presence is steadily growing on the app by 40% year-over-year.
- Pinterest is growing faster outside of the USA, with the USA at 86 million monthly active users out of 346 worldwide.
- 8 out of 10 moms in the USA use Pinterest.
As mentioned previously, Pinterest is what’s called an “aspirational platform.” This means users are attracted to the social media platform to find inspirational content. Users create boards to find new ideas on topics such as art, art inspiration, writing, home decor, office decor, DIY projects, home improvement, crafting, building, recipes, how-to’s, and fashion inspiration thrive on aspirational platforms.
In fact, Pinterest reported that 85% of overall users say they use Pinterest to start a new project, and that users come to Pinterest to “plan for the future.” Simply put, Pinterest is for creatives and creators, whether they be professional artists or home DIY enthusiasts.
Should I Create a Pinterest Account?
And here is where we finally break down that “maybe.” If your target audience is on Pinterest and you have a product or service that fits the aesthetic and aspirational nature of Pinterest itself, then yes, you should be on Pinterest.
Here is a list of typical business types that could do well on Pinterest:
Creative:
- Artists: painting, photography, film, music, fashion, makeup
- Crafting and DIY
- Publishing: magazines, comics, books
- Decor, architecture and home improvement
Marketing:
- Graphic design, print or branding
- Website design and development
- E-commerce
Service:
- Event or wedding services: florists, photographers, destinations
- Education: teacher resources, literature, sciences
- Travel and hospitality
- Wellness
- Food and beverage
- Outdoor adventure: hiking, camping, cycling
Hopefully the above gives you an idea of what Pinterest perceives as the “average” Pinterest user based on their interests. That being said, Pinterest users will always use the app to discover niche areas, as people do on any app. For example, we use Pinterest to find content inspiration for our Eternity social media posts – especially for our Instagram and TikTok.
Some of our crew members have used Pinterest to help them find parts to build personal projects like tables and desks, while others use Pinterest to find content and products related to shows and video games they enjoy.
Know Your Audience
As a business, you have to ask yourself is there enough of my community on Pinterest to justify an account? If you’re in an industry such as law, medicine, insurance, industrial manufacturing, and the like, Pinterest may just not have enough of your target audience to justify dedicating the time and resources to building a presence on the app. Your valuable time and resources are best dedicated to apps where your audience is already converging in larger numbers.
All in all, if your audience is on Pinterest — and there’s enough of them converging there to dedicate the energy to making pins — then yes, yes, yes, it’s time to start making your Pinterest boards today.
Will You Pin?
Now that you have your “yes or no” answer, you might be looking for an example of how you can build your Pinterest business account. You can always view Eternity’s Pinterest for inspiration. We post social media and digital marketing inspiration every weekday, and we can’t wait to see you there. And if you want help, please reach out to us!
