Social Media Marketing: Make Your Product More Pinteresting

Social media is no longer just a trend, it’s a force to be reckoned with in the world of commerce. Consumers are turning to social media sites with dollars in hand, shifting their shopping carts from in-store to online. Pinterest, having launched into the number three spot of social media A-listers (who, according to Mashable, is topped only by Facebook and Twitter), has acknowledged the marketing opportunity; they’ve taken action to benefit both retailers and consumers. Check out these tidbits from digiday.com.

• Pinterest shoppers spend significantly more than Facebook or Twitter shoppers ($140-$180 per order compared to $60-80).

• U.S. Pinterest consumers follow nearly 10 retailers on average.

• 81 percent of US consumers trust information and advice from Pinterest.

• Pinterest accounts for a quarter of all retail referral traffic.

The facts don’t lie. Want to tap into this growing social media marketplace? Pinterest’s recent release of two brand new pinning options for businesses makes it easier for pinners to purchase products and share finds, creating more revenue for your business.

Enrich your business.

Pinterest’s latest update, Rich Pins, allows retailers to provide real-time, valuable information about a pin. When you open a product Rich Pin, you’ll see daily updated prices, availability, and where to buy – all in one click. Pinterest also provides Rich Pins for recipes and movies. Pinterest foodies can click through ingredients for grocery lists and dietary needs; Pinterest movie buffs can look at cast lists and movie reviews. Rich Pins promote a higher caliber of site traffic. Rather than mindlessly clicking through pinned images, Rich Pins allow consumers to shop, compare, and actively filter through pins.

If you’re wondering how this can benefit your business, the answer is simple. Rich Pins enable viewers to shop and compare directly from the pin – they don’t have to play detective to find merchandise origins or cost. By clicking the Rich Pin, customers are seamlessly led to the original purchasing site Rich Pins make the shopping experience much less frustrating for the consumer.

This new feature requires a bit of grunt work up front. Retail sites will need to be equipped with meta tags, then get validation from Pinterest. If you’re not familiar with the technical aspects of setting up a Rich Pin, Pinterest suggests asking for assistance from your site developer to get started.

As simple as the push of a button.

Adding the Pin It button to your website or mobile app helps people share your product. This website/app plug-in gives visitors the chance to pin your content to their personal Pinterest pages. Enabling the button benefits you in two major ways. First, the button can steer traffic directly to your site. Visitors who click on a pin created from your page have access to a built-in website link. Second, if you’ve set up a Pinterest account with pins from your page, site traffic can exit the information highway and park right at your Pinterest storefront.

The proof is in the pudding – businesses utilizing the Pin It button have seen solid results. Take a look at this case study from Allrecipes.com. After embedding the button, Allrecipes had more than 50,000 recipes pinned, 139 million Pinterest impressions, and an increase of over 900% in content clicks… all within three months.

Adding a Pin It button to your mobile app or website is slightly easier than creating a Rich Pin (this time, only basic HTML skills are required – for a free tutorial, check out the Codeacademy). Click here to add Pin It to your website, and here to add it to your iPhone or Android app. Once the Pin It button is embedded (after verification, of course), you’ll have access to Pinterest’s web analytics to track pinning activity and learn what pinners like.

Being social media savvy is key to tapping into the new online market. It’s no longer solely about communicating; it’s about buying and selling. Pinterest’s new business features are a great way to increase your site visits and revenue. Happy pinning!

For more pintastic tips for your marketing strategy, check out Hubspot’s free ebook, “How to Use Pinterest for Your Business“.

About Small Screen Producer

Small Screen Producer is a full service, marketing firm located in Houston, Texas that specializes in online digital media marketing through a 4-step process. Step 1: WE PLAN a custom web presence strategy for your business through website design and development, mobile development, social media account creation and branding. STEP 2: We then POSITION your brand through Pay-Per-Click advertising and search engine optimize tactics that include on-page and off-page SEO that are Google and Bing approved. STEP 3: We then PROMOTE your brand using an Inbound marketing strategy or a content marketing strategy to help you accomplish your marketing goals. We do this through blogging, video production, infographics, call-to-actions, landing pages, and free educational offers. We help you build trust and rapport with your customer base. STEP 4: We then PROTECT your brand’s web presence with a reputation management program that monitors social media and on line reviews. Get started today with a free online marketing assessment of your company’s web presence. Your company deserves it.