While many marketers and brands focus primarily on social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, some are overlooking a significant opportunity: Pinterest. In fact, the platform offers great potential for companies, especially in the fashion industry. After all, Pinterest is one of the most popular platforms out there. In this article, we explain why Pinterest is so valuable for your social media marketing and provide practical tips for successful content on this often underestimated platform.
Pinterest: Social Network or Search Engine?
Even though Pinterest is often mentioned in the same breath as Meta platforms or TikTok, it is strictly speaking not a social network, but a search engine. While it is possible to communicate via Pinterest, the focus is on visual search and inspiration.
The platform combines the benefits of a search engine like Google with the interest-based feed of social media. However, it has one huge advantage: unlike traditional search queries, where users often know exactly what they are looking for, Pinterest allows them to find visual inspiration even when they cannot quite articulate what they are after. Let’s say a user is looking for inspiration for everyday outfits that work for both the office and after-work drinks, without having a specific style in mind. Using keywords like "business casual" or "after-work outfits," they can search for content. The platform then presents a variety of pins showing different interpretations of these themes, and the person can browse curated boards from other users. By viewing and interacting with these pins, the algorithm refines the results. This uniqueness makes Pinterest an indispensable tool in the marketing mix for many companies.
Who is Pinterest for?
Pinterest is a way for brands to reach new customers and drive conversions. It hardly matters what products are being offered: Pinterest can be an opportunity for visually appealing industries like fashion, food, and travel, as well as for abstract products or services. However, Pinterest truly unfolds its strengths in the fashion and beauty segment. The visual nature of the platform supports an aesthetic presentation of products that would not be possible or common in other media. For fashion and beauty brands, Pinterest therefore offers the perfect stage to present their latest collections, styles, and trends to an audience looking for the latest trends, outfit inspiration, and shopping ideas.
A fashion company that is enormously successful with Pinterest marketing is ASOS: The brand publishes a diverse range of video and image content on the platform, ranging from makeup tutorials to behind-the-scenes glimpses of team members, highlighting the brand's personality. In this way, the company reaches about 1.6 million followers and provides shopping inspiration.
ASOS has mastered the Pinterest game: 1.6 million followers get inspired by the fashion brand's content
Photo: Pinterest/asos
Interestingly, it does not matter whether it is a lifestyle brand or a luxury label. A study by PA Consulting showed that Pinterest is also an invaluable resource for luxury brands to reach consumers.
A perfect practical example of this is Louis Vuitton. The company has over 411k followers on Pinterest and is always finding new ways to generate awareness on the platform. To launch a new collection in collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, the brand wanted to reach as many users as possible who are interested in luxury, fashion, and beauty. Louis Vuitton therefore launched a video campaign on Pinterest: With more than 3.5 million users reached in just three days, the campaign achieved a high level of interaction and attention.
Pinterest is also an ideal marketing platform for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton
Photo: Pinterest/Louis Vuitton Official
Advantages of Pinterest for Brands
Users with Purchase Intent
Pinterest inspires 482 million active users every month. One target group in particular plays a decisive role: according to Pinterest, Gen Z is the fastest-growing target group of 2023. Forecasts suggest that this generation is on the verge of becoming the largest consumer group and is expected to surpass Millennials in number by 2026.
These users have a specific intention on Pinterest: to find the right inspiration for their ideas in order to put them into action. In fact, 85% of users state that they choose Pinterest as their first port of call when it comes to inspiration and planning for new projects. This is in stark contrast to other platforms, where users are primarily looking for social interaction and entertainment! Here, they approach things with a completely different mindset and also use tools like direct links to purchase once they have found what they are looking for on the platform. This high level of focus and strong purchase intent make Pinterest a unique platform for brands.
Pins > Pinners
Another decisive factor is how search queries are used. While the focus on Facebook, Instagram, and similar platforms is primarily on individual creators or brands, "Pinners" on Pinterest are secondary. According to Pinterest, 97% of search queries on the platform are unbranded. While this might initially sound like a disadvantage for companies, it actually offers an incredible opportunity. It allows new or unknown brands to be discovered through their Pins and establish themselves in the minds of users as providers of solutions. And once users have discovered a brand and love its Pins, there is a high probability that they will share this find with their network, which further increases organic reach and engagement.
Evergreen Content
Anyone who has already gained experience with platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube knows all too well the short half-life of the content shared there. Instagram Stories, for example, disappear after just 24 hours, and even though feed posts on Instagram and similar platforms remain, relatively few users scroll through the entire feed to read older posts.
Pinterest content is different: the average visibility of a Pin is 3.5 months. Depending on placement, Pins can even generate traffic for up to a year, as Pinterest functions primarily like a search engine, allowing engaging, SEO-optimized content to be displayed repeatedly.
Furthermore, Pinterest is indexed by Google. This means that company profiles, Pins, and boards can also appear in Google search results. Organic growth is therefore much easier and more sustainable for brands there.
Trend Potential
Pinterest is considered a reliable source for trend prediction because users utilize the platform to plan their future. This gives Pinterest insights into trends that we will soon encounter everywhere. According to a study, trends on Pinterest take hold up to 20 percent faster than on comparable platforms. Pinterest has also invested in an innovative search function specifically for this purpose, which allows brands and users to track the popularity and development of trends. For brands, this means they have the opportunity to identify emerging trends early, adapt them, and integrate them into their collections or create content tailored precisely to these trends. This allows them to position themselves as pioneers in the fashion industry, reach their target audience with trend-relevant offerings, and increase their visibility.
Tips for your Pinterest marketing
Quality & Added Value
The eye shops too! Pinterest functions primarily as a visual platform. Only visually appealing content motivates users to keep browsing and discovering. For an optimal presentation of your content on Pinterest, you should therefore focus on visual quality and added value. Since Pinterest is mainly used via the smartphone app, users also interact more with vertical Pins and videos. The recommended format for a Pin is therefore 2:3 or 9:16. Regarding content: show your products in a way that goes beyond mere product placement. Photos or videos of just a T-shirt or a handbag are not enough—present your product while walking in the park or visiting a restaurant and convey the feeling and lifestyle that your brand embodies. This not only promotes brand loyalty but also serves as a valuable source of inspiration for users, which can ultimately boost sales.
Important: Pinners look for inspiration in advance. If you want to showcase bikini fashion, you should start working on it as early as spring.
Keywords
In addition to aesthetic imagery, keywords are the heart of Pinterest. Because the platform functions like a search engine, your choice of keywords should be precisely tailored to your content so that users can actually find your Pins. It is best to use trend analyses to identify current and relevant keywords and try to connect them with your brand. Trending topics can be anything—from festivals and seasons to current events. There are many ways to link trends to your brand.
Also, ensure that your image captions are informative and not just attention-grabbing. They should educate users about the benefits of your products and motivate them to visit your website. Don't forget to include your brand name and URL, and use a compelling call-to-action (CTA).
Consistency & Interaction
As with all social media platforms, the rule for Pinterest is: consistency is everything! On one hand, your Pins should have consistent branding, meaning recurring elements such as colors, fonts, image styles, and the tone of your text. On the other hand, the regularity of your posts is essential to increase the attractiveness of your profile and the users' willingness to interact. Speaking of interaction: even though communication and community management are not the main focus on Pinterest, you should not neglect them. This includes answering comments on your Pins, which not only shows engagement but also builds an appreciative relationship with your followers. It is equally important to follow other users and brands, especially those with similar interests or in related industries. This not only increases your visibility but can also serve as a source of inspiration for new, relevant content. Another key to success is repinning content that is interesting to your followers, as well as interacting on group boards: by sharing your own Pins there and repinning content from other users, you can draw new followers to your profile.
Extending trends from other platforms
Pinterest not only manages to predict trends but also to be a part of trends on other platforms. One example of this is the TikTok trend "Pinterest aesthetic"—the videos for it regularly attract millions of views.
Fashion brands can actively participate in such trends by, for example, posting their own videos in which their products are shown as part of the outfit category, or by picking up on videos from users and recreating the outfit from the video with their own products. This opens up diverse opportunities to increase their reach, foster interaction with the target audience, and simultaneously establish themselves as trendsetters.
Conclusion
Pinterest is an indispensable platform for companies that want to reach an engaged and affluent target audience. The visual search engine goes far beyond the possibilities of traditional advertising channels by creating an inspiring and persuasive environment and appealing to users who are actively looking for brands that understand their desires and needs.
Of course, you can also run ads on Pinterest. Would you like to learn more about Pinterest as a performance channel for your business, or do you need support with implementing your organic content strategy? Then feel free to book here an appointment for a non-binding initial consultation with us!
