6 Tips for Using Pinterest to Boost Your Online Sales

Organic traffic is the lifeblood of every ecommerce business. You may be featuring the highest quality products on your website, but if no one visits your enterprise is dead in the water. Google ads can help boost your online profile, and can definitely drive some traffic to your website. Unfortunately, the cost of Google ads can be prohibitive for many smaller businesses working with limited marketing budgets. 

So, the question remains – “How do you get eyes on your ecommerce website without spending a fortune on advertising?” 

Using Social Media to Drive Traffic 

For years social media has been one of the most popular answers to that question. Online retailers have learned to leverage their Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote their businesses and establish their brands. It’s worked for many online entrepreneurs, and social media platforms are still a valuable tool for capturing the attention of potential customers. But Facebook and Twitter, as large as they have become, are not the only social media players on the block. 

Why You Should Use Pinterest to Promote Your Business 

Pinterest may not have the world wide saturation of its more famous social media cousins, but it is still an ideal platform for online retailers looking to promote their products and their brand. With more than 200 million regular users the network offers business owners direct access to an active pool of potential customers who are primed and ready to buy. Pinterest users are looking for exciting new products and brands, and they are ready, willing and eager to follow your Pinterest posts into your website’s sales funnel. 

Using Pinterest to promote your business and its products is an efficient, and cost effective, way to boost your online sales. But as with any marketing strategy it helps if you know what you’re doing. So we’ve put together a handful of simple tips to help you get the most out of your Pinterest account. 

1 –  High Quality Visual Content 

Pinterest is a visual based networking platform, and as such it is important to take care with the images you choose to post on the site. High quality, visually attractive, images are a must if you’re going to grab the attention of potential customers. Try to avoid standard issue product page photos, and concentrate on creating unique images that other Pinterest users will want to engage with and share on their own boards. 

If the budget will run to it, hire a professional photographer to handle your product images. If not, invest in a high quality digital camera and keep to the Pinterest guidelines for the best use of images on your account. 

2 – Add a Pinterest Pin Button to Your Product Pages 

Pinterest is two way street, and while you want to use it to bring potential customers to your website you also want current patrons to be able to share interesting content on their own Pinterest boards. Adding a Pinterest pin to the product pages on your site will allow visitors to do just that. This share button is easy to install, and will pay dividends in the future. 

If you are using WordPress to manage your ecommerce sites, simple add the available plug-in to include a Pinterest Pin on all of your product pages. If not, you can simply add the share button manually. 

3 –  Use Keywords to Rank Higher 

At its heart Pinterest is a visual search engine. If you want your product photos to rank higher in user searches you need to include relevant keywords in your image descriptions. This is the same basic strategy you should be using for your website in order to gain traction in Google searches. The same rules apply. Use descriptive keywords that accurately represent the product in the image you are posting, and don’t scrimp on keyword research. The time to spend researching optimal keywords for product images will be rewarded when Pinterest users find your Pins in their casual searches. 

4  – Create Category Specific Boards 

Pinterest users respond positively to well organized content. For best results you need to keep your account neatly structured and create specific boards for every product line you are trying to promote. For example, if you are marketing fashions for women you would want to create a separate board for every type of clothing. You might have one board for ‘Retro Inspired Dresses for the Modern Woman’ and another for ‘Sleek and Stylish Suits for the Professional Woman on the Go’. 

This specificity makes it easier for users to find your boards, your pins, and ultimately your products. Be creative with your categories and precise in your organization. 

5 –  Take Advantage of Group Boards 

Fledgling Pinterest accounts can take some time to gain traction with the community, so it pays off to go where people are already congregating. Group boards are a good way to share your content and introduce your brand to a wider audience. If your account is slow to pick up pins or followers take some time to search out, and request access to, boards that align well with your brand and your product line. Once you’re accepted to these boards you can begin sharing your own original content and building interest in, and followers for, your own boards. 

6  – Add Buyable Pins to Your Product Images 

If there’s one thing the internet and ecommerce has taught us it’s that people crave instant gratification. Speed is the watchword, especially when it comes to online sales. Once you’ve established your brand on Pinterest consider adding Buyable Pins to your product images. These allow Pinterest users to make instant purchases without ever leaving the platform. That’s instant gratification for your followers and elevated sales for your business. 

Ready to Go!

Pinterest is an ideal platform for ecommerce businesses looking to raise their online profile, drive traffic to their primary websites, and boost their online sales. Setting up a business account is easy, and perhaps more importantly, free. Once your account is active you can leverage your presence on Pinterest to creatively market and sell a robust line of products. Pinterest users are already primed and ready to make their purchases. They are only waiting on your to close the deal.