Pinterest is a growing social media platform, drawing new people to it every day. It has reputation as a platform used by crafters, decorators, and event planners to save ideas that they like; but Pinterest is growing beyond these distinctions. Over 250 million people use Pinterest every month and while the platform is still mostly used by women, 50% of new users in 2018 were men. Pinterest’s reach is wide, especially when considering its huge presence in Google image searches. Because of these image searches, Pinterest captures referrals to their site from outside sources.
With Pinterest’s versatility and loyal user base, it’s clear why you should be incorporating Pinterest into your social media strategy. Need more convincing? Here are 4 ways Pinterest can make your business more money:
- Pinterest is the perfect platform for showing off your abilities.
- Pinterest directs more traffic to you.
- Pinterest creates a connection with your customers.
- Pinterest keeps you informed on trends.
The primary source of content for Pinterest is photos. However, it is not to be confused with Instagram. The photos on Instagram capture a filtered, perfected portrayal of a user’s life. Pinterest, on the other hand, lets users collect photos and catalog them for reference for the things they like.
The idea behind the platform is in the name. Users “pin” images of products, ideas, places, and more that pique their interest. “Boards” are then created to help users organize the images they have saved, or “pinned.” Because boards display images in a collage, it’s easier for users to sift through. The collage layout of Pinterest is ideal for shoppers on the hunt. Similar products can be collected in boards that ultimately help the shopper decide on the product they want to buy.
But boards are not only for users looking to organize things they’re interested in. Boards can be created by those wanting to capture a prospective customer. If your apparel decorating business offers a lot of choices when it comes to Pinterest clothes, create boards to make it easier for potential customers to find what they’re looking for within your Pinterest page.
Because Pinterest is a useful shopping tool, it has a high rate of sales conversion compared to other social media platforms. In fact, people referred by Pinterest are 10 times more likely to make a purchase than on any other social media platform, according to Shopify. If you have online stores, like the ones you can setup with Spirit Sale, increased traffic from can translate to bigger sales. Even without an online store, you can drive traffic to your website where prospects can find out how to contact you and buy your product.
Pinterest Is Perfect for Showing Off Your Work
Do you have a t-shirt design or any other decorated items you are particularly proud of? What about garments highlighting new artwork or a tee decorated in a unique way? Pinterest is the perfect platform to show off what you can do. With each pin, include a link to your website or webstore. This way, if someone sees the pin, likes it, and want to find out how to buy the item featured, they can connect to you.
Do you print for certain markets, like spirit wear or events? What about printing holiday designs or clever slogans? Organize your work into different themed boards so people can see similar t-shirt decorating ideas that you create. For inspiration on how to organize your boards, the popular Gift/Collectibles company, BoxLunch, has a highly enviable Pinterest.
Use companies like this as inspiration for your Pinterest presence. Start building boards that show off what you do this best. Keep your themes timely and on-trend, especially if you’re targeting specific seasons or demographics. Take advantage of Pinterest’s power to convert fans into customers by showing off your great clothing designs.
Focus on quality images and tasteful designs. Remember to use descriptions that will link customers to what they are searching for.
Pinterest Directs More Traffic to You
While Google and Facebook continue to adjust their practices to keep more users on their sites, Pinterest directs users directly to the source. If your pins get shared, they will still be directed back to your site. Pinterest is a ripe platform for finding new customers. In fact, 77% of users have used Pinterest to discover a new brand or product. Pinterest users are highly engaged and many are turning to the site with the intention to buy.
When compared to other social media platforms, Pinterest has a 50% higher conversion rate and is second only to Facebook in driving traffic to websites. This translates into more traffic to your site, as well as a higher rate of sale.
The quality of the traffic directed to you is high, as well. 40% of Pinterest users have a household income of over $100k and 50% of users have purchased a product after seeing a promoted pin. This means that people actively using Pinterest have money to spend, are looking for products on the platform. Promoting your T-shirt business on Pinterest means more of them will be coming to you.
Pinterest Creates Connections with Your Customers
A key component of any successful social media campaign is social selling. Users build trust with companies that they perceive as engaging and involved. By maintaining a presence on Pinterest, you can not only build trust with your existing customer base, but reach new customers as people re-pin your content.
Original content only accounts for 20% of Pinterest pins. What does that mean for you? It means, if you create a high-quality, likeable pin, your followers will add it to their boards. This sort of exposure is unique to Pinterest. Where you may need to pay to have your posts spread on Instagram or Facebook, Pinterest encourages the spread of this content organically; it’s the nature of the platform.
That being said, if you pay to promote your posts on Pinterest, you can be even more effective. Analytic Partners reports that, for every $1 spent advertising on Pinterest, businesses see $2 in profit. With an engaged presence on Pinterest, advertising money spent there sees a better ROI than Facebook or Instagram.
Though it’s a much smaller platform than Facebook or Instagram, Pinterest’s users are active and engaged. Your marketing time and money may be better spent on Pinterest because it’s likely that more people will see it, and the people who do see it are more motivated to buy. Where posts on Facebook and Instagram can have a tendency to get buried, with the right image and description, your pins can connect with your audience.
Pinterest Keeps You On-Trend
It only takes one search of “T-shirt design ideas” to see a whole slew of designs that are trending on the platform. The whole point of Pinterest is to provide its users with content they want to pin. You can easily use Pinterest to gauge where your followers tastes lie. By gathering information on your followers, you can anticipate trends and market your business toward them. Use the platform as inspiration for T-shirt decorating ideas.
It’s important to note that Pinterest keeps you on-trend in a different way, too. By having a presence on Pinterest, your brand has a better chance at reaching a younger, hipper demographic. 34% of US adults ages 18-29 use Pinterest, and as more younger people are joining the platform, staying relevant with them is an important way to ensure more sales.
By having a Pinterest presence, you’re ensuring you stay involved with your customers and you keep up-to-date on what their interests are. Having new styles to draw inspiration from is important, and what’s even more important is observing how your customers interact with them. More than liking or sharing – if someone re-pins your content, they’re taking ownership of it. They’re saying “This is me. I identify with this.” And that sort of connection is immensely valuable.
With the growing popularity of Pinterest, as well as its great ability to increase sales, a strategic Pinterest presence will make you money. Show off your best work with well-photographed images, organize your pins on boards with trending themes, and have every pin linking to your company page or webstore to direct traffic to you.
Since so much of Pinterest is about re-pinning content, make the content you share worth getting excited about. When people re-pin your work, it can spread like wildfire. Use this in conjuction with paid pins to promote your business and drive more customers to you.
Remember that investing in Pinterest ads has a better ROI than Facebook or Instagram because Pinterest users are more motivated to buy than users of other platforms. Use this to your advantage. With well-made pins and an engaging presence on the platform, you may find that Pinterest works better for your T-shirt business.
Get started harnessing the power of social media. Download our Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Your T-Shirt Business.