How to Use Pinterest for Ecommerce

If you run an ecommerce site, you no doubt want to make sure that when potential buyers are interested in the products you offer, they are able to find you before they discover your competitors. But how do you make sure that you’re being as visible as possible online?

There are many effective ways to market an ecommerce site, but one of the best is Pinterest. The platform has shown continual growth over the past five years, and considering that it’s built around linking to outside sites with images, it’s perfect for anyone trying to sell products directly to consumers.

Of course, before you start pinning with reckless abandon like you may already do on your own personal account, you need to know how to use Pinterest for ecommerce. Keep reading to learn how to use Pinterest to attract interest and boost sales. And give us a call at 888-601-5359 to find out how we can help!

Organize your Pins into different boards

If you’ve already started a Pinterest page, that’s terrific! However, you want to make sure that your products aren’t jumbled together. This not only frustrates visitors, but it also makes you look unorganized. Organize your Pins into different boards based on product time for the easiest possible navigation.

For instance, if you sell cookware, you may want to divide your boards into categories such as “pans”, “small pots”, “large pots”, “stove-to-table cookware”, etc. Be as specific as you feel is necessary, but try not to use lingo that doesn’t make sense to the public. Also, don’t go crazy with board creation. It’s better to have five or six relatively broad boards than a hundred that only have one or  two products each.

Add prices to your Pins

Although you may think that including prices could decrease the amount of interest in your products, it’s best to be up front if you want people to actually click through and make purchases. If you’re offering great deal, you want people to know about it, and if your products are pricey, it’s best that potential customers realize that before clicking through, only to end up disappointed.

One caveat: If you’re hosting a special, or your prices change, make sure you note that on your Pins. You can even indicate what the price WAS, and what it now is thanks to a clearance, a special, a sale or other promotion.

Encourage customers to share their own photos

In a world of selfies, it isn’t self-serving for you to encourage your buyers to take pictures of themselves wearing or using what you sell on your ecommerce site. For instance, if you’re a clothing retailer, ask your customers to Pin photos of themselves wearing your products.

You have to be proactive and make a request for customers to do this, but once you do, it’ll start to get easier. Add calls to action on your website, and create a special board just for happy customers to pin their images.

Scope out the competition

Sometimes, you have to channel Sherlock Holmes and do a little digging into the competition. See what your biggest competitors (you know who they are!) have on their Pinterest pages. Figure out what they’re doing better than you, and what you’re doing better than they are. This will help you determine ways to improve your strategy.

By periodically seeing what’s happening on the other side of the fence, you’ll also be less likely to experience a shock if a newcomer suddenly jumps into the fray. Being “in the know” is essential!

Host a contest

Everyone loves a good contest, and Pinterest can be a terrific platform for your next one. For example, if your ecommerce site sells jewelry, you can offer to give away either a piece of jewelry or an amount of money to be spent at your site toward a purchase.

Ask customers or potential customers to do something, such as taking a picture of an outfit they want to wear that needs a nice piece of jewelry. Don’t forget to add some kind of hashtag to your contest and promote it relentlessly.

If your first contest doesn’t seem to be producing much momentum, don’t give up. A lot of times, it can take a few tries to get the whole Pinterest contest rhythm down.

Share your other site content

In addition to simply sharing products, Pinterest can be a great way to promote your other site content as well. For example, does your ecommerce site have a blog? Pinterest allows you to set up a blog board so visitors can pick and choose which of your posts to view. Sharing across multiple channels can give all of your marketing efforts more momentum.

Invest in quality photos

Obviously, you’re trying to sell through images, so make sure they are intriguing and engaging. No matter what you’re selling, the more engaging the picture, the better it will be received.

For instance, if your ecommerce site sells bed clothes and linens, make sure you show how they can be used in context, as in draped over a bed or sofa. The more interesting your images, the higher the likelihood your visitors will begin to picture how they can use those products.

Get better results from Pinterest with WebFX

Now that you have an idea of how to use Pinterest for ecommerce, it’s time to get pinning! And if you need help creating a Pinterest strategy, or a strategy for any of your other social media platforms, feel free to contact us! Our talented social team is more than happy to assist you.

We Drive Results for Ecommerce Stores

• 14.9 million+ transactions generated for clients
• 10+ different departments to support your website

Get a Quote