We have been hearing over and over again the importance of Pinterest for growth in your business, and how it is currently being overlooked as a major player within the interior design industry, since there seems to be more of a focus on Instagram. I wanted to show you how to utilize Pinterest for your e-commerce businesses as its power and reach can go way beyond your clients’ inspiration boards or pinning ideas for future projects and designs. It can truly be a game-changer for your e-commerce business. Many interior design firms have been incorporating e-commerce within their business model and with its visually-centred layout and large user base, Pinterest can provide a great opportunity to reach and engage with potential customers, turning browsers into buyers and in turn more revenue for you.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the steps to take to utilize Pinterest for e-commerce businesses and how to drive sales and grow your online presence.
1. Create a Pinterest Business Account
The first step to using Pinterest for your e-commerce business is to create or make sure that you have a business account. A Pinterest business account will give you access to features such as analytics, advertising options, and the ability to create a Shopify catalogue if you use their platform for your online shop. When setting up your business account, make sure to fill out your profile completely, including your logo, bio, and website link and that you ensure your domain is verified.
2. Optimize Your Boards and Pins
Pinterest boards and pins are really the foundation of the platform, and optimizing them can make a big difference in how your content is discovered by potential buyers. When creating or editing existing boards for your e-commerce business, make sure to skip the cutesy or clever board titles and use terms that people would be searching for. (Ex. Living Rooms, Kitchens, Decor Styling)
Keep in mind that Pinterest really is a search engine so we want to make sure we are naming things according to how you might search for things. If you have trouble with this you can always use the Pinterest search bar itself and start typing in your product and see what comes up. The goal is to make sure your boards and pins will appear in search results. It’s also helpful to organize your boards in a logical and easy-to-navigate manner to make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for.
3. Use Shopify Catalogues or Rich Pins
If you happen to be using Shopify as your e-commerce platform for your shop, Pinterest has a seamless integration that will allow you to create catalogues of your products and connect your product inventory directly to your Pinterest account. A small disclaimer on this one: it does involve some special technical requirements that you can review HERE. By syncing your Shopify catalogue with your Pinterest account, you can create dynamic product pins that automatically update with pricing, availability, and other details. This can make it easier for users to make purchase decisions and can lead to higher conversion rates and a seamless connection between both of your platforms.
If you don’t meet the technical requirements to enable catalogues you can enable rich pins which will pull all the necessary information from your website over to your pin, the downside is that you have to add them manually versus the catalogue that will sync them automatically.
4. Pin High-Quality Images
Pinterest is first and foremost a visual platform, and the quality of your images can make or break your success and engagement rates. When pinning images to your boards, make sure to use high-quality images that showcase your products in the best light possible. Whether you use portfolio images that showcase a number of your products or your products on white backgrounds you want to make sure they are clear, shareable and will attract your customers’ attention. You can also add text overlays to your images if you are promoting something more educational or informative.
5. Use Buyable Pins
Buyable pins are a type of Pinterest Pin that allows users to purchase products directly from Pinterest. When you integrate your Shopify catalogues, you can create buyable pins that link directly to your e-commerce store. This can make it easy for users to make purchases without leaving Pinterest, which makes the buying experience simple and user-friendly and can lead to higher conversion rates and increased sales.
6. Promote Your Pins
Promoted Pins are basically just a form of Pinterest advertising similar to Facebook Ads or Instagram Ads that allow you to target your content to specific users based on their interests, behaviours, and demographics. If you are running a special promotion or have a specific product you want to feature then promoting your pins may be the right strategy, keeping in mind to establish a budget and make sure you aren’t able to create the same reach organically.
Related Post: Why Pinterest Needs to be Part of your blogging strategy
If you’re an interior design business with an e-commerce branch of your firm and you are looking to boost your sales and online presence, Pinterest can be a game-changer and just an added layer to the beautiful images you are already pinning. Customers are already flocking to Pinterest for design inspiration and if your shop can make it simple for them to purchase the products they are already pinning you will be way ahead of the game!
If you need help with your Pinterest strategy, feel free to inquire about our Pinterest services HERE!
