The answer to this question is probably…
I could try and tell you that Pinterest Ads are the magic bullet to scale your business on their own, but I won’t, as it’s simply not true. But what I would like to show you, is how using Pinterest Ads could be the missing piece to your marketing strategy.
When I work with a new client, my starting point is ALWAYS - ‘talk to me about your overall marketing strategy’. Every piece of the marketing puzzle needs careful thought, and as with any jigsaw, it needs to fit in with the other pieces that surround it.
When used alongside a weekly organic pinning strategy, Pinterest Ads are a tool that many business owners are looking to, and there are a whole host of reasons why.
In 2021 there were 459 million global active users every month on Pinterest (source https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics). I can guarantee that among that number you will find some of your ideal customers, no matter what your business offering is.
Pinterest isn’t just for interiors and gardens, clothes and hairstyles, it can be used for business coaches, the wellness industry, ecommerce and nutritionists to name just a few. Every business can use Pinterest in some way, you just need to ensure you work within a strategy that will ensure maximum ROI and have clear aims and objectives.
We have seen a huge shift in recent years as to the type of content consumers engage with on social platforms and search engines, and it’s largely visual. Consumers want to be inspired, to see what they can aspire to, own or become.
When customers discover your business while on Pinterest, they will be there for a number of reasons.
They are searching, enquiring and making decisions for their future purchases, so this is your moment to stop their scroll with a creative pin that will engage them for the few seconds needed to decide if they want to:
1. Save your pin for later
2. Click on it to find out more
3. Buy your product or service
The action they take will depend on their stage of the customer journey:
Awareness, Search, Consideration, or Purchase.
When I set up Pinterest Ads for businesses, I consider carefully where the user is on this customer journey. Cold customers need a different pin creative and message to a warm customer. If you are trying to create leads, your offering needs to be front and centre with a clear call to action. For conversions you need to persuade them to make their final decision with an offer, or a reason to buy that they can’t refuse.
What many business owners don’t realise is Pinterest now enables you to build a whole sales funnel, from cold leads at the top, right through to conversions at the bottom.
Pinterest Ads have come a long way since they were first rolled out, they have one of the lowest CPC of all the social media Ad types, which makes them worth utilising for your business.
So where should you begin?
● First, warm up the pin machine! You need to begin pinning organically before you can begin to start using paid Ads on Pinterest.
● Second, decide if you want to build a full funnel for your Ads, or just work on one aspect of your customer journey. Ensure you consult with someone who understands the way paid Ads work for Pinterest - going by what works on Google or Facebook Ads may not work for your business, and could waste valuable marketing budget.
● Get creative. Pinterest is a busy place, and your pin creative will be essential to the success of your Ads. You have about 1.5 seconds to grab their attention - use those moments wisely.