The Pinterest App launched in 2010 and for about 10 years showed very little innovation. Pinterest developed a reputation as a platform to reference for interior design ideas, wedding themes, and trendy recipes. In 2020, the platform began to make changes and recently came into its own as a visual search engine optimized network with over 460 million users, and we here at Anvil Media have noticed.

For digital marketers, Pinterest can be thought of as a unique fusion of Meta and Google. Essentially, Pinterest works as a search engine within a social network, but it differentiates from Meta in that all “pins” can also be found through Google search. For example, I just did a Google search for “home office ideas.” At least one Pinterest result showed in each line of images. If images linking to your website are pinned on Pinterest and I click on it, it’s an easy click to the original content on your website—driving traffic.

While traffic is a goal for many clients, Pinterest can be even more useful for an e-commerce brand. If you have an e-commerce business, you can activate the “shop” tab to drive interested customers directly to your site or even sync your website catalog (Shopify) on the platform. This is done exactly as it is on Meta. Connect your business’ shopping account and you will get a “shopping tab” on your Pinterest page as well as all paid and organic posts.

A huge difference between Pinterest and Meta platforms is that there is significant room for SEO optimization. When you think of Pinterest, images most like pop into your head. On the contrary, Pinterest loves keywords. Because it acts as a search engine and can rank on Google, it wants you to optimize everything with keywords that people are searching for on and off the platform. The right set-up here can make the difference between your content, paid or organic, being viewed or missed.

If you are thinking about using Pinterest as a marketing tool, Anvil has developed some tips and tricks:

• Set up a business account.
• Put an eye-catching image in the logo section and add your brand name.
• If you’ve got an e-commerce site, connect you catalog (Shopify) so you have a universal shopping tab
• Within the past two years, Pinterest has become a powerful SEO source. Focus on keywords and driving brand awareness
• Don’t use your Business Account for personal interests unless it relates to your brand—if you are a cupcake company, following a gardening board could hurt your results
• Aim to get your content, paid or organic, on a minimum of 12 boards
• Pinterest analytics is unique—take the time to become comfortable with this system

Over the past few months, Anvil Media has begun using Pinterest for various clients, in industries ranging from gym equipment to banking. Right now, the platform is has the unique ability to grow brand awareness, earn the trust of your audience through authenticity, and allow your business to become known as an expert in any given industry.

Connect with us at Anvil Media to learn more about Pinterest or our entire range of digital marketing services.