The big question is how to best use the platform to make the most money, right? Well, I thought I had the answers before. I, like many of you, was under the impression that I should simply create a profile, follow people in my niche, pin as much as possible linking back to my sites, then sit back and wait for the traffic to roll in.
Then, everything changed.
I actually began using the platform a little for myself. I was using it to drool over the latest fashion trends, but I ended up uncovering so much more than that. You see, I began using the platform armed with the knowledge and perception only a search marketer would have. That’s why I noticed certain things that your average Pinterest user would not, and I unearthed a few marketers who are killing it on the site. Let me take you through a case study of one such marketer’s brilliant strategy, and then we can talk about how you can craft one of your very own.
Finding a Market
Of course, it goes without saying that Pinterest serves a very specific crowd. According to ‘Search Engine Journal’ (), the site boasted more than 10.4 million users in June, and it holds the record for fastest growing social network to date. In November, the number of users surpassed 25 million.
But does every business succeed on Pinterest?
The answer, in a nutshell, is no. Pinterest is 80 percent women, and 47 percent of users are between the ages of 18 and 34. The website is oriented toward crafts, fashion, cooking, and other domestic subjects. Here are some other vital stats from the SEJ post for you to chew on as well:
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Keep this final thought in mind: Pinterest users follow an average of 9.3 retailers, whereas Facebook users only follow 6.9. Retailers on Facebook also heavily incentivize users to become fans, whereas Pinterest users mostly follow retailers on their own accord. This means that Pinterest users are in a much higher buyer mindset as they surf the site – and if you have something they want, they’ll be much more willing to take the action you request of them without so much as a second thought.
Filling a Need
Now that you know the market, let’s talk filling a need. Here’s my personal experience. I’m into Pinterest for one thing: clothes. I like to navigate immediately to the “Women’s Fashion” category and scroll through all the latest pins to find out what’s new. My favorite pins are complete outfits assembled on an entirely white background – I’m not so great at matching my clothes, so I like having others do it for me. I’m not alone in my quest for perfect ensembles – many others on the site have boards with collections of just these kinds of pins… we affectionately call them our “dream closets.”
The people who create these pins do it primarily through a website called Polyvore. The site allows users to scroll through a massive database of clothes from various retailers and piece together outfit collages that they can then pin on Pinterest. However, I recently noticed that some of the outfit collage pins I’ve been finding on Pinterest don’t direct to Polyvore. Instead, I’ve discovered that some are manually made… and they direct to smaller websites.
One night, I was frustrated when I was directed to one particular website repeatedly because the outfits were just so… adorable. I wanted to know where to buy the items in the collages, but I knew it would take way too much Internet research to hunt down each piece. The site owner (knowing this) has a prominently placed opt-in form, and guess what it promises?
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Also, guess who signed up to get the info after much frustration? Yup, this girl did. Freaking brilliant.
Disclaimer: This particular case is an example, and honestly, I’m not sure of the legality of this webmaster’s approach. But as you can see, it’s highly effective for affiliates who want to cater to these kinds of niches. Just think if you apply this
technique to something like the Amazon affiliate program. Simply put, if you find a highly sought after set of goods and provide the info for obtaining such goods in exchange for an e-mail address or other personal info, you’re unstoppable.
Keeping Up the Pace
Another thing I noticed is that this particular marketer is highly active on the website. Highly. This person has upwards of 1,000 pins and is pinning more every day. The more you use the technique, the more leads you’ll capture. This, of course, hinges upon your finding a niche with a need and providing content that people will want to repin – in volume and consistently.
Keep in mind that Pinterest uses SkimLinks, so including an affiliate link in your pin is virtually ineffective. What we’re talking about here is enticing people to click through to your site, and then offering them information they want in exchange for their e-mail address. The bigger your mailing list, the more chances you’ll have to send the info they crave (with affiliate links included, of course) and make some serious profits online.
You’re welcome.
Nell Terry, Post from: SiteProNews