One of the most overlooked aspects of a successful Pinterest marketing strategy? Understanding the Pinterest user intent. I LOVE this subject because it’s truly what sets the platform apart from other marketing channels and social media sites.

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I see a lot of people treating Pinterest like a social media site, and then wondering why it’s not working for them, but Pinterest is a completely unique kind of channel. Once you understand the user, you can crack the code on how to make your brand thrive on the platform.

By understanding why someone is using Pinterest, you can create content that addresses their needs and meets them where they are in their customer journey.

Here are the 3 Pinterest user essentials to understand:

1. Why are Pinterest users on the platform?
2. What are Pinterest users looking for?
3. Where are Pinterest users in their customer journey?

Let’s go! 💃

1. Pinterest users are on the platform to take action and discover new brands (not passively scroll)

Pinterest’s primary benefits as a marketing platform are to build brand awareness, drive website traffic, and fill the top of your sales funnel.

Why? Because the Pinterest user intent is to find and take action on something. Pinterest users are planners- they’re gathering information, ideas, and inspiration for a huge variety of subjects including their dream wedding, next season’s wardrobe, an upcoming vacation, home organization tips, and SO much more.

They’re looking for something > they see your Pin > they click through to your website.

Additionally, Pinterest users are typically very open minded because they’re in the information gathering phase, so they’re looking for lots of new ideas. The majority of Pinterest searches are unbranded, so rather than someone searching for “Best Benjamin Moore paint colors,” they’re searching for “the best neutral/white/modern/etc. paint colors.”

This offers an amazing opportunity for smaller businesses, bloggers, and brands to be discovered on the platform and build brand awareness.

2. Pinterest users are searching for something specific (not socializing or entertainment)

A Pinterest user’s intent is to find answers, solutions, ideas, and inspiration to something they’re specifically searching for.

Compare that to an Instagram user who is likely there to scroll, be entertained, and see what their friends and favorite influencers/celebs are up to.

This means you want to create content that answers questions, educates, and inspires.

Users are searching for something specific, so how can you provide the content that they’re looking for?

Think about what your ideal audience is searching for and how you can create content that addresses these searches.

This could be in the form of

• blog posts (how-tos, guides, tutorials)
• recipes
• infographics / checklists
• physical / digital products
• photography (i.e. visual inspiration)
• inspiring quotes
• video tutorials
• and more!

3. Pinterest users are a warm-cold audience

Pinterest users are often described as a warm-cold audience. They’re warm because they’re actively looking for something, but they’re cold because often times, they’ve never heard of you before.

This means that they are looking for what you have to offer and are ready to take a small step (ex. a Save or a website click) but they don’t really know you yet, so they’re probably not ready to convert yet (i.e. buy your product, join your course, book in for your services).

Here’s how to use this:

Create super high quality content that will catch your audience’s attention on the platform, and then use it to move them through your sales funnel / customer journey. Remember, Pinterest is a top of funnel marketing platform- it gathers an interested audience and drives them to your website, and from there, you can nurture them through your customer journey.

An example of this would be:

User sees your blog post > they click through to your post, which is optimized to encourage users to sign up for your email list > they sign up > they receive an email nurture sequence and get to know you > they convert to your membership/services/product sales/etc.

The Pinterest user is a unique audience ready to take action on what you’re offering. Understanding the user = Pinterest marketing success! 🥳

Ready to grow your business with Pinterest marketing? Grab a copy of our Services Guide for more on how we can work together!

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