Pinning Products with Purpose

If a brand's intent is to reach the masses, then Pinterest is definitely one way to accomplish just that.  According to a report in Fast Company magazine, it took one day for the Pinterest app for the iPad and iPhone to hit number one.  Pinterest has become the future of commerce, and is leading the way consumers find new brands, fashion, foods, recipes, decor ideas and more.  This is why franchise corporations need to get in the pinning game. In order to make Pinterest work, whether posting an article, a blog or a press release, always include a photo with purpose.  Consumers are always looking for tips and new information; providing it to them in a visual way is to a brand's benefit.  By actively pinning to boards, categorizing them to effectively show up in searches and having them link back to a website where additional information can be found, brands can fully maximize the site's functions. Pinterest can help a brand grow by seeking out potential franchisees, educating the public on a company’s specific product or service and help establish a brand as an expert in the industry. As reported by Social Media Today, conversion rates for Pinterest traffic are 50 percent higher than conversion rates from other traffic.  In other words, Pinterest drives more traffic to your website and brand than other social sites. Additionally, Pinterest buyers spend more money, more often, on more items than on any of the other top five social media sites. Pinterest also helps create brand trust. With 47 percent of online consumers making purchase decisions based on recommendations from Pinterest, the social media site allows brands to gain traction and confidence with consumers. With this power, brands must uphold a sense of transparency and honesty about their products and services to maintain strong customer relationships. Pinterest is often referred to as a “top of the funnel” channel.  It is a strong lead generator and will drive traffic to a website, as it generates 4x more revenue per click than Twitter and 27 percent more per click than Facebook. If Pinterest still isn’t a major part of brand’s media strategy, major opportunities for growth are being missed. With focused strategy and a little creativity, the social media site is guaranteed to pay off. A fun tip for master pinners –Saturday mornings are the best time to share on Pinterest.