by John Larkin
John runs the blog here at eCommerceLift and is a verified Shopify Expert. Interested in an initial growth consultation? Click here
10 years ago
PINTEREST FOR ECOMMERCE: AN ETSY CASE STUDY.
Pinterest is that pretty website full of cute, pretty pictures and not much else, right? Well, no. Pinterest has emerged as one of the most valuable social networking sites for an online business. Companies are using it in impressive, innovative ways to garner interest and drive up sales in ways that no other social media site can offer. Here is an in-depth look at Etsy, a company who has used Pinterest creatively and innovatively with great success.
PINTEREST: THE FACTS
Firstly though, the stats of why Pinterest should be such a compelling draw for your ecommerce business:
80% of users are women, the majority of whom are aged 25 to 35.
This should be an immediate eyebrow raise as this target audience is one of the most sought after and highest group of spenders online. This target market consists of high earners, potentially with children, who do more purchasing online when compared to any other demographic.
They are not to be overlooked.
Pinterest users are not afraid to spend.
Pinterest users who click through & end up making a purchase on an ecommerce website spend on average $140-$180. Pinners are using the site to shop and spend more, this is very enticing to ecommerce stores.
Pinterest shoppers are 10% more likely to follow through on a purchase.
This number is very valuable as getting visitors to hit an ecommerce site and actually getting them to convert into a sale are quite different. Pinterest has been shown to increase the likelihood of a purchase highlighting that Pinterest is a valuable tool for online businesses today.
80% of users are women, the majority of whom are aged 25 to 35.
This should be an immediate eyebrow raise as this target audience is one of the most sought after and highest group of spenders online. This target market consists of high earners, potentially with children, who do more purchasing online when compared to any other demographic.
They are not to be overlooked.
Pinterest users are not afraid to spend.
Pinterest users who click through & end up making a purchase on an ecommerce website spend on average $140-$180. Pinners are using the site to shop and spend more, this is very enticing to ecommerce stores.
Pinterest shoppers are 10% more likely to follow through on a purchase.
This number is very valuable as getting visitors to hit an ecommerce site and actually getting them to convert into a sale are quite different. Pinterest has been shown to increase the likelihood of a purchase highlighting that Pinterest is a valuable tool for online businesses today.
Is your partner collecting wedding pins? Probably!
ETSY ON PINTEREST
With 80,000 individual shops selling an assortment of products, Etsy has turned Pinterest into an indispensable tool for the online business collective. Using the social network’s offerings and integrating them into the website, Etsy is giving consumers easy access to purchases and using innovative and clever ideas to enrich pinners and the business’s Pinterest experience. Etsy has really set itself apart on Pinterest.
The Etsy page on Pinterest
THE ETSY LOGO
As Pinterest has so many pictures from so many sources, it is important to have attribution. Etsy have done this well as every picture that is repinned from Etsy’s boards or the website carries the distinctive Etsy logo.
That logo really stands out doesn't it?
Utilising the Etsy logo is a clever feature on Pinterest as it gives a clear and helpful reference that the product is available on Etsy. All items also have the shops name and details about the product adding to the Pinterest experience and acting as an enticer to visit the website. Customers know where to buy the product and can do so with a quick and easy click through.
ETSY’S EASY PINS
Etsy have recognised the value of a product being pinned so have made it easy for customers who visit the website to pin items to their boards. While perusing the websites products, a simple Pin It button can share any of the pictures on Etsys website to Pinterest. This easy task can allow customers to produce their own brand engagement and marketing as Etsy did nothing more than provide the button.
We have implemented another great way to Pin on this blog - hover over any of our images and you will see a great prompt to Pin. This is easily done and you should definitely consider adding this to your ecommerce store.
We have implemented another great way to Pin on this blog - hover over any of our images and you will see a great prompt to Pin. This is easily done and you should definitely consider adding this to your ecommerce store.
In just one click this love heart could be on your Pinterest page.
This adds to the potential to have pictures repinned garnering massive attention and access to the websites’ products. Pretty simple but very effective.
OCCASION BOARDS
Everything you could possibly want for Halloween. And a dog-dressed-as-a-bush-costume.
On Pinterest, Etsy have made their products not just about individual items but about lifestyles. With 78 boards all focusing on different items that the brand sells, Etsy have cleverly separated products into boards that sell the idea of a lifestyle rather than just a plain product. With board titles such as “Holiday Inspiration”, “Gifts for Him” and “Etsy Weddings”, they are drawing customers in who are actively looking for a shopping experience.
More inspiring Wedding Pins
This example is clever too, as it hones in on the key target audience of Pinterest and Etsy - young women. Boards like these are tailored for this audience and show that Etsy is a one stop shop for consumer’s needs.
GUEST PINNERS
Pinterest offers users a glimpse into the consuming habits and tastes of people and businesses they admire. Etsy have brilliantly picked up on this and have asked fellow successful Pinners to collaborate with them and form Guest Pinner boards. With collaborators such as Martha Stewart, a television personality and a lifestyle website, PopSugar, Etsy has managed to use their successes on Pinterest and turn them into sales by offering consumers a glimpse of what they might buy.
Pinterest offers users a glimpse into the consuming habits and tastes of people and businesses they admire. Etsy have brilliantly picked up on this and have asked fellow successful Pinners to collaborate with them and form Guest Pinner boards. With collaborators such as Martha Stewart, a television personality and lifestyle website, PopSugar, Etsy has managed to use their successes on Pinterest and turn them into sales by offering consumers a glimpse of what they might buy.
With over 30 guest Pinners, all with over 100,000 followers, this an ingenious way of getting traffic to Etsy as these consumers look for inspiration from these successful pinners and they carry massive influence over what items they will potentially buy.
RESULTS FOR ETSY
With this serious devotion to promoting the company on Pinterest, one has to wonder: Does all of this effort equal great results? In the case of Etsy, yes. Many of Etsy’s individual shops have reported large jumps in traffic to their shops and an increase in sales. Sellers have reported that after their items were placed on Pinterest, the following weeks saw increases of up to 20% in sales. Etsy have ingeniously identified its target market and its customers’ use of Pinterest. They have made their Pinterest page a part of a customer’s shopping experience and have realised the value of this type of social media network for marketing proving it’s not just a picture website but rather so much more.
Are you using Pinterest? Follow our Pinterest page here and let us know your page in the comments below.
Are you using Pinterest? Follow our Pinterest page here and let us know your page in the comments below.
0 comments