Pinterest is a goldmine of inspiration and ideas. But it is also a wonderful way to learn about new products; a fact that is not lost on the marketing world. Not only is Pinterest growing at an amazing rate (The site reached 10 million monthly unique views faster than any other standalone site in history, according to Tech Crunch); it seems to be inspiring folks to purchase stuff. A lot of stuff. Do you find yourself buying things you discovered on Pinterest? Has the site prompted you to ramp up your online shopping?
Let's look at the data, much of which was compiled by Main Street Host:
• 59% of Pinterest users have made a purchase based on an item they saw on Pinterest (Source: Steel House)• Buyers referred from Pinterest are 10% more likely to buy something than visitors referred from other social networks; and those buyers spend 10% more on average (Source: Mashable)
• Pinterest accounts for 40% of social media driven purchases (Facebook represents = the other 60%) (Source: Mashable)
• Online American consumers report following an average of 9.3 retail companies on Pinterest, compared with 6.9 retailers they follow on Facebook and 8.5 retailers (via Twitter)
Main Street Host also points to research showing that people trust Pinterest more than Facebook and Twitter when it comes to making purchasing decisions. The blog posits that "this trust might stem from the lack of both advertising and incessant self-promotion on Pinterest. Brands are very transparent on the site. Consider Whole Foods, which has close to 41,000 followers. The Whole Foods Pinterest account raises brand awareness and creates brand affinity, but the account is more about promoting a lifestyle rather than selling a product. Authenticity is actually a hallmark of Pinterest etiquette."
(Image: Some e Cards)
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I am long-time pinner. I don't follow (intentionally) any brand retailers...I do follow some friends who have etsy or other small business ventures. I have, of course, seen/made pins of items that I have purchased--but never directly through a pin. I am sort of a purist--if I want to buy something I see--I make sure links carry-through on my pins, or I go to the sanctioned site and pin it myself. As a marketer (boo!) I'd say the wisest strategy is to make sure you've got juicy product shots that are worthy of pinning--and your url is included or intuitive. For the love of god, nobody buys off the bait-and-switch pins [lovely image of something relevant to you--clicks through to random crap product that is not relevant]...stop that silliness.
No, I haven't bought anything, but I only use it to keep track of my own pins, not to look at other people's.
Pinterest is getting overrun with spam and marketing, and they can't seem to keep the spammers away. I used to really enjoy looking at the different categories, but now it just means wading through all sorts of junk.
It has a little bit. Not so much because I discover stuff on Pinterest but because I pin stuff that I think is cool and having the pin prompts me to revisit it and possibly buy it.
I use Pinterest to keep track of my own pins, and I follow one person (my daughter). I have not, and do not ever expect to buy something based on what someone else has pinned. I never considered it a social media site, I have used it only as visual bookmarking for myself.
I mostly use Pinterest for sewing tips and recipes. I also pin nice dresses and furniture I find but I've never purchased any of it I'm waiting to see how Pinterest will generate revenue. I intend to enjoy it while it lasts.
Yes I'm with the others. I use Pinterest to keep track of cool recipes/art/things I find on the web. (I also derive pleasure and affirmation when I get repinned. Ie, you like what I like!)
Pinterest actually has curbed my shopping. Now when I see something I like & want, I pin it. I get feedback from others and know I can look at it anytime I want.
I feel like Pinterest has helped me make choices on what to buy. If I'm looking for something, say, a pair of shoes or an iPhone cover, I pin a bunch of options. Then, when I want to buy I can look at my shopping, days or weeks later, and choose one. It gives me time to think about it without losing track of what I like. I pin a lot of wall art and I intend to purchase 90% of it eventually. When I have the money, I can look at my favorites and buy the one I want most.
I don't think I've ever bought and I don't ever plan to buy directly from someone else's pin.
I have gotten some amazing art very affordably by looking at what people pin rather than trying to search through the masses on etsy and other sites.. check it out.
What's Pinterest?
Really. Don't use it, don't visit it, certainly don't buy based on it. I'm a very minimalist consumer, and proud of it.
Like many of the others, Pinterest actually helps me curb my shopping. I can view the beautiful things that I've pinned any time I want. Since I can't afford most of them, it inspires me to save up until I can buy the most beautiful objects one by one, instead of settling for something else.
It doesn't make sense to me to criticize Pinterest for doing what it was set up to do. The whole point of it is to advertise to you so that you buy more stuff. Don't forget: if you're not paying to use something online, that means YOU are the product being sold (i.e., your eyes, your attention, your business).
It has made me buy less, I learn from others boards how to make stuff as cheaply as possible and then don't really buy anything except supplies at pound stores. I love Pinterest.
I think Pinterest has discouraged me from shopping. Because I pin them, I feel like I already own them. But if I do need to buy anything, my boards will be a good reference to what I already love...like if I need an LBD for a friend's wedding, there's 2 or 3 pinned to my style board.
i don't follow brands on pinterest, and a lot of my pins aren't sourced back to places where they can be purchased (which is probably a good thing, otherwise i would buy everything). pinterest definitely makes me WANT more stuff, though. i used to shop for clothes once a year and never went out with the express purpose of buying things for my home, but all that's changed now. it's virtual hoarding.
I use pinterest for home design inspiration, recipes, and general fitness/style/art inspiration. Also gardening and entertaining ideas. I do pin some products now and again if it's something I want to remember how to find without adding another bookmark to my browser, but that's a very secondary use for me.
If you can't buy it, pin it!
I use Pinterest to keep track of ideas that inspire me and are helpful. It is a wonderful concept, BUT I visit it less and less as it seems more companies are just marketing their stuff, and of course the bogus links are driving me mad. Part of what was/is so great about Pinterest is that the pins are pinned by "real people" and are part of a creative process-not companies just simply marketing their stuff. It is a turnoff and I have yet to buy anything I saw. Made, yes. Bought, no.
I've just recently got interested in Pinterest mainly cause of the crafty/artsy things I find on there. Although I don't see myself buying something mainly cause it showed up on there.