What is Pinterest and how Does it Work?

If you've ever found yourself lost in the enchanting realm of creative ideas, DIY projects, stunning photography, and delectable recipes, chances are you've come across the term Pinterest. But do you know What is Pinterest? It is a social platform that allows for businesses to showcase their creativity and build a brand identity. 

According to Pinterest, as of April 2023, the platform had approximately 436 million Global Monthly Active Users (MAUs). You see, the popularity of this platform is at an all-time high. It means that it’s time to invest in learning how does Pinterest work. Read this blog to learn about What is Pinterest and how it works. Also, explore its features, potential benefits and how to use it for maximum profits. 

Table of Contents 

1) What is Pinterest? 

2) How does Pinterest work? 

3) What is Pinterest used for? 

4) Benefits of using Pinterest 

5) Challenges of using Pinterest 

6) Conclusion 

What is Pinterest? 

Pinterest is a Social Media platform and online service that allows users to discover, save, and share visual content such as images and videos. It serves as a virtual pinboard or digital scrapbook, where users can collect and organise content related to their interests, hobbies, and inspirations.  

Pinterest is known for its focus on visual discovery and is particularly popular for finding ideas and inspiration in various categories like fashion, home decor, cooking, travel, fitness, DIY projects, and more.. 

It offers a virtual bulletin board where users can discover, save, and share content known as "Pins." These Pins can be anything from images and videos to informative articles and product listings. The platform offers a treasure trove of creative ideas and serves as an endless source of inspiration for millions of users worldwide. As a result, it offers many benefits that are as follows:
 

What are Pins and Boards?  

Pins and Boards are important in Pinterest. A "pin" is any piece of content, typically an image or video, that a user adds to their collection. Each pin represents an idea, concept, or inspiration that the user finds intriguing and wants to save or share with others.  

These Pins can be organised into themed collections called "Boards." Boards are like virtual folders that allow you to categorise and arrange your Pins according to specific themes or topics. 

For example, if you are planning a home renovation, you can create a board titled "Home Improvement Ideas" and save relevant Pins related to design, decor, and renovation tips.

How does Pinterest work? 

Whether you're looking for creative ideas, planning an event, or seeking to showcase your own creations, Pinterest offers a good platform for your imagination. So, let's walk through how does Pinterest work: 

Getting started 

To create a Pinterest account, head to the Pinterest website or download the Pinterest app from your preferred app store. You have the option to sign up using your email address, or you can use your existing Facebook, Google, or Apple account for a more seamless process. Alternatively, you can use sites like Twitter to connect and get started as well, however it gives Pinterest the permission to reads your tweet on your timeline. 

For users who find being interconnected on Social Media across different platforms, using Twitter is a great option. If you however feel like this affects your privacy somehow, you can opt out to using Email instead. Email will normally ask you for more information compared to using a preexisting Social Media account. However, do not worry as this is a standard process, and it can not take your information from a preexisting Social Media account. 

Choosing your username 

Once you have chosen a suitable sign-up method, you'll be prompted to choose a username. Usernames are your unique identifier on Pinterest, so choose one that represents you or your brand if you're using Pinterest for business purposes. Remember that it should be easy to remember and spell. 

Completing your profile 

Next, you'll be asked to complete your profile information. Add a profile picture that reflects your personality or your brand's logo. A clear and inviting profile picture helps others recognise you and your content in their feeds. 

You'll also have the option to add a short bio. Use this space to introduce yourself, describe your interests, or mention the focus of your Pinterest account if you're using it for business. 

Following interests 

Pinterest will then prompt you to select your interests from a set of lists. This step helps Pinterest personalise your content feed by showing you Pins and Boards related to your chosen interests. You can change or add interests anytime later-in your home feed, which is a collection of different pictures. This home feed is similar to any other social media platform, allowing you to view content shared by people you follow. 

One thing that separates Pinterest’s home feed from other Social Media platforms is its complete visual nature. Pinterest has barely any words, relying on the imagery alone for the purpose of catching interest of others.  

Creating your first board 

With your profile set up, it's time to create your first board. Boards are like virtual folders where you can save and organise Pins. Think of a topic or theme that interests you, such as "Travel Destinations" or "Home Decor Ideas." Give your board a descriptive name and choose whether you want it to be public or private. 

Your home feed on Pinterest is curated to your choices, hence the image that show up on your feed will be relevant to what you selected. However, you should notice Pinterest’s algorithm will curate your feed based upon how your interest changes over time. This will be visible based upon how your images becoming relevant to the content that you can clicked and viewed on recently. 

Pinning your first content 

Now comes the exciting part - pinning! You can find Pins in two ways. One, by browsing Pinterest's homepage, where you'll see a selection of popular Pins. Two, by using the search bar to find content related to your interests. When you come across a pin you like, click on it to see a larger version. From there, you can save it to one of your Boards by clicking the red "Save" button. 

Organising your Boards 

As you discover more Pins, you may want to create additional Boards to keep your content organised. To create a new board, click on your profile, go to "Boards," and click the "+ Create" button. Repeat the process of naming the board and choosing its visibility. 

Connecting with others 

Pinterest is a social platform, and connecting with others can enhance your experience. You can follow other users whose content interests you and you can also invite friends to join Pinterest and follow each other's Boards. 

Exploring the Discover tab 

The "Discover" tab on Pinterest is a goldmine for inspiration. It's where you'll find personalised pin recommendations based on your interests and interactions. Check this tab regularly to discover new content and ideas that align with your passions. 

Pinning from the web 

Pinterest offers a browser extension or "Pin It" option that you can add to your browser's bookmarks bar. This feature allows you to easily pin content from any website you visit, making it convenient to save articles, images, or products you want to revisit later. 

Become a Digital Marketing expert with our Social Media Masterclass! 

What is Pinterest used for? 

Pinterest is essentially a platform to share image and video-based content., Hhence, it has various uses. People can use Pinterest for to simply shareing artwork or advertiseing a product to other users. It is often less verbal inI nature compared to other Ssocial Mmedia platforms, as visuals tend to convey most of the message, and the rest is left to other users to perceive it. 

Pinterest gets its name from the pin system, where users can pin an image or video they like to a board on the site. This allows them to discover the content of other people and curate it based on the content they like. The visual of impact of Pinterest makes it an excellent platform to find inspiration, learn new skills and find products that you might find interesting. 

Due to the advertising potential of Pinterest, many businesses use it frequently for marketing purposes. It becomes an excellent platform to demonstrate your products and services online to countless people. People who find these products or services interesting can then purchase them after looking them up. 

Pinterest accounts haves unique features like Pinterest analytics, which is a great tool for marketing practices. Business accounts can access exclusive content formats and advertising services for marketing services. Pinterest also allows you to link to other platforms like YouTube, Etsy, and Instagram, allowing you to link pins on the platform to businesses on other platforms. 

You can use Pinterest tags for tracking to track visitor's actions on a website, allowing you to see their behaviour after seeing an advertisement. This tag is a small code which is embedded into the website, which helps organisations measure the overall performance of a marketing campaign.

Benefits of using Pinterest 

Pinterest as a list of benefits for both regular users and marketing professionals, making this platform an important option in Oonline Mmarketing. Some of these benefits are as follows: 

1) Increasing customer count: Pinterest can increase the overall number of customers, as Pinterest has a large user base who are actively looking for products. These users are likely to purchase the services and products they come across on the platform, making them a stable customer in future. 

2) Detecting popular trends: Organisations can use Pinterest to detect which trends are currently popular, helping them predict the potential popularity of products in future. This platform also helps small business in particular who cannot hire large research team for marketing, allowing them to maximise their profits by keeping up with trends. 

3) Directing traffic: Well- optimised online content can help you re- direct traffic generated on Pinterest to your company’s website. This can create a loop of a well-established website directing people to pins and the pin directing more crowns back. This loop can be fundamental in increasing the overall domain authority of a website. 

4) Collecting insights: A business account onf Pinterest allows you to analyse how the users are interacting to with online content. You can make decisions driven by data based upon on the behaviour of the users, such as their impressions, views and clicks regarding the content. 

5) Targeting ads: Pinterest has a feature which allows you to create your advertisement in a fashion, where it only reaches the targeted category of people. These ad campaigns are established with a particular user interest in mind, allowing an organisation to create a better brand awareness. 


 

Challenges of using Pinterest 

It's a givenunderstood that using Pinterest has a wide range of benefits, reflecting onowing to its popularity. However, like most Ssocial Mmedia platforms and any technological tool, Pinterest has its own set of challenges. While businesses use it frequently to have a better marketing edge, marketing professionals face certain challenges, which are as follows: 

1) Investing time: Pinterest- based content and its integration form marketing purposes can come as a challenge due to its vast size., Aas a result, it can be a test to curate the content for optimised results, this makes the earlier stages of this process quite difficult. 

2) Targeting minor demographic: Pinterest suffers from a narrower user base compared to a more predominant Ssocial Mmedia platform. This makes it difficult to target a specific demographic in an already small group of people. As a result, marketing segment of this Ssocial Mmedia platform can be too small to drive a significant amount of profit, based on the content or services of an organisation. 

3) Visualising platform: Pinterest at its core is a very visual Ssocial Mmedia platform, relying on eye catching imagery and videos for clicks and views. A good Mmarketing Ccampaign needs to a visual strategy to use Pinterest to its full potential. 

4) Marketing intent: Pinterest was originally never meant to be a marketing tool or a profit driver for any market. This Ssocial Mmedia platform was designed with the intent of inspiring people and giving them innovative ideas. As a result, the businesses which provides informative and inspiring content to the users, tend to do better, compared to blatant marketing strategies. 

Conclusion 

Pinterest is a platform that harnesses the power of visuals to inspire and connect millions of users worldwide. If you are looking to find your next creative project, plan an event, or grow your business, knowing What is Pinterest offers a world of possibilities. Embrace the magic of visual discovery, and let Pinterest open the doors to a world of imagination and inspiration. 

Give your marketing career a new dimension with our LinkedIn Marketing Masterclass! Register today.