I always say this: Pinterest is more than just a social media platform. Unlike other social media platforms, Pinterest is a powerful search engine where online users go in search of inspiration and ideas through visual content.
Did you know that Pinterest has 522 million monthly active users as of 2024? So, if you are looking to sell your products online, grow your e-commerce store, or improve your brand awareness, then Pinterest just might be the platform you need.
With that in mind, I have here a comprehensive guide on how you can sell products on Pinterest and why you should sell your products on Pinterest.
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Benefits of Selling Products on Pinterest
Pinterest is a platform where people find ideas and inspiration, whether it’s for decorating their homes, choosing outfits, or trying out recipes. It’s also a great place for businesses to sell their products.
With millions of people using Pinterest every month, many are searching for things to buy. Here’s why selling on Pinterest can be a great opportunity for businesses:
1. Target Audience
Pinterest has more than 450 million users. Many of them visit Pinterest looking for new things to try or buy. By selling on Pinterest, you can show your products to a huge number of people and potential customers who are already interested in shopping and in the specific products you sell!
2. Visual Focused Platform
People on Pinterest love looking at pretty and creative images. For businesses, this is perfect because you can catch people’s attention with attractive photos of your old and new products.
This is especially perfect for businesses that sell clothes, home decor, crafts, and other physical products!
3. Free Website Traffic
One of the main goals of using Pinterest for business is to drive traffic to your website or online store for free. Every pin you post can have a link to your product’s page.
If people like what they see, they can click the pin and go straight to your website to make a purchase.
Many businesses find that Pinterest brings lots of visitors to their websites and blog posts, and these visitors are more likely to buy something.
4. Product Pins
Product Pins on Pinterest are a type of pin that makes it easy for people to buy items directly from the platform. Product pins show important product information like the price, availability, and description, right on the pin itself.
This helps users quickly see what the product is about without leaving Pinterest.
How to Sell Products on Pinterest
Here are some of the best practices you can do to improve your Pinterest marketing strategy so you can jumpstart your online business and reach the right audience quickly!
1. Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
To sell products on Pinterest, the first step you must take is to create a Pinterest business account. A personal account won’t give you access to important tools like Pinterest Analytics or Pinterest Ads, both of which are important for tracking your product performance and reaching a wider audience.
To create a business account:
- From the top-right of your screen, click Sign up
- Click Create a business account
- Enter your Email, Create a password and enter your Age
- Click Create account
- Fill out the fields to Build your profile, then click Next
- Fill out the fields to Describe your business, then click Next
- Select if you want to run ads, then click Next
- Select where you’d like to start or click the x icon to go to your new Pinterest business account
You can also convert your personal Pinterest account to a business account. Your Pins and followers will remain the same. You can switch back to a personal account at any time.
Here is how to do it:
- Log into your personal Pinterest account
- Click the directional arrow down icon at the top-right corner
- Click Settings
- Click Account management at the left of the screen
- Find the Convert to a business account option, then click Convert account
- Click Convert account
- Fill out the fields to Build your profile, then click Next
- Fill out the fields to Describe your business, then click Next
- Select if you want to run ads, then click Next
- Select where you’d like to start or click the x icon to go to your converted Pinterest business account
2. Optimize Your Pinterest Profile
Your profile is one of the first things potential customers will see. Make sure to upload a professional logo or relevant image. Write a concise but informative bio that tells users what your business is about and includes important keywords.
Add a link to your website or e-commerce store where users can browse your products. And make sure to add relevant keywords to your bio and Pinterest name so that your target audience can easily find you!
3. Claim Your Website
Pinterest allows you to claim your website, which enhances your credibility and allows you to track traffic and conversions from Pinterest to your site.
To claim your website, go to the settings of your business account, add your website URL, and follow the verification steps provided by Pinterest.
4. Use SEO to Optimize Your Pins
Pinterest functions as a search engine, so optimizing your content for SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the best way to make your pins appear in search results.
Users actively search for products and inspiration using keywords. By using the right keywords in your pins, descriptions, and boards, you can help your products appear in relevant searches, increasing visibility.
Here’s how to optimize for Pinterest SEO:
- Keyword Research: Start by researching what keywords your target audience is searching for. Pinterest’s search bar can be a useful tool for this. Start by typing a relevant term (e.g., “Christmas gift ideas”), and Pinterest will auto-suggest related terms.
- Use Keywords in Descriptions: When writing the descriptions for your pins, include relevant keywords. For example, if you sell beauty products, include terms like “organic beauty product,” “cruelty-free makeup,” and such.
- Pin Title: Be descriptive in your pin titles. Use detailed titles like “Cozy Winter Knit Sweater for Women.”
- Board Names and Descriptions: The names of your boards should clearly tell the type of content and pins they contain. For example, name the board “Living Room Home Decor” if it contains home decor products you sell.
If you are a complete beginner and you need more help understanding how SEO works on Pinterest, then do check out my course Pinterest SEO Traffic Secrets for the most valuable tips about everything Pinterest.
5. Create High Quality Pins
One thing to keep in mind is that Pinterest is a visual search engine. To sell products effectively on Pinterest, your pins need to grab attention immediately the moment a Pinterest user sees them on their feed.
While using beautiful images is important, there are other elements that contribute to a successful Pinterest pin. Here’s how you can design effective, high-quality pins.
- High-Resolution Photos: Photos should be bright, clear, and of high resolution. Blurry or low-quality images can turn potential buyers uninterested. Again, keep in mind that Pinterest is a visual platform.
- Text Overlays: Adding text overlays can make your pins stand out. You can simply put what your product is in the text or big texts like “Sale Now” or “Free Shipping”. Make sure that the font is bold and readable!
- Link to Website: Each pin should direct users to the product page on your website, not your homepage. Direct links reduce the steps needed to purchase which increases your conversion rate.
If you do not have experience at graphic design at all or you just do not have the time to create new pins from scratch, then you can try out my Pinterest templates that you can use and edit in Canva!
6. Create Pinterest Boards
Pinterest boards help you categorize your pins, making it easier for users to discover products they’re interested in. Well-organized boards can enhance your Pinterest strategy by appealing to niche audiences. Here’s how to structure your boards:
For example, if you sell home decor, create boards like “Bedroom Decor,” “Outdoor Decor,” or “Bedroom Essentials.” Each board should focus on a specific category.
It is also important to stay on top of holidays and seasonal trends by creating boards like “Summer Fashion Outfits” or “Holiday Gift Ideas.”
7. Use Pinterest Ads (Optional)
Though not necessary, Pinterest Ads can still help your reach by targeting more Pinterest users quickly. There are several types of Pinterest ads that can help you sell products:
- Promoted Pins: These look like regular pins but reach a larger audience because you pay for them to be seen by more users. They blend seamlessly into users’ feeds and can drive both traffic and engagement.
- Shopping Ads: If you’ve uploaded your product catalog, you can create shopping ads that allow users to click on the image and buy directly from your site. These are highly effective for e-commerce stores.
- Carousel Ads: Carousel ads display multiple images in one ad, allowing users to swipe through. This is perfect for showcasing various features of a single product or highlighting a product collection.
- Video Ads: Videos are more engaging than still images and can be a great way to demonstrate how your product works. Make sure the video is short, informative, and visually appealing.
- Collection Ads: Collections ads appear as one main image above three smaller images, in feeds on mobile devices.
- Showcase Ads: A Showcase ad is a multi-layered ad format featuring multiple cards. Within each swipeable card, advertisers can add up to three features with outbound links to more content, products and more.
8. Use Pinterest Analytics
Pinterest offers built-in analytics tools that allow you to track how well your pins are performing. Understanding these insights is a great strategy to optimize and improve your Pinterest marketing strategy.
Here are some important metrics to monitor:
- Impressions: The number of times your pins were shown to users.
- Saves: The number of times users saved your pins to their boards.
- Clicks: The number of users who clicked through to your website or product page.
- Conversions: Track actions users take after clicking on your pins, such as making a purchase or signing up for your email list.
If you need a more in-depth guide on this feature, then you can read my article about: How to Use Pinterest Analytics.
9. Catch Seasonal Trends
Pinterest is a platform where users plan for holidays and trends in advance. Whether it’s a holiday like Christmas or a seasonal change like summer, seasonal content tends to perform well on Pinterest.
Pinterest users often begin searching for Christmas or holiday gifts as early as September. Start creating and pinning holiday-related content months in advance so you can appear on search results more often.
It is also important to post relevant products that match with the current season. For example, if you sell clothing, start promoting winter coats in late fall and swimsuits in early spring.
10. Be Consistent
Consistency is key to building a following and increasing your reach on Pinterest. The more often you post high-quality pins, the more likely you are to be discovered by new Pinterest users.
Aim to pin regularly, at least once a day. The more you pin, the more visible your account becomes. And if you do not have enough content to upload, you can remain active by repinning a few pins from other users that are still relevant to your brand.
And while it’s okay to repin existing content, prioritize creating fresh new pins. New content sends a signal to Pinterest’s algorithm that your account is active.
You can use tools like Tailwind to schedule your pins in advance, ensuring consistent posting even when you’re not actively on the platform.
Products To Sell on Pinterest
1. Fashion Items
Pinterest is very popular for fashion inspo and ideas. People love looking for outfit inspiration, and this makes it a great place to sell clothing and accessories. You can sell items like:
- Dresses, shoes, and bags
- Jewelry and other trinkets
- Seasonal clothing
- and more!
2. Home Decor and Furniture
Pinterest users are always searching for ways to improve their homes. If you sell home decor or furniture, Pinterest is perfect for showing off your items.
Sharing photos of your products in stylish rooms will also inspire people to buy them.
You can sell things like:
- Sofas, chairs, and tables
- Wall art, rugs, and pillows
- and more!
3. Crafts and Handmade Products
Many Pinterest users love doing arts and crafts or DIY (do-it-yourself) projects, as well as buying handmade products! If you sell craft supplies, DIY kits, or handmade items, then Pinterest is a great place to show them.
You can sell items like:
- Knitting and sewing kits
- Crochet products
- Jewelry-making supplies
- Paintings and art
- and more!
4. Digital Products
Pinterest isn’t just for physical goods. Many businesses successfully sell digital products on the platform as well. These can be anything that users can download or access online.
Some popular digital products you can sell include:
- E-books or online courses
- Printable planners, calendars, or art
- Design templates or stock photos
- and more!
5. Beauty and Skincare Products
Beauty and skincare are huge on Pinterest. People look for makeup ideas, skincare routines, and beauty tips. If you sell beauty products, Pinterest can help you reach more customers. Popular products include:
- Makeup like lipstick or eyeshadow
- Skincare products like lotions and face masks
- Hair care products and accessories
- and more!
I’m Anastasia and I’m a full-time blogger, online entrepreneur, and Pinterest marketing strategist. I help digital entrepreneurs and bloggers drive targeted traffic from Pinterest either through my online courses or through Pinterest consultancy.
