With its amount of users surpassing that of multimedia app Snapchat to become the third largest platform in the U.S., it’s time to take a closer look at the advertising influence of Pinterest.
Pinterest is the place where online users roam in search for inspiration in the form of an alluring image or video. It’s where 300 million people each month spend approximately 14 minutes a day foraging for a spark of creativity or guidance before a purchase. And speaking of purchasing, Pinterest allows companies to advertise their products at a crucial point of the purchase funnel: the beginning.
Upon perusing one’s home feed in the app, the user is delivered targeted advertising that’s disguised as a normal image, or pin, from companies that believe a user could benefit from their product. These “promoted” pins often appear as more than an image, however, because after being clicked on they can become videos and most likely entrances to websites. There’s also the “Shop the Look” option, where users can tap on an object inside a pin which then allows for a list of options where they can purchase the item or similar items to appear.
You see, Pinterest offers companies a chance to make an impression upon the 50% plus of users who make a purchase after viewing a pin versus searching on the web. And in return for this kind gesture, the social media platform became the third most popular in the U.S., which is great because I wouldn’t function properly without it.
