Advantages & Disadvantages of Pinterest Marketing (2024)

You’ve probably heard about Pinterest before; everyone is saying how amazing it is and how they’re doing great. But you just can’t figure out exactly what it is about the platform that is worth adding one more task to the endless social media demands.

So, why Pinterest? Let’s look at some of the most significant advantages and disadvantages of Pinterest marketing.

But first… Is Pinterest a social media platform? 🤔

Not really. Although Pinterest has elements of a social media platform, such as reactions & comments, Pinterest is a powerful visual search engine closer to Google than Instagram & Facebook. In Pinterest’s own words, “Pinterest is a visual discovery engine for finding ideas.“

Advantages of Pinterest

1. Longer lifespan of Content: Better value for your money 💸

If you are consistently posting on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok, likely, you are already creating content suitable for Pinterest. But unlike other platforms where the users only consume content that pops up on their feed or stories that only last 24 hours, Pinterest content is permanent.

This is because Pinterest is a visual search engine where content does not expire or get buried under newer posts. Sometimes, one piece of content on Pinterest can yield results for 3-6 months because the post is non-chronological. It’s personal. Your content shows up when Pinners are looking for something to try, buy or do.

Since the content doesn’t go out of date, you get more value out of one post, making it a great way to repurpose your content. You can use one piece of content over and over as long as you are bringing a new angle to it.

2. The User mindset: Pinners are ready to take action and buy 🛍️

Pinterest users are known as Pinners, and unlike Instagram or TikTok users, Pinners are not on the platform hunting for likes or seeing what everyone else is doing. Instead, they are searching for their next project.

• Pinners are open-minded: Pinners want to be inspired and go to Pinterest for ideas of places to go and things to buy, but they don’t know what they want until they have it in front of them. In a recent publication, “How Inspiration Drives Decisions,” Pinterest reported driving 10x higher branded searches off-platform than others. That means people come without a brand in mind but leave with a decision. There’s a trigger moment that happens on Pinterest.

• It’s all about the Pinner: Pinners are there to plan their future & dreams. So, ensure all your content and messaging is geared toward helping turn their inspirations into realities. They’re looking for new ideas. They’re looking for inspiration to live their best life.
• Pinners are ready to take action: According to Pinterest findings, “when people feel inspired, they’re also more likely to act. So when your brand shows up in an inspiring environment, you’re more likely to see positive results.”
• Good vibes only! ✌: According to a Pinterest report, 8 in 10 people say Pinterest is a place where they feel positive. So keep the tune and put your brand in front of the Pinterest audience with an inspiring idea.

3. Pinterest is Top of Funnel & Search based: Get discovered by your ideal customer.

You might be surprised to hear this, but Pinterest and Google are tied to the hip!

With over 430 million monthly users looking for inspiration and fresh ideas, Pinterest is the perfect platform to get discovered by customers at the beginning of their buyer’s journey.

Furthermore, according to a Pinterest report, 97% of the top searches on Pinterest are unbranded because people come to plan and do. Still, they haven’t yet made up their minds about what to buy—the perfect opportunity for a small business to compete.

4. Diversify The Traffic to Your Store: Gain a competitive advantage.

One significant advantage of having a Pinterest marketing strategy is the capacity to drive targeted traffic to a website or online shop.

Unlike other social media sites, Pinterest is more likely to send you relevant traffic when you use it correctly. If you can create high-quality visual content on Pinterest, you will have more users share your content and follow your links, which will turn into a source of sustainable long-term traffic.

5. Stay on top of emerging trends and get content ideas: Share content your customers love

If you are still trying to come up with content ideas or figuring out what kind of content to create (like many people do), Pinterest has excellent resources to help you come up with content that connects you with your dream client.

Here are a few:

• Pinterest trends: The tool allows you to see what’s trending and when throughout the year. For example, if you are
• Pinterest predicts Important days that are happening and search terms people are using
• Pinterest Audience Insights: Pinterest wants to make it easy for businesses to market on the platform, so they constantly produce research and reports on their latest findings.

Disadvantages of Pinterest

1. No benefit from instant gratification

Pinterest is a long-term game. Unlike other social media, where you get immediate gratification, Pinterest takes longer to start generating results. A typical buying habit on Pinterest is that about three months before someone makes a purchase, they will do much searching, so as a business owner, you want to hit your target audience well in advance. This can feel frustrating because we are used to the instant gratification of vanity metrics such as likes and reactions.

2. Pinterest Marketing is Not for most local business

If your business depends exclusively on local traffic & sales– think like a bakery or hairdresser. Pinterest won’t be the best place without paying for ads.

3. Pinterest Native Scheduler Limitations

As a business owner, you have plenty of things on your plate, so of course, scheduling months’ worth of content in advance is a big time saver. Unfortunately, at the moment, the Pinterest native scheduler only allows you to schedule 2 weeks in advance, which means you will need to keep a reminder to schedule more content once it runs out, which is not ideal for a busy business owner.

4. Keeping up with constant algorithm changes

Although not unique to Pinterest, keeping up with algorithm changes is a must to ensure that your content remains relevant and reaches the right audience. Still, this task can be overwhelming for a busy entrepreneur.

So... Is Pinterest Marketing a good fit for your business?

If you’re sitting there thinking about how to incorporate Pinterest into your digital marketing strategy but still are not sure if your business is ready for the platform, explore its potential with our concise, 30-minute mini-course, "Pin-Ready Blueprint." This free resource quickly assesses Pinterest's fit for your brand, offering essential insights to guide your decision. Jumpstart your Pinterest journey today and see if it aligns with your growth goals.

PS- Discover untapped audiences waiting for your brand.

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