Take a look at the user base on Pinterest and one thing is for sure. It is a social network that is predominantly populated by women. As a matter of fact:

83% of users on Pinterest are women

A stunning statistic, especially when you compare it to Facebook’s 57% and Twitter’s 42% female populations. Pinterest is by no means an exclusive women’s network, but it has largely been adopted as such, which is certainly reflected in the content and topics  pinterest bussines Account shared on the site. This is evident from the most popular posts, which cover everything from cooking recipes to fashion, beauty, crafts and women’s interests.

Pinterest is all about creating and sharing “pins” or images as part of your virtual “board”. It has carved a niche for itself as a “visual social network” and clearly stands out from industry leaders Facebook & Twitter with a dedicated user base of 70 million worldwide.

Social networks that focus on image content like Pinterest and Instagram may have lower market penetration, but they present something new and exciting that Facebook & Twitter lack. While Pinterest and Instagram saw significant growth in their global active users between 2012 and 2013, Facebook lost them.

Why Pinterest makes sense for businesses

If your target market is made up of women, Pinterest is a social network you can’t ignore. Additionally, if you target women with children, it’s estimated that up to 50% of Pinterest users are women with children. It has also been found that Pinterest members tend to come from a higher income bracket than other social networks.

However, there are many other reasons why Pinterest makes sense as part of your marketing strategy, and here are why:

• Pinterest users want to connect with brands – Almost twice as many users on Pinterest use the site to connect with retailers and brands they identify with than Facebook.
• Might Help Boost Your Search Rankings – There’s no hard evidence to say that using Pinterest will help your website rankings on Google. However, there is ample evidence that Google rewards sites that get social media endorsements, including Pins.
• 70% of Pinterest users use Pinterest to get inspiration for their purchases – According to a Converto report of 40 leading online retailers, Pinterest accounted for 17.4% of their total social media sales in 2012.
• Consumers trust information from Pinterest more than Facebook/Twitter – A study by Socialmouths found that women trust information from Pinterest more than Facebook and Twitter.

Pinterest: 81% Twitter: 73% Facebook: 67%

Who Uses Pinterest Well?

It’s still early in the day for Pinterest marketing. Many of the brands using the site have only done so in the last 1-2 years. For businesses that use it right, Pinterest can be a huge online marketing opportunity. Some of the brands that have used the image sharing site are:

• Etsy – With more than 478,000 followers, the handcrafted marketplace is able to visually promote its sellers’ products, drive traffic to its e-commerce site, and increase sales of its listings. Etsy’s Pinterest strategy isn’t just about sales, as a large portion of their pins feature quality tutorials, DIY projects, and more.
• Country life – The country life magazine has fully exploited the possibilities of Pinterest. Their boards feature branded covers instead of the standard covers (random image from this collection), making for an appealing selection of boards with over 10,000 pins!
• Wedding Republic – After implementing their Pinterest marketing strategy, Wedding Republic saw a 70 percent increase in traffic to their website.

It’s not just brands for women. There are plenty of other brands that have jumped on the wagon as well, including Sony, Mashable, and Expedia.

Start harnessing the power of Pinterest

Whether you have an extensive product catalog or not, Pinterest can be used to acquire fans, drive traffic to your website, and increase brand awareness.

• Be visual – Pinterest is like an endless stream of subtle product recommendations. The more visually appealing your posts are, the more likely they are to be noticed and re-pinned.
• Be personal – Like other social networks, is an ideal environment for building trust and closer relationships with a brand’s customers. Consider showing the faces behind the company. Post behind-the-scenes pictures that show your personality.
• Be a Curator – Simply promoting your own products and brands will soon turn your followers off. Be fun and add value by re-pinning the millions of pins on the site, not just your own. You may soon be invited to “pin” to other users’ boards, giving you access to their follower base and ultimately expanding your reach.
• Be creative – Pinterest is a very different platform than Facebook or Twitter. It offers you a range of new creative ways to increase your brand awareness and website sales. An example of great usage comes from an unexpected source, Roto Rooter. The American Plumbing Company managed to create an engaging Pinterest page by asking their fans to post pictures of their mascot in their Where in the World is Mr Rooter? Blackboard.
• Consider running creative contests to encourage fans to pin your products or images related to your business. Consider creating custom boards on different topics.

Have you ever tried using Pinterest as part of your online marketing strategy? What were the results? Do you see a future in Pinterest as part of your own marketing strategy?