There has been much talk about Pinterest in the internet marketing circles. Pinterest, the latest entry to the social media market, has shown great potential and record braking statistics within a relatively short time.

Marketers and businesses across the world have been quick to embrace Pinterest. Although still relatively new, Pinterest has already established itself as a credible internet marketing channel for many businesses throughout the world.

In this article, we take a look at why marketing your business on Pinterest offers better potential  than even Facebook.

Here are 7 reasons why Pinterest is better than Facebook for your business.

1. Pinterest is The Fastest Growing Social Network

Pinterest is the fastest growing social platform today. It has created history by becoming the fastest site to receive its first 10 million users, beating even Facebook and Twitter. With 20 million users, it still has a long way to go to reach Facebook’s 900 million users however this is mainly because Pinterest is still relatively new.

2. Online Consumers Follow More Brands on Pinterest Than Facebook

A combined study by Comscrore and Shop.Org in May 2012 has found that Pinterest users outperform Facebook users in the number of businesses or brands they follow. The study found that online consumers in US on an average follow 9.3 retail brands on Pinterest as compared to 6.9 on Facebook.

The findings suggest that consumers are using Pinterest to engage with retailers more than Facebook or Twitter.

3.  Pinterest Users Are More Likely to Purchase on Brands They Follow

Additionally, the findings of the combine study above  showed that Pinterest users are also more likely to purchase an item on the websites of the companies they follow than Facebook users.

4. Pinterest is More Retail Oriented

Based on statistics it appears that many users use Pinterest primarily for browsing products to buy compared to Facebook which is used primarily for conversations and personal connections.  This makes Pinterest ideal for businesses that want to promote product sales, both online and offline.

5. Pinterest is Better for Showcasing Products

The visual nature of Pinterest offers the perfect opportunity for businesses to showcase their products. It is ideal businesses where the visual appearance plays an important role in purchasing decision of customers e.g. fashion, electronics, food and catering, etc.

6. Pinterest Drives More Sales Referrals than Facebook

Pinterest drives more sales than Facebook, according to a study of social media traffic by Boticca.com. The study found that after integrating ‘pinning’ buttons across its website Pinterest has become its number one social referrer, resulting in almost 10% of total sales, compared to 7% from Facebook.

Similar findings were reported in another study by marketing agency Converto which showed that Pinterest represents 17.4% of social media revenue for e-commerce sites, a figure that was predicted to grow to 40% by 2012.

7. Pinterest  Introduces More New Users to Website

Furthermore, Pinterest drives higher numbers of new customers. The study found that 86% of visits from Pinterest were new first time visitors to the website as compared to 57% from Facebook.

Pinterest tends to introduce new customers to client websites, making it a “Top of Funnel” marketing source. If you measure the big three social media sites on a “First Touch” revenue per click basis, Pinterest is the clear winner.

8. Pinterest Users Spend More Than Facebook Users

The study also indicated that users that arrive from Pinterest spend more than twice as much on average per transaction than users who arrive from Facebook. The bitocca study found that the average spend for Pinterest users was $180 vs. $85 for Facebook users.

9. Pinterest Offers Better Revenue Per Click Than Facebook

According to marketing technology company Convertro, Pinterest is beating established players like Facebook and Twitter in the revenue-per-click category. The study which measured the top three social media websites on a ‘First Touch’ revenue per click basis, found Pinterest to be clear winner, beating Twitter by  more than 400% and Facebook by 27%.

Conclusion:

This article highlights the importance of using Pinterest to market your business. It is however important to note that Pinterest is still relatively new and still has a long way to go before it even comes close to Facebook’s over 900 million user-base. Pinterest should not replace Facebook in your internet marketing strategy but should work side by side. What is important is that you don’t make the mistake of ignoring Pinterest or you risk loosing out to your competitors.

Next Step For Your Business

If you don’t already use Pinterest, create an account today.  Additionally, one of the first things you can do is to is include a Pin button on your website content much like the Facebook Like or Twitter’s ReTweet link.

You can also take advantage of 16 Pinterest Marketing Tips for Your Business.

Do You Use Pinterest?

Are you promoting your business using Pinterest ? Do you have “Pin it” button in your website or blog? Perhaps you would like to suggest an innovative way to use Pinterest to promote your brand and increase your sales? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below?