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In recent years, social media platforms have emerged as powerful marketing tools for businesses of all sizes. Pinterest, in particular, has become a valuable resource for small businesses looking to increase their online presence and generate income.

So, how do businesses choose between Pinterest and Facebook marketing as a priority?

With its user-friendly interface and focus on visual content, Pinterest has proven to be a highly effective platform for driving traffic to business or blogging websites and increasing sales. Many small businesses have found that Pinterest outperforms other social media platforms, such as Facebook, regarding direct sales.

As experts in Pinterest marketing, we’ve put together a comparison between Promoted Pins and Facebook Ads and how to make the most of Pinterest to drive sales and grow your business.

Promoted Pins vs. Facebook Ads

Promoted Pins are an advertising feature on Pinterest that allows businesses to place their content strategically. Promoted Pins appear the same as regular Pins, but they are labeled as “Promoted” when appearing in users’ home feeds, search results, and category feeds.

Facebook Ads is a Facebook advertising service that allows businesses and organizations to promote their products, services, or brand on the platform. Businesses can create customized advertisements that appear in users’ news feeds, on the right-hand side of the desktop, or in the Stories and Explore sections.

While Pinterest and Facebook are both social media platforms, they offer different features, user demographics, and use cases. With this in mind, the two platforms are not direct competitors but could complement one another to reach different audiences and achieve different goals.

However, if you only have the budget for one advertising effort, then Pinterest offers significant benefits.

Ultimately, Pinterest Ads are more effective for driving traffic as each image is automatically linked to its primary source.

Compare results

Facebook and Pinterest offer different results, depending on your end goal. Generally, Facebook is more effective for businesses that want to target a wider audience and achieve various marketing objectives. On the other hand, Pinterest is more effective for businesses with visually-driven products or services with a highly-engaged user base. Pinterest Ads are particularly effective when promoting new products and driving traffic to an online page.

Compare costs

The overall cost of Facebook and Pinterest advertising depends on several factors, including the target audience, industry, ad format, and bidding strategy. Generally, Pinterest advertising tends to be more cost effective for businesses with a high visual appeal, offering a higher return on investment for businesses selling niche products or services.

Compare easy use

Promoted Pins are easy to set up. Simply select an existing Pin, set a target and budget, and bid on strategic keywords (helping to determine placement). Promoted Pins are designed to be seamless and blend in with the organic Pins on the platform. When interacting with a Promoted Pin, users will be directed to the business landing page to learn more about the product (and make a purchase).

Facebook Ads can be more challenging to set up, with a range of different ad formats to choose from, including image ads, video ads, carousel ads, and collection ads. Businesses can target their audience based on various factors such as age, gender, location, and more. In addition, businesses can choose specific marketing objectives, such as increasing website traffic, promoting app installs, and driving sales.

Is Pinterest an Effective Way to Drive Traffic and Sales?

In many situations, Pinterest offers more advantages than Facebook, effectively driving traffic and sales. Consider the following reasons why Pinterest is more effective than Facebook for driving sales.

Pinterest drives traffic and sales

Due to its focus on visual content and discovery features, Pinterest is an effective platform for driving traffic and sales. Unlike Facebook, where content is fleeting, Pinterest’s user base is highly engaged with visual content, and users use the platform to discover and save content for future use.

Promoted Pins increase the visibility of a business’s content and drive more traffic to their website. Product Pins and Shopping Ads allow businesses to showcase products and services directly on the platform, making it easy for users to convert marketing efforts into sales.

Longevity of Pinterest content

One of the unique features of Pinterest is the longevity of its content. Unlike other social media platforms, where content quickly gets lost in the endless stream of new posts, Pinterest’s user base is highly engaged with visual content. Users use the platform to discover and save content for future reference, meaning that content on Pinterest has a longer shelf life than on other platforms, as Pins can continue to be discovered and saved by users long after they were initially created.

The average Pin has a lifespan of several months, and some Pins can continue to drive traffic and engagement for years. This makes Pinterest a powerful tool for businesses looking to create evergreen content that can continue to generate traffic and sales long after it was initially posted.

Pinterest toolkit image

Pinterest loves brands

Pinterest goes above and beyond to showcase brands and their offerings, boasting a range of features designed to help businesses advertise their products, services, and brand identity. For example, Pinterest allows brands to create a verified business account, view analytics, and other business-specific features.

Rich Pins allow brands to showcase their brand and products, providing space for product context, such as pricing, availability, and purchasing information. Other business-specific resources include case studies, best practices, and industry insights that help optimize strategies. The advertising options also increase the visibility of Pins, helping to drive traffic and sales.

Overcoming Concerns about using Pinterest

Many brands have neglected Pinterest, mistakenly believing the platform doesn’t offer a return on investment. However, Pinterest effectively drives traffic to a business website, helping brands generate leads and conversions. In fact, Pinterest is one of the largest traffic drivers in the world!

The popularity of Pinterest spans multiple generations and is considered one of the fastest-growing content-sharing platforms. Boasting 450 million active users, Pinterest highlights impressive figures in its latest performance report.

Why pinterest is better for direct sales than facebook

What Types of Businesses Should Run Pinterest Ads?

Any business with visually appealing products or services has the potential to benefit from Pinterest advertising. Even so, there are a few industries that perform specifically well on the platform. Consider the following as a starting point.

  • E-commerce stores that sell products such as clothing, jewelry, home decor, and other handmade items
  • Food and beverage businesses such as restaurants, cafes, and food brands
  • Health and fitness businesses such as fitness centers, nutritionists, and wellness coaches
  • Travel businesses, including resorts and tourism boards
  • Home and garden businesses such as furniture stores, home improvement services, and home decor brands
  • Beauty and fashion brands, including clothing retailers, beauty brands, and fashion designers or bloggers
  • Education brands such as schools, online courses, and tutoring services

What Type of Pinterest Ads are Most Successful?

The best Pinterest Ad for your brand will depend on your specific goals. Factors such as the type of ad, the target audience, and the quality of your content will all impact the advert’s success.

Consider the following types of Pinterest ads and when they are best suited.

Promoted Pins

Promoted Pins are normal Pins that are boosted to reach more people. They appear seamlessly in a user’s feed and drive traffic to a website, increase brand awareness, promote a sale or product, and generate leads.

Video Pins

Promoted Video Pins allow businesses to showcase products or services dynamically and engagingly. Video Pins can be up to 60 seconds long and autoplay in a user’s feed. These adverts are effective in showcasing products or services in action, building brand awareness, and telling a story.

Carousel Pins

Promoted Carousel Pins allow businesses to showcase multiple images in a single Pin, highlighting multiple products or various features of a single product. Users can swipe through multiple images and get to know the brand or product better within a single Pin. These are effective in creating a narrative around a product and promoting a collection.

Shop the Look Pins

Shop the Look Pins allows businesses to tag individual items within an image, making it easy for users to shop for specific products they see on their feeds. When a user clicks on a tagged product, they are taken to a product page where they can learn more about the product (and make a purchase). These Pins are handy for driving sales, showcasing products in context, highlighting multiple products, and inspiring users on how to use or style the products.

Promoted App Pins

Promoted App Pins are used to promote mobile apps to a wider audience. When a user clicks on a Promoted App Pin, they are sent directly to the app store to complete the download. If you want to drive app installs, increase brand awareness, target specific audiences, and promote new features, then this is a fantastic option.

How to Get Started on Pinterest

Pinterest advertising offers an incredible opportunity to increase brand awareness, target specific audiences, increase website traffic, and, of course, drive sales. Starting with Pinterest advertising can be intimidating, and that’s where we come in with our ad management services.

We work with our clients to get the best results from Pinterest advertising. Are you ready to get started? Book a strategy call with Laura Rike today!

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