Pinterest Visual Search Can Make your Content More Visible

An underused feature, the Pinterest Visual Search, can help Brands become more Visible Online.

At the very core of all Digital Marketing Strategies is the objective of becoming more visible online. Any tool or feature that can improve your brand visibilty is worth considering and Pinterest’s Visual Search function is one that a lot of businesses, particularly B2C operations, should be looking at.

Launched in November 2015, the visual search feature on Pinterest allows users to find visually similar products to an item they like on Pinterest. The Buyable Pins Function enables businesses to allow Pinterest users to buy an item from Pinterest, this takes it a little further. The company itself calls it ‘Crazy-Fun’, and admitedly, it is.

Visual Search

From a consumer perspective, this is a dream. If you use Pinterest frequently you will have lost count of the times you have found that perfect something, only you don’t actually know where you can buy it from. Those days are gone! From a marketing perspective, this is an opportunity to appeal to a more visual proportion of a business’ potential customers. All the more reason for businesses to be on Pinterest.

This is an unsurprising step as Pinterest have been working hard over the past year and a half to move away from the label of being an online scrapbook. This is an organic move from them as they attempt to pin themselves (N̶o̶t̶ Sorry) as an interactive search site; a source of information and inspiration.
Digital experts, including ourselves, have been pushing businesses into becoming more visual, and this introduction emphasises why. When people are buying things they are more concerned about aesthetics at the intial stages of their decision journey. 
Online industry magazine Advertising Age states that Online users are ‘moving beyond keywords’ when they are looking for something; many online users searching images first when they are looking for consumer goods. This is why this recent addition to Pinterest will work so well for consumer aimed businesses, particularly those with ecommerce sites.
By using buyable pins, a business could really take advantage of the presence of Visual Search. Say for example, you run an accessory store which sells Fur Bobble Hats. If some one is looking at similar items on Pinterest, they might think “I would like one of those”; they can click the search icon, select the hat and low-and-behold, your buyable pin comes up.
Pinterst Visual Search
As with everything, there are some things to consider before adding this to your Digital Marketing Strategy.
1. Ensure someone who knows what they are doing is managing the output 
As pinterest is now more than just image sharing, it’s important to have someone at the helm who understands these features and is willing to learn more as things change. If you have someone who thinks managing social accounts is ‘easy’, without a willingness to develop their skills and knowledge in the area, you are not likely to gain the full advantage.
2. Assess whether it fits your brand
Not every social network is suitable for every brand. For example, a Solicitor’s Firm probably wouldn’t gain much traction from it. An astute marketer knows this and is able to assess the brand and it’s audience. Yes, this new feature is potentially groundbreaking for a lot of businesses, yes it will make it easier for audiences to discover your brand, but if your target market isn’ t on Pinterest, you don’t need to be (yet).
As Pinterest continues to become more, marketers and businesses need to stay abreast of changes and developments in order to ensure that they are taking full advantage of functions like Visual Search. There is no doubt that more interesting things are due to come from Pinterest.
How can we sum up our feelings the Pinterest Visual Search Function?
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If you are unsure whether Pinterest Visual Search is something your ecommerce business could benefit from, get in touch with emarkable, leaders in Digital Marketing Strategies. Our team can help analyse your audience and put in place a structured and effective plan that will best suit your business and your audience. 
Free Marketing Consulation*featured image courtesy of Alejandro Escamilla
Richard Coen

With over 21 years of experience in Digital Marketing, 31 years in sales and 25 years in business development, Richard assists companies to develop key growth strategies on a local or international basis. He can assist marketers to achieve balance in their approach to key areas affected by the growth in digital marketing.