Sell Me on My Interests

A couple weeks ago I was scrolling through my recommended #Pinterest boards and what comes up? Ben & Jerry’s fall flavor- Pumpkin Cheesecake. I, being the optimal target group for ice cream, actually got off the couch and actually drove to Target to find my beloved Ben & Jerry’s. To my dismay, my Target hadn’t gotten the flavor in yet. I left Target, wounded, saddened, and with a pint size piece missing from my heart. Despite my overall disappointing Target run, what did I learn from my trip? That pinners like me are the reason businesses market their products on Pinterest. In fact, about 75% of Pinterest users have made a purchase from content they found on boards. Pretty effective.

Scrolling through my Pinterest right now, I have already come across boards promoted by L’Oréal Paris, Hidden Valley Ranch, Free People, The Home Depot, and American Signature Home. That was probably two minutes’ worth of scrolling. The average user spends about 15 minutes per visit! Think of all that ice cream exposure! So why are businesses using Pinterest to connect to potential consumers? Because they are able to connect with someone through a shared interest. Pinterest just doesn’t feel as abrasive as a TV commercial; it’s more tailored to you and for you.

Pinning allows you to create boards based of your hobbies and hobbies are what make you, you. So if a company can offer you a good that will somehow enhance your hobbies, wouldn’t you be interested? Appealing to someone’s activities help products become more of an experience rather than just objects. Ben & Jerry’s was appealing to my love of fall, pumpkins, and comfort of eating a whole pint of ice cream while watching The Real Housewives of New York City. It’s like they really, really know me and I feel special.

With over one billion boards to explore, we the consumer will never run out of things to pin or things we want to buy. I like that companies on Pinterest are appealing to my interests rather than my wallet…I mean technically they still are; it just doesn’t feel that way. In the meantime, I’ll report back to you once I’ve officially gotten my hands on that pint of Pumpkin Cheesecake…