How to Get Started with Pinterest Buyable Pins
In recent posts, we’ve discussed how to use Pinterest for ecommerce. We went over the fundamentals of a Pinterest business account and how to drive sales using one.
In this post, we’ll discuss the basics of Pinterest Buyable Pins and why your company should use them.
What Are Pinterest Buyable Pins?
Over the past 2-3 years, Pinterest has become a popular shopping platform. And it’s also been an effective way for ecommerce brands to direct traffic to their sites. But thanks to Buyable Pins, Pinterest users can buy products directly on Pinterest.
Buyable Pins are pins that allow people to buy products without leaving Pinterest. Pinterest users can pay either via credit card or Apple Pay.
Like Product Pins, Buyable Pins show the price, availability, seller, and website. Pinterest users can use the “Add to Bag” button to add the item to their Pinterest shopping bag. Shoppers can buy the item right away or come back to their Pinterest shopping bag later.
Pinterest doesn’t charge fees for Buyable Pins. And Buyable Pins are automatically revised based on your website data. If a product price changes, the Buyable Pin will update. And if a product sells out, you don’t have to worry about the pin disappearing. Rather, there will be an out of stock notice. And the “Add to Bag” button will not be available until it’s restocked.
Additionally, your company still handles shipping and customer service. So you can manage it the same as you would for your ecommerce store — as long as it follows Pinterest’s guidelines. After a customer purchases an item, you must send a confirmation email with the order details. This includes price, taxes or fees, shipping information, and contact information. You’re also required to respond to questions and concerns in a timely manner.
How Pinterest Buyable Pins Work
Below is an example of a Buyable Pin. Pinterest users can immediately see if a pin is a Buyable Pin because it will have an “Add to Bag” button. Additionally, the pin displays the seller, price, and option to view the return policy. (Note: Pinterest requires all sellers to include a return policy for buyers.)
To buy the product, the shopper clicks the “Add to Bag” button.
From there, the shopper chooses the item quantity.
Some products require the shopper to choose color and/or size. If a certain size or color is sold out, then the option will not be available. After the shopper selects a size and/or color, she clicks Done.
Once the shopper provides the required details, she presses the Go to Checkout button. Then she’ll fill out credit card and shipping address information. If she prefers, she can save these details to make the buying process easier in the future.
The shopper has the option to buy the product right away or complete the transaction later. After the transaction is complete, the shopper receives a confirmation email.
Why Your Company Should Use Pinterest Buyable Pins
Pinterest is a great way to improve brand awareness for your business. When Buyable Pins were first released in 2015, 90% of purchases were from new customers. If you’re looking for a way to increase your customer base, Buyable Pins could be the way to go.
Also, as I mentioned before, Pinterest users can buy from you without leaving the site. This convenience is one of the biggest reasons Buyable Pins can help increase sales.
There have been multiple success stories with Buyable Pins generating almost immediate results. Online clothing retailer Spool No. 72 found that after eight weeks of using Buyable Pins, 30% of their Pinterest sales came from Buyable Pins.
How to Sign Up for Pinterest Buyable Pins
To use Buyable Pins, you must be a U.S. merchant with a Pinterest Business account. And Buyable Pins are currently available only through Shopify and BigCommerce.
Additionally, there are certain products that aren’t eligible for Buyable Pins on Pinterest at this time. These include the following:
- Customizable products
- Non-physical goods, such as digital downloads
- Live animals
For a complete list of prohibited products, review Pinterest’s guidelines.
If Pinterest rejects your application, start by reviewing your website and URLs. Make sure no links are broken or behind a login form.
You should also check that your Pinterest profile is representative of your company and what it sells. Additionally, ensure there aren’t any spelling errors on your pins or excessive symbol use. And definitely don’t use inappropriate language.
Upon approval, Pinterest will convert any Product Pins you have linked to your online store to Buyable Pins in 3-5 business days. To create a new Buyable Pin, follow the standard pin creation process and include a URL that points to the product detail page on your website.
How to Effectively Use Pinterest Buyable Pins
To increase the chances of your target market seeing your Buyable Pins, try these four tactics.
Pin to Multiple Boards
Make sure to share your Buyable Pins to multiple boards. For example, boards that are relevant to the product’s purpose and the interests of your audience. If you only share Buyable Pins on your product board, you’ll decrease visibility.
Pro-Tip: During the holiday season, include these pins in gift suggestion boards.
Advertise with Promoted Pins
Increase the effectiveness of Pinterest Buyable Pins by advertising them through Promoted Pins. Promoted Pins are cost per click ads you can use to target specific demographics, such as income, gender, and location. You can include up to 150 keywords on each Promoted Pin. Promoted Pins can help ensure that your target audience sees your Buyable Pins.
Monitor Pin Performance with Pinterest Analytics
Use Pinterest Analytics to look at the performance of your Buyable Pins. This includes the number of sales, views, repins, and demographics for your pins. You’ll get a better idea of what markets you’re reaching and what products are the most popular. It can also show you if you need to make changes.
For instance, if your Buyable Pin has a lot of views and/or repins, but not a lot of purchases, determine what is stopping people from making a purchase. You may realize the your audience demographics are different than what you thought. Pinterest Analytics can offer new insights into how you need to market your products.
Use High-Quality Photos
Like any pin, make sure you use high-quality images. You can also post multiple Buyable Pins of the same product from different angles. Test what description or keywords are the most effective by posting multiple Buyable Pins of the same product. Look at the data to see which one attracts the most engagement and sales.
Next Steps
Buyable Pins can be a great tool for increasing your company sales via Pinterest as well as acquiring new customers. If you follow the advice in this article, you can start taking advantage of Pinterest Buyable Pins today. Now get to pinning and selling!
