Pinterest Report for Knorr Marketing

Before Doug Knorr and his other Account Executives left for High Point Market, one of the largest marketing conferences in the nation, he wanted to know more about the new form of social media called Pinterest and how it could apply to his furniture clients. Below is the report I presented to him and his executives.

Pinterest and How it Relates to Marketing Furniture

Pinterest is an elite online photo sharing website, designed for people to organize and share all the things they love on a virtual pinning board. Once invited to join Pinterest, one has access to millions of other peoples’ “pins,” the images that have been posted by a user. People use Pinterest for a number of different reasons. Some are looking to collect delicious recipes, share their favorite books, movies, music, quotes, and get great ideas for a new hairstyle, clothing, or DIY project. However, one of the most common uses is building one’s dream house! (See sample Pinterest board here: http://pinterest.com/aubrieparth/dream-home-2012-sample-board-for-knorr-marketing/) Users seek images on the web or use their own digital photographs of furniture, appliances, art, rugs, et cetera that they would love to own or provide inspiration for a design idea in their current or future home. Then, others who share the same passion for their style ideas can “like” the image or “re-pin” it onto their own board with the simple click of a button. Instantly, an image of a Victorian-inspired, teal, plush sofa, or contemporary, white sofa is at the fingertips of millions of Pinterest design fanatics.

So, what makes this important to furniture manufacturers and sellers and their marketing? First off, it’s free publicity. It wouldn’t cost a thing, but someone’s time, to open up a Pinterest account for the manufacturer or store or simply install Pinterest’s “Pin-it!” button on their already existing website. This way, someone perusing the furniture website can share the newest styles in furniture, or some old favorites, with the click of a button.

Even better, Pinterest, being an upcoming social media site, has aligned itself with other wildly successful forms of social media—Facebook, Twitter, et cetera. Now, if a “Pinner” so chooses, they may connect their Pinterest account to one or more of their other accounts, meaning optimum exposure for anything and everything they “pin.” That means, not only are these images going out to the millions of Pinterest users, but the billions of international “Facebookers” and “Tweeters.”

Manufacturers and furniture stores also need to be involved to maintain their branding. So many home furnishing images on Pinterest have no link back to their original websites, no logos, no pricing. The more the original supplier and/or original users of those images are involved, the more likely an image will lead back to its brand. In addition, with a Pinterest account, a manufacturer or store can track the amount of times the image of a particular item is “re-pinned” by users. This could be a great way to tell what people are actually interested in or at least dreaming out.

Another key point to make about Pinterest’s marketing abilities is that it’s not so much about making a sale as it is getting the look out there. Pinterest is about building inspiration, promoting new trends, getting a look at what’s in right now. Sales may come when a really interested “Pinner” clicks on the image to be instantly transported to the Seller’s website.

One of the best boards I’ve seen from a furniture store is Baer's Furniture (http://pinterest.com/baersfurniture/) because each of their boards is organized the same way any other “Pinner” would organize. They have a separate board for each room you could conceive of, with stunning photos exhibiting what beautiful rooms people can create with their furniture. Furthermore, to help people achieve these looks beyond just furniture, there are boards for accessories, color palettes, and Pinterest’s magical word—inspiration!