Pinterest recently introduced a new way to pin exciting things—the Place Pins. These allow people to mark cool spots both locally and around the globe, create travel itineraries, share fun facts about their hometowns, and just generally have some fun with Pinterest. As inbound marketing helps broad-reaching ecommerce companies develop more meaningful localized relationships, we think Place Pins could become a really interesting tool.
Because the Place Pins are brand spankin’ new, ecommerce applications haven’t yet been tried and tested. We think there are dozens of ways to incorporate the new pinning technique into a healthy ecommerce plan, and it’s just a matter of time before everyone discovers how useful the tool can be. To get you started, here are X ways to use Pinterest Place Pins on your ecommerce site.
Adding a map is easy. In fact, you'll probably be prompted to try the new tool the moment you log into Pinterest. When you create a new board, you'll have the option to create a map. Simply make sure the toggle is switched to "yes" and you're all set.
Show Global Reach
By inviting your customers to mark their spot after making a purchase, you can show users just how far reaching your company really is. Did you recently sell to someone in Russia? A pin marking the spot of that customer tells everyone else who sees that pin that you’ve gone global.
To spark a competition between users, you might consider offering treats to the customers located farthest from your company headquarters, pins placed closest to your company, cities or towns with the most pins, and many other possible contests. Once buyers see pins popping up on the map, they’ll want a shot at some goodies, too.
Show Products in Transit
In addition to global reach, you could also encourage buyers to show your products when they travel various places. Imagine the impact if people see those fashionable boots from your ecommerce site walking the sidewalks in Prague. Beyond the social proof this offers, you also get that tiny little thrill of seeing your products travel the globe and reach new audiences. Everyone will want to share their vacation photos, so you might as well give them incentive to post those photos of your products on your Place Pins map, right?
Show Your Inspiration
Your Place Pins don’t all have to come from users. Why don’t you start the trend by sharing some of the places that inspire your company, products, and lifestyle? For instance, if you sell roasted coffee beans, pin some places that provide those beans. If you sell clothing, mark places that inspire your styles. If brick-and-mortar stores offer your products, be sure to mark those on your map, too.
Show Your Support
Once people start sharing their locations with Place Pins, show a little love by repinning. Not only will you show some serious engagement with your customers, you’ll also keep those pins visible on boards for much longer. All of the same benefits Pinterest has always offered come with this new tool, so simply keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll make the most of the Place Pins.
Pinterest is one of the hottest social platforms out there, and the products they release just get better and better for ecommerce companies everywhere. To make the most of the benefits Pinterest offers, you have to get on board and adopt the tools early. This one’s only a day old, so you could be one of the first to flaunt your products wherever they’re found in the world.
Originally published Nov 26, 2013 2:00:00 PM, updated January 18 2023