Let’s talk about what a Pinterest marketing funnel really looks like in 2023, shall we? As a Pinterest manager, it may surprise you just how often I hear, “but can people really get clients from Pinterest?”. In fact, in a “sales call” with a potential new client yesterday, she told me that the person who referred me told her how it was going for her and she was shocked. Isn’t it just pinning pretty photos and stuff? People are actually getting clients from it? Obviously, the next step was to book a call with me and learn more, but it got me thinking of one of the most common misconceptions people have about Pinterest… especially for service-based businesses.
Table of Contents for Creating a Pinterest Marketing Funnel Strategy
So today, I want to talk about what a true Pinterest marketing funnel looks like in 2023. I shared a condensed version on Instagram a little over a year ago, but I wanted to add to it and give it a few updates for 2023. If that’s what you are here for, you are in the right place. If you would prefer to hire someone to manage your Pinterest and just take it off your plate, you can learn more about hiring me as your Pinterest Manager here.
Why Your Pinterest Marketing Funnel Isn’t Working
In a perfect world, someone would see a pin on Pinterest, immediately head to your website, check out your sales page, and then contact you to book (or add the product you are selling to their cart). While sometimes that does happen, it’s not usually the reality in most Pinterest marketing strategies that come to life.
The above “Pinterest marketing funnel”, if you can call it that, works best for very low-ticket offers. The kind of offers that work with Facebook ads too. Remember: Pinterest traffic is essentially a cold audience. While I might argue that they are slightly warmer (in that their journey started with a SEARCH of what you are looking for), they don’t know you yet.
The chances of them signing up for your 4 figure service (whether that’s business coaching or wedding planning), is quite low from their first interaction. They may save your pin and come back later, and then your chance to convert them increases, but there are other ways to try to warm them up that are much more effective.
A Tried and True Pinterest Marketing Funnel
I’ve used Pinterest marketing in my own wedding business for 6 years now, and have been offering it as a service for other course creators and small business owners for almost 3 years (I double checked my calendar on that because DAMN! It has been a while).
Do you see the difference? Looking at your product or service, do you feel like it’s a decision your ideal client can say yes or no to right away? Or is a little more warm up typically neccesary?
Do you really need a blog?
BLOGGING IS BACK MY FRIENDS! I’m going to be sharing a lot more about blogging in 2023 in the upcoming weeks, but if you are interested I already have a wealth of information on my blog. To keep this (relatively) short, let’s talk about why blogging is an important part of your Pinterest marketing funnel.
Blogging and Pinterest marketing are a dynamic duo because:
- Pinterest helps people find your blog content.
- Pinterest helps your blog posts rank on Google (hello, back links!)
- Your blog helps warm up Pinterest traffic to buy from your or sign up for your email list
- People are more likely to click on educational content than a pretty picture
- Your blog can both attract or repel people from reaching out
I could probably go on and on about this, but I really want to stay focused on YOUR Pinterest marketing funnel right now.
If you really don’t want to blog, you need to find another way to warm up your audience. Again, this is assuming you are charging a premium or offering a higher investment product/service. People aren’t parting with their hard-earned cash like they used to. Unless you are selling me something for $47 or less, I have to get to know you first.
And speaking of $47 or less… if you just need a little help getting started with your blog, I highly recommend my Blogging for Bingeable Brands mini course (shameless plug – but I’m really proud of it!).
Alternatives to Blogging for your Pinterest Marketing Funnel: Podcast or Youtube Channel
A podcast or Youtube channel DOES act as an alternative to blogging if you are looking for something different in your Pinterest marketing funnel. You really just need something that’s going to introduce who you are, what you do, and who you serve. You want some kind of content for your ideal customers to “binge” so they can enter your corner of the internet and feel immediately at home.
I don’t consider myself an expert in podcasting or running a Youtube channel (yet) so I won’t speak to that but I do have several clients using both to diversify their marketing strategies this year so stay tuned! I’m always willing to share the tea if it will help you with your Pinterest marketing funnel.
Using Instagram Marketing: Comparing a Pinterest Marketing Funnel to TikTok
They seem completely different, don’t they? But hear me out on this.
First, both are used as search engines. I would argue that TikTok fits best into the “awareness” part of your sales funnel. While you definitely can “convert” customers on TikTok, most of the TikTok experts that I follow agree that’s not the norm. In fact, most have a strategy to drive traffic rom TikTok over to their Instagram marketing to get the conversion.
Say what?? Isn’t Instagram dead??
As an awareness tool, IG is pretty much over. But as a conversion tool? IG stories and actually engaging with your people in the DM’s is one of the best conversion tools we have as small businesses. I will probably talk more about this in an upcoming blog but what you need to know is this: my favorite Pinterest marketing funnel right now looks like this…
They find me on Pinterest which then has them reading my blog… then they trust me from the free content I’m sharing enough to find me on Instagram… and then they begin to love me enough to buy from me after watching my Instagram for a while. Just to be clear, I’m not JUST talking about my own marketing funnel here. This works for MANY of my Pinterest management clients too.
Pinterest Users Have a Longer Timeline to Conversion: You need to grow your email list in 2023
Pinners are planners. That means they are thinking about Christmas in October, and thinking about their wedding before they even get engaged. Typically the people who use Pinterest are not the same spontaneous decision-makers you might sell your product or service to running Facebook ads. After they read your blog post, where should they go next? I’ve already pointed out you should be sending them to your Instagram but I also believe getting them on your email list is a strong strategy worth considering.
The only exception to this is for businesses in the wedding industry or similar. While you are offering a higher ticket service, your customers are forced to make a decision on your product or service during a fairly small window of time. It doesn’t make as much sense for a wedding photographer to nurture her email list for 5 years when you know anyone who has been on it for longer than a year has likely chosen their wedding photographer.
As a small business, you need to prioritize where you spend your time. Even if email marketing in the long-term doesn’t make sense as a strategy, you may want to consider a freebie and a welcome sequence to help make your Pinterest marketing funnel a success. More on that another time!
You need a strong website for your Pinterest Marketing Funnel to work
I really haven’t even begun to scratch the surface here (I will definitely be adding more to this on the blog so stay tuned!) but I wanted to say this: a Pinterest marketing funnel doesn’t work without strong branding and a strong website. From a Pinterest marketing funnel, Your website is ALWAYS the first impression. No matter how good your blog is, people won’t read something designed poorly. From your blog, you are likely going to encourage your reader to learn more about your services or head to your contact page so you need to make sure you are sending them somewhere that’s actually going to convert them too.
When I say convert, I mean: on top of being aesthetically pleasing (whatever that means for you), it has to be easy to use too. Make SURE it is clear how they can work with you.
If your website isn’t selling people… you need to invest in a new website (or website refresh) or lower the price of your products or services to reflect the experience. That’s the real talk you didn’t know you needed. I actually didn’t start this blog post with the intention of it being a sales post but if you need a website, you need to check out my new “Website in a Weekend” service.
What is a Pinterest Marketing Plan?
Let’s evaluate. First, head to your Pinterest analytics. Are people finding you and heading to your website? If not, then your Pinterest strategy is the problem. I’m not talking about that here, but there are a ton of posts on my blog or you can follow me on Instagram where I share tidbits often. If they ARE receiving link clicks to your website but they aren’t converting, it’s either your website OR your blog (if that’s where you are sending them too.
For a Pinterest marketing strategy to be effective, traffic from Pinterest should be able to almost immediately find out who you are and what you do. If you aren’t sure where people are falling off, I recommend something visual like HotJar (they have a free version!) to get you started.
Looking for a boutique marketing agency to just take it off your hands?
As you can probably tell, this is my bread and butter. My team and I would love nothing more than to just take it off your plate. From a new website to Pinterest marketing and blogging packages, learn more about working with us here. Or, sign up for our email list below to get your hands on a free copy of our fast and slow marketing guide!
