Social Media

Pinterest: 5 Big-brand Tactics for Smaller Ecommerce Merchants

With 26,877 Pinterest followers, Brisbane-based fashion brand Black Milk is clearly doing something right.

This article reviews five elements of Black Milk’s Pinterest strategy that could be applicable to smaller ecommerce stores, even if they are not in the fashion industry.

1. Highlight Product Boards First

Black Milk’s Pinterest profile is about presenting, promoting and selling its products. It does this by structuring the profile to feature new collections first, followed by older collections, special events and contests. It also includes collection release dates in board titles, which helps to build anticipation.

In addition to this, Black Milk keeps its product photography style simple, and focused on the garment, rather than the image or styling. This means when you look at Black Milk’s boards, they are easy on the eye and allow you to focus strictly on the clothes.

Black Milk's Pinterest profile is about presenting, promoting and selling its products.

Black Milk’s Pinterest profile is about presenting, promoting and selling its products.

Pinterest lets you organize the order in which your boards appear on your profile. Make sure that your most attractive boards (which promote your product), are the first boards on your profile. Keep your product photography simple and consistent.

2. Utilize Interesting Product and Collection Names

Black Milk’s brand naturally lends itself to interesting product and collection names, and it is consistent with using these names across its ecommerce site and social media platforms. This helps its customers and fans easily identify, share, and reference specific pieces in its product line.

Black Milk uploads its pins to the platform rather than pin from its website. However, it doesn’t link back to the product page of where the items can be bought.

Black Milk's brand naturally lends itself to interesting product and collection names.

Black Milk’s brand naturally lends itself to interesting product and collection names.

Refer to your product names consistently across website and social media profiles, making it easy for shoppers to find what they are looking for. And, if possible, link back to where the item can be purchased, as this will help to increase sales.

3. Use Pinterest for Customer Service

Black Milk cleverly uses its Pinterest profile as an extension of customer service, and for collecting feedback about what customers want in future collections.

The comments section of a Black Milk pin reads like an FAQ designed to help shoppers make informed choices. Shoppers ask questions and Black Milk is active and conscientious about answering them quickly. This is helpful in two ways.

  • Black Milk cares about its customers, and responds to their queries.
  • Shoppers can ask questions about specific items without sending an email; Black Milk’s answers can help other shoppers, with similar questions.
The comments section of a Black Milk pin reads like an FAQ designed to help shoppers make informed choices.

The comments section of a Black Milk pin reads like an FAQ designed to help shoppers make informed choices.

Use the comment section under your pins to answer questions about your products. Responding quickly with informative and helpful answers will help shoppers make buying decisions.

4. Show Behind-the-scenes Activities

Black Milk is a fun brand with a fun staff. It uses this to create candid behind-the-scenes photos, and turn those into pins. From its staff style board — which shows how staff takes Black Milk’s products and creates their own personal style — to fun shots taken at parties, this brand knows how to make its audience feel like part of the action.

Black Milk creates candid behind-the-scenes photos, and turns them into pins.

Black Milk creates candid behind-the-scenes photos, and turns them into pins.

It’s easier to create brand loyalty if you help your shoppers buy into a bigger story than just what you sell. Look for ways to communicate your brand’s story, the journey of your product, and the benefits of what you sell. These deeper insights make customers feel connected, and it’s that feeling of connection that keeps customers engaging with you and, buying from you.

5. Use Contests and Challenges

Black Milk is always finding creative ways to engage and involve its customers. One of the ways it does this on Pinterest is with easy-to-enter visual challenges. From the entries, Black Milk creates specific Pinterest boards to acknowledge the winners.

Black Milk creates Pinterest boards to acknowledge winners of contests and challenges.

Black Milk creates Pinterest boards to acknowledge winners of contests and challenges.

Find a way to create a contest or challenge that is easy to understand and participate in, then look for ways to promote it, to get your customers motivated to get involved and contribute.

Stacey Herbert
Stacey Herbert
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