How to Use Pinterest to Understand Your Niche

Posted 6 years ago by Lina Vashurina, 붚죕쳔 Team

With over 400M monthly users, Pinterest is桂one of桂the桂most popular social networks around. More importantly from a桂store owner�셲 perspective, Pinterest users are among the桂most commercially inclined桂�� 桂say that they discovered a桂product on桂Pinterest only to桂buy it桂later.

This mix of桂traffic volume and桂customer intent makes Pinterest a桂great tool for桂marketing your store.

But there is桂another way you can use Pinterest: to桂understand your customers, analyze your competitors and桂brainstorm new product and桂content ideas.

Pinterest�셲 vast trove of桂product data makes it桂one of桂the桂most powerful, yet untapped sources of桂niche research.

As桂we�셪l show you below, you can use this data to桂gain deep insight into your customers that goes far beyond any桂keyword research tool.

Why Use Pinterest for桂Niche Research?

Think about the桂last time you used a桂keyword research tool to桂understand your niche. You likely plugged in桂some seed keywords (such as桂혫women�셲 boots혬), hit 혫Search혬 and桂got a桂bunch of桂related keywords in桂return.

While this list of桂keywords might be桂good for桂SEO, it桂doesn�셳 give you any桂real insight into your niche. You can�셳 tell, for桂instance, how 혫thigh high boots혬 and桂혫over the桂knee boots혬 are different, what materials they�셱e usually made from, or桂how your customers actually use them.

This lack of桂contextual data makes conventional research tools woefully inadequate for桂understanding your customers.

Contrast this with Pinterest. If桂you search for桂혫women�셲 boots혬, you see actual pictures, not just a桂list of桂keywords.

From a桂single glance, you can tell the桂difference between different boot lengths, popular boot colors, common construction material, and桂how customers actually wear them.

If桂you�셱e a桂retailer, this is桂real-world insight you can use to桂brainstorm new product ideas, fine-tune your product descriptions and桂learn what your competitors are selling.

All this makes Pinterest one of桂the桂most powerful tools at桂your disposal for桂niche research.

5桂Ways to桂Use Pinterest for桂Niche Research

Pinterest will give you a桂lot of桂data (and thousands of桂pins) for桂any桂keyword. How do桂you make sense of桂this data and桂use it桂to桂draw real-world insight?

Below, we�셪l show you 5桂actionable ways you can use Pinterest for桂niche research.

1.桂Search for桂popular products in桂your niche

One of桂the桂easiest桂�� and桂most useful桂�� ways to桂use Pinterest is桂to桂figure out what�셲 currently popular in桂your niche.

This works particularly well for桂trend-influenced product categories such as桂fashion. Pinterest will tell you exactly what color, style or桂design-type has been trending recently.

Finding these products is桂easy桂�� just enter a桂broad keyword related to桂your product in桂the桂search bar, say 혫scarves혬.

Pinterest automatically sorts the桂results by桂혫most pinned혬. This shows you what people are actually pinning.

You can refine the桂results further by桂clicking one of桂the桂혫Guided Search혬 buttons at桂the桂top. This will add the桂keyword in桂question to桂the桂search.

In桂the桂above example, clicking on桂혫Silk혬 changes the桂search to桂혫scarves +桂silk혬.

There is桂another way to桂discover trending products桂�� by桂going to桂the桂혫Discover혬 section. This is桂the桂compass icon next to桂your account icon in桂the桂top right corner.

The 혫Discover혬 section features trending hand-picked collections from across Pinterest. You might not always find products from your niche, but when you do, it桂can be桂a桂great source of桂consumer insight.

For example, the桂혫Discover혬 section shows us桂that 혫Circle Scarves혬 are trending in桂Women�셲 Style.

Clicking the桂product category will show you trending pins featuring the桂product-type.

2.桂Understand how people use your products in桂daily life

Understand that Pinterest users usually pin the桂혫idealized혬 image of桂a桂product and桂how it桂is桂used. You won�셳 find a桂pin of桂a桂person simply wearing a桂pair of桂boots; it桂will usually be桂a桂high-quality shot of桂the桂boots paired with a桂matching pair of桂jeans and桂other accessories.

This gives you a桂ton of桂insight into:

How customers pair your product with other products (say, what kind of桂jeans go桂well with your shoes).
What kind of桂environment your customers like to桂use your products in桂(which can be桂useful for桂creating marketing imagery).
What product image angles, colors, etc. customers want to桂see (which can help when creating product pages).
How actual people describe your products (useful for桂crafting product descriptions).

All this insight can help you develop a桂stronger brand. If桂Pinterest shows you that pins featuring a桂pair of桂boots at桂a桂specific angle are popular, you can get more product images from that angle. If桂most popular pins show boots being worn with blue jeans, you can emphasize that in桂your marketing imagery.

You might not be桂able to桂quantify this insight, but it桂is桂invaluable for桂product research, branding and桂marketing development.

3.桂Find related products

Pinterest is桂incredibly useful for桂finding popular products similar to桂yours. You can use this to桂come up桂with new product ideas or桂figure out which products to桂stock.

There are three ways to桂go桂about this:

Related products list

Start by桂searching for桂your product keyword. Next, find a桂pin that you like and桂click on桂it. If桂you scroll down, you will see a桂list of桂혫Related Pins혬:

Pinterest boards

Instead of桂looking up桂individual pins, you can also search for桂boards matching your product keyword(s).

To桂do桂this, look up桂your keyword as桂you normally would, but instead of桂혫All Pins혬, click on桂혫Boards혬 in桂the桂top menu.

This will show you a桂bunch of桂boards that match your keywords.

Boards are human-curated and桂usually revolve around a桂single product-type. This makes them ideal for桂finding related products for桂any桂product-category.

혫Promoted Pin혬 keyword suggestions

Promoted pins桂�� Pinterest�셲 ad桂offering桂�� has a桂section where it桂suggested keywords and桂ideas related to桂your current promotion. You can use this data to桂find related products.

To桂use this feature, you�셪l need a桂Pinterest business account. Follow the桂.

Once you have the桂account set up, click the桂혫+혬 icon next to桂your profile and桂click 혫Create Ad혬 to桂go桂to桂the桂ad桂manager.

Choose 혫Engagement혬 from the桂ad桂type. Enter a桂campaign name and桂any桂budget (we won�셳 actually have to桂run the桂ads).

Next, click 혫Add more details혬. On桂the桂next screen, scroll down to桂혫Keywords혬 and桂enter your target keyword.

You should now see a桂bunch of桂related keywords.

Do桂this for桂different variations of桂your product keyword to桂come up桂with even more related product ideas.

4.桂See what your competitors are doing

Keeping track of桂your competitors�� products and桂marketing has obvious benefits桂�� you can know what�셲 working for桂them (and what�셲 not) and桂fine-tune your offerings accordingly.

Start by桂doing a桂keyword search for桂your competitor.

You can fine-tune the桂results further by桂looking searching only 혫Buyable Pins혬 from the桂top menu.

혫Buyable Pins혬 are special pins which users can directly purchase from inside Pinterest. These pins are typically uploaded by桂retailers instead of桂normal users.

This means that you�셪l get a桂smaller product selection, but all images and桂products will be桂a)桂available to桂buy, and桂b)桂from a桂specific brand.

This makes Buyable Pins a桂great way to桂research a桂competitor quickly.

5.桂Get content ideas related to桂your audience

Pinterest can also help you brainstorm content ideas for桂your blog or桂discover new products to桂add to桂your store.

We�셪l use 혫Guided Search혬 to桂find these ideas.

Start by桂searching for桂a桂base keyword related to桂your product桂�� say, 혫women�셲 boots혬.

You�셪l see a桂list of桂search suggestions at桂the桂top of桂the桂page. This is桂Pinterest�셲 혫Guided Search혬.

We�셱e going to桂collect all the桂suggestions from this list and桂use them as桂keywords for桂a桂content campaign.

To桂do桂this, click and桂drag from the桂top left corner of桂the桂screen to桂the桂bottom right to桂select all Guided Search suggestions. Hit 혫CTRL +桂C혬桂to桂copy these to桂your clipboard.

Now open Word and桂paste this list into a桂new document.

You�셪l notice that every term has a桂keyword and桂a桂category.

Our job is桂to桂extract the桂keyword and桂category from each term.

To桂do桂this, start by桂hitting CTRL+H to桂open the桂Find/Replace tool. Enter 혫Search for桂혩혪桂into the桂혩Find혪 box and桂혩^p혪 into the桂Replace field. Hit 혩Replace All혪.

This will show you a桂list of桂keywords followed by桂the桂category.

You can use these keywords to桂brainstorm new content ideas or桂even to桂organize your existing products into more semantically relevant categories.

Over to桂You

As桂you use Pinterest more, you�셪l discover that this little social network can do桂a桂lot more than just help you promote your products. Thanks to桂its millions of桂members, Pinterest has become a桂rich source of桂data about shoppers, their favorite products, and桂how they use them.

Use this data to桂figure out what to桂sell, to桂brainstorm new ideas and桂to桂fine-tune your marketing.

How do桂you桂use Pinterest for桂your store? Let us桂know in桂the桂comments below. And !

桂

About The Author

Lina is a content creator at 붚죕쳔. She writes to inspire and educate readers on all things commerce. She loves to travel and runs marathons.

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