Pinterest Uses Performance-Based Marketing Tools to Attract SMB and DTC Brands

Allocating digital advertising spend plays an important role in the social media marketer’s playbook. But a reliance on Facebook and Instagram for the majority of social spend can leave marketers subject to the platforms’ sudden algorithm changes. Enter Pinterest, which is offering tools that are attractive to performance-based marketers, according to a piece in AdExchanger. It’s banking on direct-to-consumer and small- and medium-sized businesses to create growth in the coming year.

Thanks to its investment in e-commerce capabilities, including online product catalogs and self-serve shopping ads, Pinterest has become a viable option for smaller brands’ seeking to diversify their social media spend. For instance, feminine hygiene company Thinx and home décor brand The Citizenry both increased spend on Pinterest in the past year as a way to not rely on just one marketing channel. Thinx uses Pinterest to attract new traffic and users to its site just as much as it uses Facebook. Similarly, The Citizenry now uses Pinterest to engage with consumers looking for new ideas in addition to those searching for keywords related to home décor.

Still, with Facebook’s scale trumping Pinterest’s, it’s an uphill battle for the platform. Catering to small and medium-sized businesses is a key part of the plan. For more detail on Pinterest’s strategy and performance-based tools, read on in AdExchanger.