What is Pinterest – and should your business start using it?

Pinterest is a social media platform that lets users find images and create vision boards on pretty much any topic.

Founded in 2008, the platform has been around almost as long as Facebook (now Meta) but stands out in the way it values inclusion and belonging, always “putting pinners first”.

Users (known as ‘Pinners’) can browse images when researching ideas for weddings, home improvements, and new hairstyles. That’s why many people are now referring to Pinterest as a search engine rather than a social media site.

But how does Pinterest work and why should businesses get involved? Well, people use Pinterest to research projects and often discover new businesses at the same time. In fact, research shows almost half (46 per cent) of weekly Pinners have discovered a new brand or product on Pinterest.

For example, people searching for the best wedding flowers, cakes, or dresses are looking for inspiration – but they’re likely to be in the market for wedding services too. Freelance photographers, florists, and bakeries could use this to target potential customers with paid ads that Pinners see when creating their mood boards. We’ll explain more about how to use Pinterest for business and set up adverts below.