Why your brand should consider Pinterest for the festive season

After two years of minimal contact, cancelled events and quiet Christmases, this year users of Pinterest (Pinners) are planning to make the festive season one to remember. Here, we explore why, according to Pinterest’s recent insights, Pinterest users are more open-minded to inspiration and new ideas compared to users of other platforms, and we delve into how your brand can be the solution to your audience’s festive queries.

Pinterest is the planners’ platform

Pinners are notoriously organised, so the platform’s festive calendar starts earlier than you may think. Pinterest has recently revealed that UK Pinners are 33% more likely to agree that they like to plan their Christmas shopping early compared to non-Pinners. This means the typical festive calendar of Halloween to New Year is stretched to start earlier, and Pinners are always looking for new ideas for the next event. Data from Pinterest shows the peak advertising period for brands around Halloween is from August to October, starting two months before the usual festivities. This also applies to Christmas where shoppers start searching in July, and New Year’s Eve where November marks the start of the peak period. Pinterest internal search data found that festive gifters who start shopping early spend 30% more than the average person on Pinterest. For marketers, it truly pays to be prepared.

What this means for you

Pinterest is a platform that’s primed for advertisers and marketers. Unlike on other platforms, there are users in each phase preparing to plan, shop or buy. Data further showed that advertisers who activated against multiple moments during the 2021 festive period saw a four times higher increase in conversion rate than those who only targeted Christmas. Your brand should spread your budget and advertise against as many festivities as you can to gain trust and conversions from Pinners.

‘Mini moments’ are a big deal

It’s not just the ‘big’ moments that matter to Pinners this year – ‘mini moments’ are more popular than ever. Pinterest found that, in the UK, 80% of people on the platform say they use it to plan for both the big and small moments in their lives. This means there are now more moments for brands to win. Dancing around the kitchen to Christmas songs while baking biscuits is a perfect example of a mini moment, as is a festive family film night. You don’t have to focus your advertising efforts solely on big events – focus on smaller, more niche ones too that will truly make the season special.

Get the inspiration flowing

Pinterest internal search data found that of the top 1,000 gifting searches on Pinterest, 97% are not item- or product-specific, demonstrating that users are open to new influences and ideas. This gives your brand a huge opportunity to get in front of shoppers at the inspiration stage of the retail journey, when they’re undecided on how to celebrate their festivities and are receptive to new suggestions. ‘Gifting during the festive season’ is a key search term for a lot of users, but unlike other platforms, Pinners are open to gift ideas while getting specific about who the gifts are for. Some of the top searches during the festive season start with “gifts for…” followed by the specific individual they have in mind. If your brand can categorise your products or services into broader categories like “gifts for dad”, they’re more likely to be discovered and purchased. With Pinners so open to influence, your brand should be focused on providing inspiration users can act on and make a purchase from.

Still craving more tips? Our social media team is brimming with ideas to make your brand successful on Pinterest. Discover how we can help you take advantage in 2022 and beyond.