How To Integrate Pinterest Into Your Emails

More than just a social hub to share images, Pinterest has become a lifestyle brand itself. Exuding a feeling of simple, clean, nearly dreamy — dare I say aspirational — moments of pleasure, it’s actually influencing a new aesthetic style. In fact, one of the common complaints is how spellbinding the Pinterest experience becomes as users spend hours upon hours exploring content and seeking out new curators of style, inspiration and taste.

Adopted primarily by women and at an astounding pace (at this rate there’ll soon be more people with Pinterest accounts than toothbrushes), it’s an opportunity for exposure to a vast and active consumer sector that’s hard for marketers to ignore.

But, with such a short track record of reliable metrics or marketing case studies, few email marketers know how to tap into the volume and energy that Pinterest is generating. However, that lack of a metric-informed roadmap hasn’t stopped top brands from jumping into the game in an attempt to engage, delight and ultimately convert users to their cause. Let’s take a look at a few of the popular emerging trends and maybe swipe a few smart strategies along the way.

Top four trends:

1. Emails integrating the Pinterest icon into a social icon suite
2. Emails promoting a brand’s presence on Pinterest
3. Emails used as an acquisition and growth channel for Pinterest
4. Emails featuring pin-able or pinned content to encourage conversions

1. Emails Integrating The Pinterest Icon Into A Social Icon Suite

Grouped in with the Facebook icon, Twitter icon, and occasionally, an Instragram icon, you’ll now find the Pinterest option. Nearly ubiquitous, the Pinterest icon runs the risk of becoming part of the template itself and fading into the woodwork.

Some brands have taken the additional step of styling the icon so that it blends with the overall look and feel of the message, which is a nice touch. Others have added copy and additional details like arrows to draw attention to the channel, which also enriches the experience.

Examples:

• Viva Terra default icon Detail, Full Email
• Free People styled icon Detail, Full Email
• Gaiam styled icon Detail, Full Email
• Catbird icon with copy Detail, Full Email
• Kate Spade icon with copy Detail, Full Email

2. Emails Promoting A Brand’s Presence On Pinterest

Brands that have embraced the curatorial aspects of Pinterest have begun to promote that presence via email.

Email as a promotion channel is particularly effective because messages are delivered directly to users who have expressed interest in the brand by opting in to receive this very type of information — as opposed to the more passive mode of waiting for a brand to be discovered through organic activity.

The most common approach to content for these messages is to showcase boards. These grouping of pinned content often help users understand the category theme, like gift guides, and provide inspiration for the usage of products, feature how-to’s, or offer styling suggestions.

Examples:

• Sony inspiration stand alone promo
• World Market style inspiration stand alone promo
• Tablespoon announcement stand alone promo
• The Limited style inspiration stand alone promo
• Mark Shale new arrivals board stand alone promo
• eBag style inspiration promo module
• Modcloth community picks board promo module
• PotteryBarn header promo module
• Sephora how-to board promo module

3. Emails Used As An Acquisition And Growth Channel For Pinterest

Web-based contests and sweepstakes that require an email opt-in are a well-traveled email-list growth strategy. Bigger lists, more opportunity for conversion.

Now, the tables turn, and email is serving as an acquisition path for Pinterest users by promoting contests.

Like with all social networks, quality activity is rewarded with more interest. If more users are following and pinning a brand, the more likely other users will be to do the same.

Stimulating Pinterest activity with contests is an effective way to kick-start a following and creates the momentum needed to attain critical mass for a brand to earn its share of the pie. The most popular strategy is to ask users to create a board that includes a brand’s product, one of which is then selected for a prize.

The life of the winning board often outlives the contest timeline, picking up more follows well past the expiration date of the sweeps.

Examples:

• Lancome Picture Perfect Wedding contest
• Ballard Designs merchandise give-away
• Brilliant Earth merchandise give-away
• TinyPrints sweeps
• ZGallarie merchandise give-away

4. Emails Featuring Pin-able And/Or Pinned Content

This type of usage typically falls into two major categories: featured product content and brand engagement content.

Some brands have gone as far as crafting specific, Pin-worthy content. Two of the breakout brands have been Zulily and Philosophy, which both understand how to provide highly pin-able content that strengthens their customer relationships.

Meanwhile, Finish-Line leveraged pinned content as a way to showcase popular products and capped the message off with a sweeps to encourage more pins.

• Babies R Us single product
• Sephora product by color
• Zulily pinalbe content
• Philosophy pinable footer content
• Finish Line most pinned content

While the experts can’t agree on what the exact value of an interaction on Pinterest may be, it’s a channel that won’t be ignored. So, smart marketers are figuring out that you have to at least play to win!