Pinterest Contests: Win for Companies AND Consumers

Submitted by Student on Mon, 10/29/2012 - 7:21pm

Prior to reading this week’s assignment, I didn’t even know that companies held contests on Pinterest. After coming across REI, a Washington based recreational equipment retailer, I found a contest to enter:

The contest works like this:

The whole process took about 30 minutes to complete, and it actually turned into a fun way for me to look up things I want this winter. REI has about 2,000 followers on Pinterest. Further research, allowed me to conclude that about 50 people have entered into the contest, with only seven days remaining until the contest ends, I would say my odds of winning are pretty good.

After discovering how I could win this contest, I soon realized how REI and other companies “win” when they develop Pinterest contests. These contests are advantageous o the companies sponsoring them, because:

Pinners share products and services to their own networks, which could include hundreds of followers. Word of mouth marketing is the best form of marketing, so when consumers enter into these contest, they are unknowingly engaging in WOM advertising for companies.
Not only are these pins simply images of products, but they are interactive links. I linked each pin to the REI website, and connected REI in the description by posting “@REI.” It is important to realize that Pinterest accounts for 40% of all social media driven purchases, which can probably be attributed to interactivity and the addictive nature of the site.

According to a blog by Jessica Meher, Pinterest is an attract platform for marketers, because it has a high conversion rate, the site drives a lot of traffic, increased amount of inbound links, it integrates with other forms of social media, and it’s a good way to engage in marketing research.

Pinterest is a free way for marketers to better understand their target market, increase engagement, and it converts browsers to buyers. It would be foolish for markets to not start their own Pinterest contest!

Katie's Pinterest Contest Board