Holiday eCommerce sales powered by Pinterest

Retailers and eCommerce websites are increasing turning to social media to market their products and build relationships with consumers.

Social media poses a few hopes for the eCommerce industry. For one, being able to target consumers based on their unique preferences and deliver tailored brand messages is a key desire. Facebook has focused it's advertising product on offering user preference and interests as a targeting tool. A second factor is to engage customers in a more dynamic or conversation manner, which allows a brand to retain consumer interest while building brand awareness and competitive advantage. A third factor is that social media allows for new and creative forms of engagement to emerge.

Pinterest is becoming a huge focal point for eCommerce websites and web marketers. According to research by Searchmetrics, Pinterest drives more sales and a higher order value than either Facebook or Twitter. This doesn't mean that Facebook and Twitter can be ruled out of a brand's marketing arsenal. Rather this research shows that there is room for competition in social media beyond Facebook, and there are benefits in exploring emerging creative tools online.

Brands can use Pinterest to create Pinboards and share content that appeals to a social community. This does not mean a brand should simply upload their warehouse of products to Pinterest and walk away.... in fact, Pinterest needs to be curated with care and attention.

A few basics for eCommerce brands this holiday season:

• Don't overly self promote.... share things of inherent value to users
• Be part of the community, and don't merely push messages to Pinterest users
• If you join, keep up with your boards... it's not something you start and stop
• Make it visually interesting