As the holidays approach, shoppers aren’t just browsing—they’re planning, saving, and pinning. Pinterest, once seen primarily as a mood board platform, is now one of the most influential tools in holiday marketing strategy. Its visual discovery engine empowers users to organize gift ideas, recipes, and decor, creating a seasonal ecosystem of intent. For marketers, this is more than inspiration—it’s insight into what people want and when they want it.
Visual Intent Turns Into Conversions
Unlike fast-scrolling feeds, Pinterest users spend more time curating than reacting. That behavior, especially in Q4, gives brands a unique opportunity: reach buyers while they’re actively organizing their wish lists. Holiday search activity spikes on Pinterest as early as September, and by December it’s driving last-minute gift guides, DIY inspiration, and direct sales via promoted pins.
Holiday Campaigns That Stick
In 2016, Pinterest enhances its marketing toolkit with more robust ad targeting and buyable pins. Brands use keywords like ‘stocking stuffers’ or ‘holiday recipes’ to place their products in high-intent search results. With built-in analytics, businesses can now see how their pins perform throughout the holiday journey—from inspiration to checkout. Whether it’s an infographic on wrapping tips or a how-to video on festive recipes, content that adds value gets shared, saved, and clicked.
Strategic Insight: Market Where They’re Planning, Not Just Browsing
• What’s your story? You help people prepare for the holidays by making gifting and decorating easier.
• What do you solve? You eliminate stress by offering clear, visual ideas that lead to trusted solutions.
• How do you do it? Through seasonal boards, step-by-step guides, and links that take people from inspiration to action.
• Why do they care? Because during the holidays, people are busy—and want ideas they can trust quickly.
Fictional Ideas
A local artisan soap company builds a ‘Holiday Gift Guide’ board featuring their top-selling scents, bundled sets, and packaging ideas. Each pin links to their shop, includes gifting tips, and appears in search results for holiday keywords. A series of short video pins showing how the soaps are made add authenticity. Within days, their board is being repinned by gift bloggers and local fans, and orders start to climb—because Pinterest didn’t just show their product, it showed their purpose.
References
Pinterest Business Blog. (2016). ‘Holiday Shopping Starts Early on Pinterest.’ https://business.pinterest.com/
Marketing Land. (2016). ‘Pinterest Rolls Out Search Ads and New Conversion Metrics.’ https://marketingland.com/
Adweek. (2016). ‘Pinterest Promoted Pins Offer New Holiday Advertising Opportunities.’ https://www.adweek.com/
eMarketer. (2016). ‘Pinterest for Retailers: Driving Holiday Traffic.’ https://www.emarketer.com/
Social Media Examiner. (2016). ‘Using Pinterest for Business During the Holidays.’ https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/
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