Craig Shuster is the web manager of Equipment Trade Service Company (ETS). One night, he saw his wife on what he thought was interesting looking clothes-shopping site. That site, his wife explained, was actually Pinterest, the latest and fastest growing social media network on the internet. According to the New York Times, Shuster was so moved by the sites image intensive and easy to use interface, ETS found itself on Pinterest very soon after.
ETS sells industrial power-washing machines, parts for those machines and graffiti removal detergents. The company’s main clients are schools and transportation departments, as well as other institutions that maintain large facilities. According to the source, many customers want to be able to see what the product looks like before they buy it because, usually, they want to make sure they’re purchasing the right part for their machine.
“Our customers want to see good product pictures before they pull out that credit card,” said Hart to the New York Times. “Pinterest is great for that.”
This dependence on the visual and the drastic scaling of Pinterest may spell out the obvious answer for ETS to engage in internet marketing on Pinterest, but the audience that’s been supporting the social network’s growth may not be the right target for the company.
In fact, Pinterest’s largest demographic is women ages 25 to 44, as they maintain 60 percent of the network’s users. Furthermore, the vast majority of the products they “pin” are related to fashion, art and furniture, not industrial cleaning supplies.
While ETS may have had the best intentions when moving to Pinterest to sell its products, it may not provide the return on investment it wants to see. Oftentimes, small businesses will issue the services of internet advertising agencies that are more familiar with targeted internet marketing and will know whether a company belongs on certain social networks compared to others.