Since 2010, Pinterest has served as a creative outlet for millions of users all over the world.

‍

‍

Unlike other platforms, which center around sharing personal photos, videos, and messages, Pinterest enables users to share their creativity. Pinterest works like a virtual bulletin board, in which users can post their projects, crafts, and ideas, as well as “pin” ideas from other users.

‍

Topics of interest include home decor, recipe inspiration, and health and wellness tips (making it a great place for pharmacies).

‍

In many ways, Pinterest serves as the social media app for creatives, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.

‍

‍

About Pinterest

‍

Today, Pinterest is visited by over 450 million people every month, which includes over 100 million Americans (or 31% of the US population). This makes Pinterest the 4th most popular social media platform in the US, right after YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

‍

Pinterest isn’t only for artists, though. It is also a valuable resource for businesses and buyers. In fact, 28% of business owners use Pinterest to advertise their products and services.

‍

‍

And it’s not without reason, either: 90% of Pinterest users look to the app for product inspiration, and 98% make purchases based on what they find on the app.

‍

Given these numbers, Pinterest may be a market for your pharmacy to consider. On the app, you can promote your business, increase your patient base, and express yourself in a new and unique way. Learn more about Pinterest 一 including its demographics, engagement, and most pinned content 一 to find out if it’s the right fit for you.

‍

‍

Who Uses Pinterest?

‍

Of all of the top social media apps, Pinterest has one of the most specific target audiences. In other words, Pinterest isn’t used by everyone, and those who do use it have particular needs and goals in mind. To better understand Pinterest’s audience, it may be helpful to look at its demographics.

‍

The Pew Research Center breaks these demographics down into five categories: gender, age, location, education, and income. According to the research, Pinterest is used most by the following people:

• Women (46% are active users)
• Middle-aged adults between 50-64 (38% active users)
• People living in rural areas (34% active users)
• College-educated people (37% active users)
• People who make at least $75K (40% active users)

‍

‍

As the statistics show, the average Pinterest user is a middle-aged, college-educated, upper-middle-class woman living in a rural area. Interestingly enough, Pinterest is one of the only top social media apps whose target audience is middle-aged.

‍

It is also the only app that reaches more people in rural areas than in urban or suburban areas. If your pharmacy serves anyone in any of these demographics 一 or, even better, if you are looking to start including them 一 Pinterest can be an excellent place to start.

‍

For a more detailed look at Pinterest’s demographics, as well as the demographics for the other top social media platforms, read our blog on Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms.

‍

‍

What to Post on Pinterest

‍

Because Pinterest is a creative platform, creative posts unsurprisingly perform the best.

‍

Unlike on other apps, standard posts, updates, and announcements won’t cut it. Rather, Pinterest users look for businesses to step outside of the box and showcase their creativity (and their services) in an unconventional way.

‍

That isn’t to say that your posts have to incorporate actual art; they have to be artistic. For your pharmacy, this means finding ways to boost your creativity and make visually appealing posts.

‍

‍

To play into Pinterest’s creative niche, it is best to avoid posting content that directly advertises your pharmacy or your services. Save that information for apps like Facebook and Instagram. Instead, use Pinterest to provide helpful information, interesting insights, and engaging content that can help improve users’ health and well-being. Then, find subtle ways that you can connect your posts to your pharmacy (like linking to your website).

‍

Here are a few ideas to get started:

‍

• Share favorite OTC items 一 Keep your content helpful by recommending some of your top OTC items. You can highlight one product or multiple products that share a common theme (i.e. cold and flu products, joint and muscle care, and vitamins and supplements). Keep your post generic so that all users can benefit from it, regardless of whether or not they use your pharmacy; but still take advantage of the opportunity to link to your website in the caption.

‍

• Explain medications 一 Pinterest is a great place to educate patients by putting a creative spin on it. Use images and infographics to highlight common medications and explain how they work in a simple way. Make mention of each medication’s purpose, its active ingredients, and its side effects. You can discuss one medication at a time, compare brands, or explain the benefits of choosing one type of medication over another.

‍

‍

• Simplify important information 一 Another way that you can educate your patients is by sharing health news, updates, and more. Create infographics to make the information more appealing and use language that is easy to understand. Information can include announcements from the CDC or WHO, new research, or findings that may be of interest to your audience. Explain why the information matters to your audience and how they should respond.

‍

• Post tips and tricks to stay healthy 一 As a pharmacist, your top priority is keeping your patients healthy, both in and out of the pharmacy. When you can’t reach them in person, use apps like Pinterest to promote health and wellness. Many users turn to the app for healthy recipes, fitness routines, and practical guidance on staying in shape, so use your account to offer your own advice. Ask your team for their top tips and create a schedule to share them.

‍

• Share inspiration 一 People use Pinterest to get inspired, so post inspirational and motivational content to keep your audience intrigued. A quick note of encouragement, an inspirational quote, or a practical piece of advice can motivate your audience when they need it. In addition, it can show them that you care for their mental and emotional health as well as their physical health.

‍

For even more ideas on what to post on Pinterest, consult our blog detailing What to Post on Social Media.

‍

‍

When to Post on Pinterest

‍

After taking the time to make a creative, engaging Pinterest post, you want your audience to see it.

‍

To get noticed, try posting at a time when your followers are most active. Like all other social media platforms, Pinterest has certain times during the day when its engagement rates are high and other times when they are low. Posting at a time with high engagement is crucial to your success.

‍

When it comes to Pinterest, studies show that users are most active on Friday and Saturday nights between 8 and 11 PM.

‍

‍

For most pharmacies, the ideal posting time probably doesn’t fit within your normal operating hours. Of course, you can always post on your time off 一 or delegate a staff member to do it for you 一 but to make your life easier, try automating your posts.

‍

Platforms like Buffer, Tailwind, and Sendible allow you to schedule a time to send out your posts, then automatically post them for you. Tools like these can eliminate extra work for you and ensure that your posts go out in a timely manner.

‍

In addition to deciding when to post, you should also figure out how often you will post.

‍

Research suggests that you should post at least 3 times per day and as much as 30 times per day. For most pharmacies, 30 posts is not realistic, though, so start small and adjust as your audience grows.

‍

‍

Other Features to Try

‍

In addition to standard posts, Pinterest offers several other features that your pharmacy can try out. Using the right features can help you to engage your audience even more and turn your audience into patients.

‍

• Pinterest Business 一 To unlock a variety of extra tools on the app, create a Pinterest Business account. In addition to standard posting capabilities, Pinterest Business offers promotional opportunities, shopping solutions, and metrics that can help you understand (and reach) your audience better.

‍

‍

• Multiple boards 一 After creating a few pins, try organizing them into multiple boards. Making a few separate boards can help you to categorize your posts and make it easier for your audience to find what they need. For example, you can have one board for health tips and tricks, one for medication myths, and one for pharmacy fast facts. You can filter your boards by alphabetical order or by most recent posts. However you choose to do it, using multiple boards can help your posts stay neat, organized, and approachable.

‍

• Strategic links 一 While your Pinterest posts shouldn’t all be direct advertisements for your pharmacy, your main focus should still be to promote your business. Links are an excellent way to do it. In the caption of your posts, link to your pharmacy’s website or other social accounts so that your audience can easily reach them. You can even use Rich Pins to automatically sync information from your website to your pins, making linking even easier.

‍

‍

Conclusion

‍

Creativity is a sure-fire way to stand out from the crowd, and Pinterest is the best social media platform to do it. With the click of a button, you can use the app to create engaging content and connect with your audience in new ways. In the process, you can share valuable insight and turn your pins into profit.

‍

If you are looking to expand your pharmacy’s social media reach and have fun while doing, Pinterest is the right place for you.

‍

Looking for even more ways to grow your social media presence across multiple platforms? Discover RxLocal’s Social Media Assistant and find out how you can watch your numbers grow and your pharmacy succeed.