Study: Pinterest Users Follow More Retailers Than Facebook Users

Pinterest is dominating as a social site where consumers and retailers connect, according to a new comScore-ledstudy. On the image-rich site, retailers can easily showcase their wares in a flashy digital format, and shoppers are eating (and buying) it up.

According to the new comScore-conducted survey of some 1,500 consumers in the U.S., Pinterest users follow an average of 9.3 retailers on the site, compared with 8.5 byTwitter users, and 6.9 by Facebook users.

Nearly two in five online consumers surveyed follow retailers on one or more social-networking sites, found the survey, results of which were published as the 2012 Social and Mobile Commerce Study, a combined research effort among
comScore, Shop.org, and The Partnering Group, and analysts found that a social- and mobile-customized approach is leading to social commerce success for retailers.

Shop.org Executive Director Vicki Cantrell said in a press release:

Pinterest has given retailers another channel to “listen” to and interact with both existing and new customers, telling an ongoing visual story through images of their products and their brand “spirit.”

Motivating consumers to connect, deals, and promotions — just choose your verbiage wisely: A recent Buddy Media study found that sales-type words resonating most with consumers are not promotions, but rather events and winning. That study cited these reasons why consumers follow their favorite retailers:

• 51 percent seek information on deals and coupons.
• 43 percent seek product information.
• 36 percent seek to post/read comments about merchandise or services.
• 34 percent seek information about events.

While the numbers signal heated competition, taking into account Pinterest’s rather new appearance on the social scene (the company launched in closed beta in March 2010), it’s clear that its strictly visuals approach is a hit with users (many of whom are consumers), and Pinterest is going to continue to give Facebook a run for its money.

Readers: Should Facebook fear Pinterest?