Retailers should also consider advertising on Facebook. The report found that retail advertisers saw conversion rates of almost 50 percent through Facebook ad campaigns in 2011.
According to Experian, Pinterest attracted 21.5 million visits in the week ending January 28, 2012 – nearly 30 times the number of total visits six months before giving it a larger audience than LinkedIn. As reported by other firms, Pinterest skews female; 60 percent of the site's users are women, and 55 percent are between the ages of 25 and 44, according to Experian.
Californians and Texans made up the largest share of visits to the site, and its users over index in visits from Midwestern, Northwestern, and Southeastern states.
"This data indicates that Pinterest visitors have a different profile versus their counterparts visiting other social networking sites such as Facebook and YouTube," notes the report.
Pinterest users post photos of "Products They Love," from L.K. Bennett shoes and Kate Spade purses to iPhone cases, laptop bags, and Reyka Vodka. So, it's no surprise Experian sees the site as full of potential for retail marketing. "As communities become less about friends and more about common interests, retail brands in particular need to take note if they want to make more meaningful connections with their customers," the company states.
Retail brands that ran at least four ad campaigns on Facebook in 2011 drew some of the highest conversion rates as measured by Experian. Retail Facebook ads resulted in a 49 percent conversion rate, compared to 40 percent for travel advertisers and 58 percent for consumer goods brands. In contrast, auto brand ads on Facebook generated just 18 percent conversion.
Facebook ads can be a "significant source" of company site traffic, added the report. Twitter remains the second largest social site in the U.S.
