Pinterest Beats Facebook on Shopping Engagement

In a recent social site shopping study, Facebook was pitted against Pinterest—and lost.

According to the latest study in the Bizrate Insights Image Sharing and Shopping Series, 69 percent of online consumers who visit Pinterest found an item they've purchased, or want to purchase, compared to just 40 percent of online consumers who visit Facebook and found the same.
 

"While Facebook is far larger than Pinterest in terms of audience size—63 percent of online consumers have a Facebook account, while only 15 percent have a Pinterest account—our study, based on a survey of verified online buyers, finds that Pinterest provides a better experience for shopping discovery, purchase consideration, and deeper engagement with retailer content," says Hayley Silver, vice president, Bizrate Insights. "But this is not to say that all social attention should be diverted to Pinterest. Facebook and Pinterest each serve their online shopping communities with their preferred shopping activities, which vary by platform.” 
 

For example, Facebook outpaces Pinterest in promotions (30 percent participate on Facebook vs. 9 percent on Pinterest), while Pinterest is stronger in sharing (55 percent “repin” an item on Pinterest vs. 37 percent post an item on Facebook). 
 

The study, which contains results from over 7,000 verified online buyers in August 2012, compares Pinterest and Facebook engagement across a variety of shopping activities and usage occasions. 
 

This third study in a series intends to provide deeper insight for retailers and marketers seeking to trend how online consumers are approaching Pinterest and other social media outlets. 
 

To view more results from the study, and to see all reports in the series, click here.