My Pinterest Marketing Strategy

Pinterest can be a tricky platform to use for marketing because it’s so much different than the other social media platforms. It has a unique audience of its’ own and it’s important to consider the audience you are targeting before you choose Pinterest as one of your marketing platforms. However, with the right knowledge and the right strategy, Pinterest marketing is incredibly effective. Marketers target Pinterest users by sharing content that’s too irresistible for us to pass up. And with over 433 million people on Pinterest, why wouldn’t marketers want to be on the platform? Not to mention 83% of users have made a purchase from content they’ve seen on Pinterest. So, how can your business use Pinterest as a marketing tactic to help improve your brand awareness and conversion?

Creating Pins

1. Create a graphic using your company’s theme colors. When creating the graphic, try to create something from the perspective of the user – ask yourself, would I click on this? Would I repin this? People go to Pinterest for aesthetics and ideas, so make sure the content is targeted to fit into these categories. Incorporate your company’s theme colors to strengthen your brand identity.

2. Add a title that will catch the audience’s attention. For example, “5 Tips to …” or “How to…” It has been proven that it is more likely for users to click on a numbered list – it’s easier to follow and they get enough information in a short list. If it isn’t list-friendly content, make sure the title includes exactly what the user will find in the link they are opted to click next.

3. Tell everyone what the Pin is about in 500 characters. If there is a lot of information, use spaces between sentences to make it look neater and less overwhelming to the reader. Use emojis when necessary, but don’t overuse emojis – limit two emojis per post.

4. Add a working link. Relevant links should always be added – article links, podcast links, posts, and other website links. Don’t forget to add a link because if the user wants to read more about something, they will click the link to do that. If you have nothing to link, you can always just link your website for more outbound clicks.

5. Use little to no hashtags. Hashtag use on Pinterest is different from other social media applications. While Pinterest does use hashtags, keywords work in the same way. If you go to the Pinterest home feed and look at the trending posts, you will notice that the most popular posts do not use hashtags. Overuse of hashtags can look spammy or overwhelming to a user. So hashtags aren’t necessary, but if you wish to use them, use no more than two or three.

6. Post or schedule to post. Scheduling posts is the best option so you can post during higher web traffic hours. Studies show that the best time to post on Pinterest is between 8 pm and 11 pm. The best day to post is on Saturday. Other good times to post are between 2 pm and 4 pm.

7. View pin in profile. Once the pin is created, go view your business profile to view it with all of the other pins alongside it. Make sure the theme colors match and they compliment each other well. Since Pinterest is big on aesthetics, it is important to maintain a precise theme that will both capture the audience’s attention and enhance the brand identity. 

8. Consider running paid ads on graphics that have the best potential. Paid ads will boost visibility, increase conversions, and sometimes, boost engagement. This is a good option when starting from scratch, because it may take a while for organic posts to reach the right audience.

Questions To Ask Before Creating A Pin:

• Is this pinnable?

• Would I click on this?

• Does this fit a precise theme?

• Is this content relevant to the company?

• Will this stand out from other posts that may be like it?

Slow Burn Platform

Pinterest is a search engine, meaning it takes time for content to index and rank in search. When you are just getting started on Pinterest, outbound clicks are going to be extremely  low. It takes about 6-9 months or up to a year before you are really going to see the fruits of your labor. But, a year from now, if you post consistently, post valuable content, and draw in users with appealing graphics, your content on Pinterest could pay off greatly. Patience is key with this platform!