We’ve all heard of Pinterest. Maybe you’ve used it for clean eating, decor, or vacation inspiration. But did you know that Pinterest for marketing can be a hugely powerful tool to grow your business? I’ll walk you through the exact steps – that are a huge growth hack – on using Pinterest to grow your business.
Because here’s the hidden secret that many people don’t know: Pinterest can be the number one traffic driver for your brand.
Luckily, it’s super easy to learn how to use Pinterest as a marketing growth strategy.
Let’s go!
STEP 1 – Set up a Pinterest Account and Convert it to a Business Account
First step in using Pinterest to grow your business, you need to make sure your account is set up for success.
If you haven’t done so yet, start by creating a Pinterest account and convert it to a business account.
Why? So you can get all the awesome stats, insights, advertising opportunities, and extra perks.
To do so, simply click on the 3 dots in the top right corner, and click “Upgrade Now” (but know that it’s 100% free):
Once you register, pick your category, and enter your brand name:
The next step up is to claim your website. Pinterest has a great article explaining exactly how to claim your website, but I’ll give you the basics here.
Again, click on the 3 dots in the upper right hand corner, click settings, then click on “Claim” in the list to the left. Input your website, and click the “claim” button.
Then, copy the HTML tag that appears, and head over to your website CMS. Each CMS is different, but I’ll give an example using WordPress.org.
Within WordPress, you’ll need to have the Yoast SEO plugin downloaded and activated (check under your “Plugin” tab if it says Activate or Deactivate – and if you don’t have it, this is where you can add it). Paste the Pinterest confirmation code and click “save changes”. You should get an email within 24hrs or so saying it’s been claimed.
Ok – there’s the tech side of Pinterest marketing setup done. Now time for the fun stuff!
STEP 2 – Create 5-10 relevant boards
It’s time to search through Pinterest and start saving pins that would align with your ideal customer.
To show Pinterest that you’re a real human who will provide quality content, you’ll need to create some boards relevant to your niche. Getting 5-10 boards established is the next step on using Pinterest to grow your business.
Say you run a parenting website, you could have boards on baby sleep tips, introducing baby foods, baby gear, baby sign language, etc. The goal is to think about what things will help your target customer.
If you’re creating a website to help new bloggers, for example, you could create boards that aligned with these core topics:
- How to start a blog
- Social Media Marketing
- How to monetize your blog
- Writing Tips
- Entrepreneurial tips
Have some fun with this. And make sure you add at least 10 pins to each board. Don’t spend a ton of time here, but more is usually better.
STEP 3 – Apply to Group Boards in Your Niche
Question: Say you”ve created some great articles on your website and some great pins for them. You’ve posted them on your Pinterest account, but you haven’t been getting many clicks. How do you get people to click your Pinterest pins? How do you get clicks to your website?
Answer: By joining group boards related to your niche.
But how do you become a member of Pinterest group boards?
Just ask!
Start looking through pins in your niche. Find others who are posting great content, follow them, scroll through their boards, and see which ones are group boards. Group boards will have a small circle in the bottom corner like so:
Then, read through the group board description. It will usually give you an option on how to join the board, such as:
- Send an email asking to join the board
- Follow them, then send a DM / Direct Message
- The board is closed to new contributors
- Or it doesn’t say anything – in which case you can try a DM, but they may not respond
When approaching board owners, send them a simple note saying you have a website in that niche and would love to become a member. Mention the board’s title in the email subject line, and let them know that you try to repin one pin for every pin you post.
Try to join ~20 group boards relating to your niche. This may take a while for people to let you in but until then, just keep creating awesome content, filling your boards up, and sharing quality content.
Another thing you can do is consider starting your own group board. You know one of my favorite sayings – society favors the creators. So if you can’t find something, just create it yourself!
STEP 4 – Create Awesome Pins that People Want to Click
The key to getting results from Pinterest is to have amazing pins that people will want to repin. Sound easy? Let’s go into detail on what can make a great pin!
- Use the 2:3 ratio – this means it’s 3 parts tall to 2 parts wide. It’s the best size to get started on, displaying well on both smartphones and desktops.
- Use a great photo – Pinterest photos should be clean, crisp, and “best life worthy”. If you need quality stock photos (that are free!), Pexel and Unsplash are great.
- Go for warm pins without faces – studies show that warmer (rosy) images perform better than cooler (blue) images. Also, pins with faces actually get fewer clicks.
- Zoom in – zoomed in photos get far more repins than those far away.
- Use big, clear fonts – fonts should pop on tiny screens. That means use thick fonts, of a big size and contrasting color to the background.
- Leave room for fonts – ensure your words POP. Either place them on blank space, or add a shaded overlay for your words. Also use text that AI can understand/photograph.
- Include a catchy headline – “How to”, “Top 10”, and “Amazing Tips” are great places to start (ex. How to meal prep in order to save 4 hours/week).
- Add your website – include your domain name in the bottom of the pin. This way, people will see your brand even when it’s reposted.
- Create your signature style – pick a few colors and photography themes and stick with them. People, by nature, love predictability.
- Use keywords – a keyword is basically a search term. For example, “increase website traffic” is a keyword for this post. Try to fit them into your pin’s description. Just ensure it doesn’t get too salesy – you’re here to help people.
You may be wondering how to create pins?
You can use PowerPoint or Photoshop, but a great midpoint is the free app Canva. They have preset designs that you simply customize, making it fast & easy.
A last note on visuals: when all else fails, see what you’ve saved on your Pinterest account. What drew you to these pins? Try to incorporate those elements into yours.
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STEP 4B – Create multiple pins per post
Think you can just create one pin and be done?
If only it were that easy! But as you’re looking for using Pinterest to grow your business, you don’t want to miss out on maximizing your results.
For your best odds, create 3 pins per post. Use slightly different styles, and watch to see which pull in the best results. Us marketers call this A/B testing, but it’s really just learning what appeals to your consumers.
STEP 5 – Use Tailwind to schedule your pins
Tailwind is a tool (app + website) which allows you to schedule your posts in advance. And when you’re using Pinterest to grow your business, anything that can save you time is great.
Your pins can be assigned to multiple boards (including group boards) and you can even post to tailwind tribes and get additional traction through the platform itself.
The best part? You can batch your work, and load in all your pins just once a month. You then set it and forget it for a whole month.
Sign up today and you’ll see how you can easily schedule a month’s worth of content in just minutes.
Pinterest Marketing Strategies to grow your business
To recap, using Pinterest is an untapped way to grow your business. You’ll want to:
- Set up a Pinterest Account and Convert it to a Business Account
- Create 5-10 relevant boards
- Apply to Group Boards in Your Niche
- Create Awesome Pins that People Want to Click
- Create multiple pins per post
- Use Tailwind to schedule your pins
These five steps to using Pinterest to grow your business will give you an advantage that many marketers don’t tap into.
Can we go in depth? Yes, always.
But I’m a big believer in mastering the basics.
Do these consistently, stay active on Pinterest, continue to follow and repin other’s work in your niche, and your readership will grow.
More great Pinterest and social media updates to come down the road, but until then, let’s get pinning!
If you’d like to follow me on Pinterest, I’d love to see you there. Check me out at @MarketingGrowthLab.
See you on Pinterest, friends!
– Danielle
