If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Pinterest, it’s that it’s all about experimentation.
This can mean testing out which group boards are going to benefit you (and which ones aren’t), using manual pinning alongside a scheduler, what kinds of pins perform best, and diving deep into Pinterest analytics so you can further optimize your content.
Whether you’re a product- or service-based business, Pinterest can be a gold mine for helping your content be seen by the right people and boosting traffic to your website.
Here are my top five tips for how you can win at Pinterest:
1. Use Tailwind for Pinterest—it’s a game-changer
I tested out manual pinning every day for a couple of months and was able to gain a little traction on Pinterest. However, once I started using Tailwind, it literally doubled my website traffic.
Being able to schedule my pins in advance, pin them at optimal times of the day, and actually strategize my pinning has changed the way I use Pinterest. For those who may be a little time-poor, I’ve found the sweet spot to be around 15 pins per day. Focus on the quality of the pins and what your audience is actively looking for, rather than simply trying to pin as much as possible every day.
Tailwind also has amazing analytics to help you strategize even further. I used the analytics to narrow down which group boards were working for me and which ones weren’t. Some of the larger group boards can feature a lot more spam and pins that don’t suit your niche. You want to pin to group boards that have a high virality score, are active, and contain quality pins that attract your dream readers.
2. Design eye-catching pins
For each blog post I write, I create between four and five different pins. These designs are all ready to go sitting in my Canva account, so all I have to do is swap out a picture and the text, and I’m ready to pin.
Having a few designs allows me to see which pin design people are clicking on more and what is getting their attention. Using Pinterest analytics is a great way to figure out which pins are doing better so you can tweak your most successful designs to create new pins.
3. Don’t just link your pins to blog posts
Pinterest is an incredible way to build up your audience on other platforms, in addition to your blog.
Create pins for your email list, digital products you’re selling, your Youtube channel, photos from your Instagram account, and more—the list is endless. Just remember to make sure that you’re staying in line with group board rules.
This has formed a big part of my Pinterest strategy. It can be hard to keep up with blog posts every week, and thinking outside the box in terms of what to pin can boost other parts of your business or your social media reach.
4. Make manual pinning part of your strategy
Pinterest should never feel like a chore, and I believe we should still remain organically active on the platform. That’s why I manually pin a couple times a week alongside my Tailwind schedule. Using Tailwind means you can pretty much set it and forget it, but as with any platform, it’s always good to organically use Pinterest as well.
Plus, I actually use Pinterest for my own education and inspiration, especially when it comes to planning photo shoots.
By mixing in manual pinning with my Pinterest strategy, I’ve seen an increase in my followers and page views. Even if you just hop on for five minutes on your lunch break, experiment for a month to see how manual pinning might affect your traffic.
5. Review your analytics
Reviewing your Pinterest analytics helps to see what’s working and what’s not. I tend to review my analytics on both Pinterest and Tailwind every month to see how everything has performed and what tweaks I need to make.
Take note of where your audience is. The majority of my audience is in the USA, so it makes sense to pin during their evening hours, when people are home and on their phones.
Also look into what your audience is actually interested in. This may include the types of boards people have repinned my pins to, impressions on my own pins and clicks over to my website, and what pin designs are performing well. This can help you determine what content you should be creating more of to get people’s attention.
The takeaway
Remember, Pinterest is all about experimenting, figuring out what’s working and what’s not, and tweaking. Just make sure to link to lots of different channels and think about how you’ll use the platform to grow your blog or business.
Want to learn more about Pinterest for Business? Get our Ultimate Guide to Pinterest for Business here.
