A Beginner’s Guide to Growing on Pinterest
So, you're a photographer, blogger, or small business owner looking to drive more traffic to your website?
Well, Pinterest can be your new best friend!
Often overlooked as just a platform for pinning pretty pictures, Pinterest is a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience and increase website traffic.
Let’s dive into a few essential strategies to help you make the most of your Pinterest account.
Step 1: The Basics
Before you start pinning, you need to ensure your account is set up for success. Be sure that these two things are complete before anything else.
Switch to a Business Account: When you first created your Pinterest, you likely made a “Personal” account. However, you will need to convert your account to a “Business” account. This will give you access to valuable analytics that help you track your performance and identify what’s working well. Here’s how you can switch your account:
Log in to your Personal Account
Click the downward arrow next to your profile picture
Select “Settings”
Click on the 2nd tab on the left, “Account Management”
Find “Convert to a business account” and select “Convert Account”
This should. be found under your email and password.
Follow the remainder of the directions to complete the conversion.
Claim Your Website: Connecting your website to your Pinterest profile allows you to track analytics from any post that is pinned from content on your website. It also links your account under any of those pins (driving more traffic to the source, you!) Lastly, claiming your website allows Pinterest to recommend your pins to users who follow similar topics. You can claim via HTML tag, HTML file, or DNS TXT record. Visit this Pinterest blog post for more detailed steps.
Step 2: Keyword Research
Your DREAM clients are on Pinterest. We just need to use the right keywords to land you on their screens.
Pinterest is a visual search engine. That means using the right keywords is crucial to ensure your pins appear in relevant searches.
Create a Keyword Bank: Develop a comprehensive list of keywords related to your niche. I would recommend that you start out with at least 600-800 keywords that you can refer back to time after time.
Target Audience: When establishing your target audience. be as descriptive as possible and really try to place yourself in their shoes. Consider the keywords your target audience is likely to search for and add or highlight those into your keyword bank.
Step 3: Profile Optimization
A well optimized profile helps Pinterest (and its users) understand your business. You want every aspect of your account to represent YOU and for there to be no confusion regarding what your business does.
Choose a Strong Profile Picture: Use a high-quality image that represents your brand and is easily recognizable. Bonus points if your profile photos can be universal across all social accounts!
Add Keywords to Your Name & Bio: Craft a concise and informative Name and Bio that clearly states what your business does and what you offer. Include things like where you’re based, your title, and your industry. Be sure to use keywords naturally and to not just stuff your profile!
Optimize your Board Names and Descriptions: Use relevant keywords in both sections to attract users interested in your content. Include detailed descriptions for each board, explaining the content and using keywords to improve discoverability.
Clean Up Your Account: If you have tons of boards for every single hobby and interest you have … same! I LOVE that. But, you’ll want to do one of the following to ensure your business account stays on brand. Also, we want the Pinterest algorithm to be able to seamlessly detect what your business does!
Keep this account as a Personal account and create a brand new account for your business.
Make any unrelated and unoptimized boards private.
Delete your personal boards or make them private
