HOW TO USE PINTEREST FOR YOUR BUSINESS
When it comes to social media marketing, Pinterest is an underrated powerhouse for driving traffic, increasing brand awareness, and boosting sales—especially for small businesses. With over 450 million monthly active users, Pinterest is primarily a visual search engine where people go to discover ideas, products, and inspiration, which means you have a huge audience just waiting to discover you!
If you’re a business owner, here’s how you can leverage Pinterest to market your business effectively.
1. Understand Why Pinterest is Valuable for Your Business
Pinterest users are planners. They use the platform to search for solutions, ideas, and products they can act on later.
High Purchase Intent: 85% of users say they visit Pinterest when starting a new project, and 80% discover new brands or products on the platform.
Longevity of Content: Unlike Instagram or Facebook posts, Pinterest Pins have a long shelf life, generating traffic for months or even years after being posted.
Whether you sell physical products, services, or digital goods, Pinterest can drive organic traffic and help you connect with your target audience.
2. Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
To get started, you’ll need a Pinterest Business Account, which gives you access to analytics, advertising tools, and rich pins.
Go to Pinterest for Business and create an account or convert your existing personal account to a business account.
Fill out your profile with a clear bio, profile picture, and a link to your website.
Claim your website to unlock additional features like website analytics and branding on your pins. Note: You can no longer claim an Etsy profile as your website, though you can still include it on your profile and link to it.
3. Optimize Your Pinterest Profile
Your profile is your first impression. Make it count:
Use Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords in your bio to make your profile searchable. Think of your mission statement you already use on your website. For example, “Helping small businesses grow with social media strategies.”
Choose the Right Categories: Pinterest uses categories to understand your niche, so select one that aligns with your business.
Brand Consistency & Banner Photo: Use your brand’s colors, fonts, and logo in your profile and pins to reinforce recognition. You can also upload a banner that goes right in back of your profile picture. Try making one in Canva (they have a template for it), and display your products or branding on it. This will really elevate your profile and take it to the next level.
4. Design Eye-Catching Pins
Pinterest is a visual platform, so your pins must stand out. You can even design pins right in Canva and post directly from there, or just do it in Pinterest.
Use Vertical Images: Pinterest recommends a 2:3 aspect ratio (e.g., 1000 x 1500 pixels). Again, in Canva, they have a pin template that makes this easy!
Add Text Overlays: Use clear, bold text to explain the pin’s value, such as “5 Easy Recipes for Healthy Dinners.”
High-Quality Images: Use bright, sharp, and engaging visuals.
Branding: Include your logo or website URL on your pins for brand recognition. Your url will also appear in your pin info if you do not want it directly on your pin’s design.
5. Focus on SEO for Pinterest
Pinterest functions like a search engine, so SEO is essential.
Optimize Pin Descriptions: Use relevant keywords in your pin titles and descriptions. Describe the pin clearly and include a call-to-action (e.g., “Click to shop our collection”).
Hashtags: Add a few hashtags to make your pins more discoverable.
Keywords in Board Titles: Include searchable terms in your board titles and descriptions. It is a great idea to create topics for your boards that are relevant to your business, and will attract in the best clientele for you.
6. Post Consistently
Consistency is key to staying visible on Pinterest. When you are first starting out, try to pin more often. Down the road you can probably slow down, but initially, really aim to keep that momentum going.
Try creating a new pin for your business or products at least once per day, and resharing pins you like from others, about 5 times per day. Just keep in mind, you want to avoid sharing competitor’s pins, only share adjacent topics that do not directly compete with your business. For instance, we here at Salt87 wouldn’t share other template shop’s products, but would share ideas on where to source good imagery instead.
Mix your own original content with curated pins from others to keep your boards fresh and relevant.
7. Drive Traffic to Your Website
Every pin should include a link back to your website or landing page. Ensure the link leads to a specific, relevant page (not just your homepage). For example:
A blog post pin should link to the exact article.
A product pin should link directly to the product page.
8. Create Multiple Boards
You can organize your pins into individual boards, mainly topics that are relevant to your products and brand. This will help you stretch your reach even farther to your target audience, catering to things they would most likely be searching for. For example, if you are selling website templates, maybe you make boards about typography and graphic design. These things are adjacent to what you are selling.
9. See What is Working and Adjust Accordingly
Track your performance using Pinterest Analytics. Pay attention to:
Most-Clicked Pins: Which pins drive the most traffic to your site?
Top Boards: What themes resonate most with your audience?
Engagement Metrics: Look at saves, clicks, and impressions to identify what works.
Use these insights to refine your strategy and create more of what your audience loves.
Pinterest is a goldmine for small businesses, offering a unique blend of discovery, inspiration, and intent-driven traffic. By optimizing your profile, creating high-quality pins, and leveraging Pinterest’s tools, you can effectively market your brand, drive traffic, and grow your business.
Start with these strategies, stay consistent, and watch Pinterest transform your marketing efforts!
