Pinterest is a fantastic visual discovery platform for brands that want to boost their online presence and drive website traffic. But despite its potential, many businesses struggle.
Why? Because they treat Pinterest like Instagram. They focus solely on visuals and forget to optimise their content. While high-quality visuals are essential, Pinterest is more like a search engine and requires a different approach.
But don’t worry, I’ve got your back. I’m Archana Haarnack, a Pinterest marketing expert from the Netherlands and I’ve been using the platform since 2010. In 2018, I quit my job to help interior design and furniture brands and ecommerce companies grow organically with Pinterest. I’ve worked with some fantastic companies including HOOG.design, de Bijenkorf and Thomas de Gier.
So if you're struggling to gain traction, here are my tried and tested tips to help you optimise your profile and content.
9 ways to optimise your brand’s Pinterest
Struggling with engagement on Pinterest? Work through my 9 tips for optimising your profile and content.
1. Set clear goals
First, make sure you’re setting goals. Without a clear direction, it can be hard to maintain a consistent posting schedule and you can easily lose momentum. For example, do you want to increase brand awareness? Or increase sales to a specific product? These goals provide a good starting point and help you create relevant content. We cover this in more detail in our complete guide to Pinterest.
2. Claim your website
Verifying your website on Pinterest will unlock valuable analytics. You can track pin performance, understand what drives traffic, and refine your strategy. Here are the steps to verify your website:
- Go to your Pinterest business account.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner and select “Settings.”
- Under “Claim,” select “Claim your website.”
- Pinterest will provide an HTML tag. Copy this tag.
- Paste the HTML tag into your website’s <head> section.
- Go back to Pinterest and click “Verify.” Pinterest will check for the tag and confirm verification.
You can read Pinterests article on how to claim your website for more detail.
3. Use inspiring visuals
Pinterest is all about visual content, so make sure you’re creating high-quality images from the outset. As an ecommerce brand, you’re probably shooting product images for your website and social channels; see if there are any (preferably vertical) you can repurpose for Pinterest. If not, it’s worth taking your own DIY product images, or investing in thumb-stopping video content. The more eye-catching your content, the more you’ll boost interaction and visibility on your page. Here’s one of my favourite Pinterest pages, courtesy of Zara Home. Every pin has been carefully selected to create a beautiful board that draws you in. 😍
4. Incorporate relevant keywords for Pinterest SEO
Just like a regular search engine, relevant keywords are essential for helping users find your pins and profile. Think of it like Pinterest search engine optimisation (SEO). By integrating relevant search terms into your pin titles, descriptions, and board names, you’ll improve your content's discoverability and reach. Here are some ways to analyse keywords for your target audience:
Use Pinterest’s search bar: Start typing keywords in the search bar. Pinterest will suggest popular related keywords based on search volume. For example, here’s what comes up when I search ‘garden’ on Pinterest.
- Analyse top pins: Look at the keywords used in titles and descriptions of top-performing pins in your niche. Using the garden example, here are ideas that pops up when I search ‘garden party’.
You can see the description has been populated with keywords like ‘garden ideas’, ‘garden decoration’ and ‘garden wedding’ which can be found in lots of similar pins within this niche.
- Explore Pinterest Trends: Use Pinterest’s Trends tool to see what’s currently popular. You can also look back at historical data and gather keyword ideas to help you create a Pinterest content strategy.
- Check competitors: Review your competitors’ profiles to identify target keywords. This’ll give you a better chance of ranking next to them in the search results.
5. Post consistently
Maintaining a consistent posting schedule on Pinterest is a great way to increase visibility and engage your audience. Regularly posting pins signals activity to Pinterest’s algorithm, which will boost your content's presence in feeds. It also keeps followers interested and helps build momentum. You can use scheduling tools like Tailwind, Buffer or Hootsuite to plan content in advance.
6. Create branded pins
Branded pins will usually have design elements like your logo, brand colours, and graphics which help users instantly identify your content. You can also add text overlays and a call to action. Branded pins are good for providing consistency which builds familiarity with your audience. vtwonen, for instance, adds a graphic at the footer of their pins to showcase their collections and their logo.
7. Create pins for each section of your website
To make the most of Pinterest, it’s worth creating pins that link back to different sections of your website. That includes your landing pages, blog posts, and product pages. Take the design studio, McGee and Co. They have a variety of pins all pointing to different types of content on their online store.
8. Use both ads and organic pins
To increase your reach on Pinterest, use a mix of ads and organic pins. The great thing about advertising on Pinterest is that this also boosts your organic pins. Plus, promoted pins allow you to target specific demographics, interests, and behaviours. Start by promoting your best-performing organic content to extend its reach. Monitor the performance of them and adjust your targeting and budget as needed. I also recommend that you post vertical pins of at least 1000 x 1500 px to ensure the best engagement from your organic pins and ads.
9. Use Pinterest analytics
Regularly review Pinterest statistics to understand your pins' performance. Key metrics include impressions, saves, and click-through rates. These metrics will help you understand which content resonates with your audience and spot trends to see which types of pins are most effective. Use this information to adjust your strategy and focus on creating more successful content.
Get expert help with your Pinterest profile
Are you ready to up your Pinterest game? Feel free to reach out to me via my website. I can offer advice, provide Pinterest training for your team and manage your entire account to help you grow your business.And if you need a place to store all your gorgeous Pinterest content, check our Dash— the digital asset management tool for DTC brands. You can take out a 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
Archana is a Pinterest marketing expert from the Netherlands. She works with interior design and furniture brands and ecommerce companies to help them grow organically with Pinterest.
