Proven Pinterest Marketing Strategy to Unlock Viral Growth

Proven Pinterest Marketing Strategy to Unlock Viral Growth

Let me tell you a story.

One day, I was scrolling through my social media feeds when I came across this article about the power of Pinterest marketing. I had always considered Pinterest a platform for DIY projects and recipe sharing. 

But as I dug deeper, I realised a whole world of opportunity for businesses like mine.

So I decided to give it a shot. 

I invested some time into learning the ins and outs of Pinterest, experimenting with different strategies, and tracking the results. And let me tell you, the payoff was huge. 

Within a few months, I got a steady stream of high-quality leads from Pinterest, and my revenue started skyrocketing.

The story's moral: Never underestimate a platform's power, even if it doesn't seem directly relevant to your business. With the right strategy, you can unlock a whole new world of growth.

If you're reading this, you're likely in a similar position. 

You know you need to be on social media, but Pinterest doesn't seem to be a choice as apparent as Instagram or LinkedIn. Well, let me tell you – that's precisely why you should pay attention to it.

In this comprehensive guide, I will share the strategies and tactics I used to turn Pinterest into a powerhouse for Inkbot Design. 

Whether you're a beginner or have dabbled in Pinterest marketing, you will walk away with a clear, actionable plan to start driving serious results for your business.

So, without further ado, let's dive in!

The Foundations: Understanding the Pinterest Ecosystem 🏗️

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of your Pinterest marketing strategy, it's essential to have a solid grasp of how the platform works and what makes it unique.

The Pinterest Mindset: Discovery, Inspiration, and Planning

One of the key things that sets Pinterest apart from other social media platforms is the mindset of its users. People don't come to Pinterest to stay up-to-date on the latest news or engage with friends.

Instead, they're in a discovery and planning mindset. They're looking for ideas, inspiration, and solutions to their problems. Whether planning a wedding, decorating a new home, or finding the perfect recipe, Pinterest users actively search for content to help them achieve their goals.

This is a crucial distinction because it means that the content that performs well on Pinterest differs from what you might see on Instagram or Facebook.

Think about it this way: On Instagram, people often look for a curated, aesthetically pleasing feed that reflects their brand. On Pinterest, they're looking for practical, actionable content to help them with a specific task or project.

So, when crafting your Pinterest marketing strategy, you must remember this user mindset. Your goal shouldn't be to get people to follow your account or like your posts. It should provide them with genuinely helpful, inspiring content that helps them achieve their goals.

The Pinterest Algorithm: Understanding the Power of Search and Discoverability

Another critical thing to understand about Pinterest is the way its algorithm works. Unlike other social media platforms prioritising engagement (likes, comments, shares), Pinterest's algorithm focuses on search and discoverability.

This means that the content that performs best on Pinterest differs from the content that gets the most engagement. Instead, it's the content optimised for search – content that uses the right keywords, has a clear and compelling visual, and is structured in a way that makes it easy for Pinterest users to find and engage with.

If you post a stunning photo on Instagram, your followers might get many likes and comments. However, that photo might not perform as well on Pinterest because it's not optimised for search and discoverability.

This is a crucial distinction to understand because it means that your Pinterest marketing strategy needs to be focused on creating search-optimised content rather than just trying to maximise engagement.

The Power of Pinnable Content: Visual Storytelling and Evergreen Value

One of the things that makes Pinterest so powerful as a marketing platform is the longevity and discoverability of the content.

Compared to other social media platforms where content has a very short lifespan, Pinterest content has the potential to continue driving traffic. It leads for months or even years after it's first posted. This is because Pinterest users are constantly searching for new ideas and inspiration, and your content can continue to show up in those searches long after it's been posted.

But to take advantage of this, you must create pinnable content that is visually appealing, easy to understand and provides genuine user value.

Think about it this way: On Pinterest, your content isn't just competing with other posts from that day or week. It's competing with all the content that's ever been posted on the platform. So, you need to ensure your content is visually stunning, informative, and genuinely helpful if you want it to stand out.

This is where the power of visual storytelling comes in. By creating beautiful, engaging visuals that communicate the value of your content, you can increase the chances of your target audience discovering, sharing, and engaging your pins.

Crafting Your Pinterest Marketing Strategy 🎯

Now that you have a solid understanding of the Pinterest ecosystem, it's time to start crafting your marketing strategy. Here are the key elements you'll need to focus on:

Keyword Research: Finding the Right Search Terms

Remember, the key to success on Pinterest is discoverability. And that means you must ensure your content is optimised for the correct search terms.

Start by doing some research to identify the keywords and phrases that your target audience is using to search for content like yours. You can use tools like Pinterest's own search bar, Google Trends, or keyword research tools like Semrush or Ahrefs to help you identify the most relevant and high-volume keywords.

For example, if you're a wedding planner, some of the keywords you might want to target could include “wedding ideas”, “wedding inspiration”, “DIY wedding decor”, and so on.

Once you've identified your target keywords, incorporate them into your pin titles, descriptions, and even the file names of your images. This will ensure that your content shows up in the right search results and gets in front of the people who are most likely to be interested in it.

Visual Optimisation: Creating Attention-Grabbing Pins

As we've discussed, your content's visual element is crucial on Pinterest. Your pins need to be eye-catching, informative, and aligned with the overall aesthetic of the platform.

Start by creating high-quality, visually appealing images that communicate the value of your content. Use bold, contrasting colours, clean and simple designs, and clear, legible text overlays to grab the attention of scrolling users.

Using the correct image dimensions for Pinterest is also a good idea – the optimal size is 1000×1500 pixels, with a 2:3 aspect ratio. This will help ensure that your pins look great and don't get cropped or distorted.

In addition to the visual design, you'll also want to pay attention to the content of your pins. Ensure your images are relevant to the topic and provide clear, actionable value to the user. Use descriptive, keyword-rich titles and descriptions to help your pins appear in search results.

Remember, your goal isn't just to create pretty pictures – it's to create content that genuinely helps your target audience achieve their goals. So, ensure your pins are informative, inspiring, and ultimately helpful.

Optimising Your Pinterest Profile: Building Trust and Authority

In addition to creating great content, you must ensure your overall Pinterest profile is optimised for success. This includes things like:

• Keyword-rich profile name and description: Make sure your profile name and bio communicate what your business does and your target audience.
• Consistent branding: Use the same profile photo, cover image, and overall visual style across your Pinterest boards and pins.
• Strategically organised boards: Group your pins into clearly labelled, thematically relevant boards to make it easy for users to find what they want.
• Optimised board covers: Use eye-catching, branded board covers to make your profile look professional and visually appealing.
• Informative, keyword-rich board descriptions: Use your board descriptions to provide more context about the content you're sharing and the value it provides.

By optimising your overall Pinterest presence, you can build trust and authority with your target audience, making it more likely that they'll engage with your content and ultimately become customers.

Pinning Strategy: Consistency, Curation, and Collaboration

Of course, creating great content and optimising your profile is only half the battle. It would help to have a solid pinning strategy to ensure your content gets in front of the right people.

Here are some key elements to focus on:

Consistency: Consistency is among the most critical factors in Pinterest's success. You must be pinning new content regularly (ideally several times daily) to ensure your profile stays active and visible in the feed.

Tip: Use a scheduling tool like Tailwind or Buffer to help you plan and automate your pinning schedule.

Curation: Besides creating original content, it's also important to curate and share high-quality, relevant content from other sources. This helps to position you as an authoritative, trustworthy source of information in your niche.

Tip: Use Pinterest's search and discovery tools to find great content to share and give credit to the sources.

Collaboration: Another powerful strategy is collaborating with other businesses or influencers in your industry. This could involve joint boards, guest-pinning on each other's profiles, or even co-creating content.

Tip: Look for complementary businesses or influencers with a similar target audience to yours, and ask if they'd be interested in a collaboration.

By combining these three elements – consistency, curation, and collaboration – you can build a thriving, engaged community on Pinterest that drives actual results for your business.

Measurement and Optimisation: Tracking Your Progress and Iterating

Finally, it's crucial to have a system in place for tracking and measuring the performance of your Pinterest marketing efforts. This will help you identify what's working, what's not, and where you need to adjust your strategy.

Some key metrics to track include:

• Impressions: How many people are seeing your pins?
• Engagements: How many people interact with your pins (e.g. clicks, saves, repins)?
• Traffic: How much referral traffic are you getting from Pinterest to your website or online store?
• Conversions: Are your pins leading to tangible business results, like sales, leads, or sign-ups?

Regularly reviewing these metrics and making data-driven adjustments to your strategy can optimise your Pinterest marketing efforts and drive even better results for your business.

Tip: Use Pinterest's built-in analytics tools and third-party tools like Tailwind and Semrush to help you track and analyse your performance.

Putting it All Together: A Pinterest Marketing Case Study 🤑

Okay, let's put all of this into practice with a real-world example.

Remember earlier when I mentioned that I used Pinterest to drive growth for Inkbot Design, my branding and design agency? Well, let me tell you how I did it.

I was sceptical when I first started exploring Pinterest as a marketing channel. How could a platform primarily used for DIY projects and recipe sharing be helpful for a design agency like mine?

But then I started digging into the data and realised there was a huge opportunity. A lot of my target audience – small business owners and entrepreneurs – were actively using Pinterest to find inspiration and ideas for their branding and marketing.

So I decided to give it a shot. I started by doing in-depth keyword research to identify the terms and phrases my target audience used to search for content like mine. Things like “branding tips”, “logo design ideas”, and “brand identity inspiration” were all high on the list.

Next, I created visually stunning, informative pins that spoke directly to my target audience's pain points and goals. I used those keyword-rich titles and descriptions and optimised the images for maximum impact and discoverability.

I also put a lot of effort into building my overall Pinterest profile. I created a consistent, branded look and feel, organised my boards strategically, and filled them with a mix of original content and curated pins from other sources.

Then, I got to work on my pinning strategy. I used Tailwind to schedule a consistent stream of new pins, and I actively collaborated with other design-focused businesses and influencers to cross-promote and expand my reach.

The results were incredible. Within a few months, I started seeing a steady stream of high-quality leads and inquiries from Pinterest. Over the following year, it became one of the biggest drivers of new business for Inkbot Design.

Around 30-40 % of our revenue came directly from Pinterest marketing. It was a total game-changer for my business.

And the best part? The impact of those initial efforts is still being felt today. Years later, I get steady traffic and leads from the pins and boards I created. It's the gift that keeps on giving!

So, if you're on the fence about using Pinterest for your business, I'd urge you to try it. With the right strategy and approach, it can be an absolute powerhouse for driving growth and new business.

Frequently Asked Questions 🤔

Unlock the Power of Pinterest for Your Business 🚀

Whew, that's a tonne of information to take in! But I hope you understand the incredible potential of Pinterest marketing for businesses like yours.

Remember, the key is to approach Pinterest with the right mindset – focus on creating genuinely helpful, inspirational content that helps your target audience achieve their goals. And by leveraging the platform's powerful search and discoverability features, you can unlock a whole new world of growth and revenue for your business.

So what are you waiting for? It's time to start pinning your way to success! And if you need any help along the way, feel free to contact the team at Inkbot Design. We'd be more than happy to lend a hand.