If you’re a Pinterest newbie, creating a marketing strategy from scratch can seem a bit daunting.
But don’t worry! Once you grasp the basics, you’ll find it’s a fun way to connect with your audience and showcase your brand.
Here’s a simple guide to help you get started!
IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
Start by thinking about who you want to reach. The majority of Pinterest users are women aged 18-34 who use the platform for inspiration, so if your target audience falls into that category (eg. women who are looking for outfit ideas, interior design inspiration or new recipes to try), that’s great and they’re likely using the app!
Then, consider what they like. Are you targeting people interested in fashion, home decor, food, or perhaps something else? What type of content do they enjoy? What questions do they ask? Check out the boards they follow and the pins they save. Are they saving infographics, tutorials, or step-by-step guides?
By identifying who your audience is, what interests them, and what types of content they engage with, you can create tailored Pinterest content that will resonate with them.
For example, let's say you run a small jewellery business. You might find that:
- Your target audience is women aged 25-34 interested in fashion, jewellery and accessories,
- They like pinning outfit inspiration and creating style moodboards.
- They ask questions like “How do I style statement jewellery?” or “What jewellery is trending this season?”
With this information, you would know to create:
- Pins featuring outfit combinations that highlight your jewellery.
- Tutorials or infographics on styling tips or care instructions for your pieces.
- Seasonal trend boards that showcase your products in a context relevant to what’s trending on Pinterest.
SET CLEAR GOALS
What do you want to achieve with your Pinterest marketing? Do you want to drive more visitors to your website, build brand awareness, or promote a specific product? Having clear goals will guide your strategy.
For example, if your goal is to increase website traffic, make sure to link your pins to specific pages on your site. If you want to promote a particular product, highlight it in your pins.
Setting goals helps you focus your Pinterest efforts and measure success. When you know what you want to achieve, you can create content that aligns with those goals.
DECIDE HOW YOU’LL MEASURE SUCCESS
Tracking your progress is essential to understand what's working and what's not. Think about how you’ll measure your goals.
Pinterest offers its own analytics tool specifically for your pins, Pinterest analytics, where you can see how well your pins are performing. Set a schedule (weekly, monthly) to review your analytics.
Tracking clicks, saves, impressions and engagement will help you to understand what’s working and adjust your strategy as needed. Look for patterns like: are certain types of pins getting more views and saves? Are you seeing a rise in traffic after promoting specific products? Use these insights to tweak your strategy - focus more on what works and adjust what doesn’t.
Read our full blog on how to measure success on Pinterest for a more in depth explanation on how to understand metrics!
You can also use tools like Google Analytics to see how many visitors are coming to your website from your Pinterest pins - as well as their behaviour on your site (eg. After clicking through from Pinterest, do they spend time on your site? Are they exploring other pages?). You can even set up conversion tracking through Google Analytics to see how many visitors end up purchasing items after clicking through from Pinterest.
CONDUCT KEYWORD RESEARCH
Keywords are the terms people use to search for content on Pinterest. Using the right keywords can help your pins show up in relevant searches.
Start by brainstorming keywords related to your business or niche. You can simply type in words to do with your niche into Pinterest’s search bar to see what suggestions come up - these are popular searches!
Incorporate these keywords into your pin descriptions to boost your visibility.
EXPLORE TREND RESEARCH
Pinterest thrives on trends, so keeping an eye on what's currently popular can help you connect with your audience.
Look at Pinterest Trends to see what’s hot right now. For example, if you're a jewellery brand you might find users are searches for terms like "jewellery aesthetic". Aligning your content with these trends means you’re more likely to attract more viewers.
ESTABLISH A POSTING ROUTINE
Being consistent is key on Pinterest.
Aim to post a few pins daily – but don’t worry, you can schedule them all for the whole month in one go.
Batch-create and plan your Pins so you’re always on schedule. And if scheduling a pin each day feels too much, start with scheduling pins three times a week and build from there.
All that matters is that you’re consistent more so than the specific number. Remember that Pinterest themselves say that quality and relevance matter more than frequency!
CURATE YOUR PIN CONTENT
Think about what type of content you want to share. Is it product photos, blog articles, tutorials, or inspiration boards? Make sure your content aligns with your goals and your audience's interests, like we mentioned earlier!
If you have product photos or videos available, definitely make use of them! Start with your product photos - just remember to resize everything to Pinterest’s recommended size of 2:3 aspect ratio (think tall and narrow). Then, upload your videos, as they attract more attention on Pinterest, with 3x higher click-through rates compared to static pins!
If you need further inspiration for pins, you can read our list of 50 pin ideas here!
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT!
By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to building a Pinterest marketing strategy that works for you. Remember, it’s all about being authentic, engaging with your audience, and, most importantly, having fun along the way!
If you'd like some extra help with your Pinterest strategy, we’re always here to help with content creation, caption writing, posting and audits! You can check out our pricing here, or get in touch with us here for more info.
Oh, and don't forget to follow us on Pinterest of course!