Pinterest may be a visual search engine, but without adequate keyword research to back the content, website clicks fall through the cracks. Not to sound like a broken record, but given that Pinterest is a search engine and not a social media platform, it’s a given that there are many users out there using Pinterest completely wrong.
How Pinterest works
For your website to be seen you use SEO (search engine optimization) to optimise it on Google. It is exactly the same with Pinterest. For your pin to be seen you need to use keywords whenever possible.
SEO and Keywords are pretty much used in the same way and both focus on improving the position of your website, whether it be with the website directly (Google) or via an eye-catching image (Pinterest.) By using these as part of your strategy you’ll improve the traffic to your website.
What is a keyword?
A keyword is a word or phrase that someone types in to find information, eg if I would like to find a dress for a night out with the girls, I would type into Pinterest “best party dresses for women” “Party dresses for women” or “womens dresses.”
There are vast amounts of ways that you can type words into a search engine to get the result, so you need to flip the method of searching and ensure that your Pins include the keywords that people will be looking for.
4 ways to find Pinterest keywords
When it comes to Pinterest, to be successful you need to do some research into keywords. You need to know what people are looking for when they’re on Pinterest and without doing research, you’re just wasting your time as the Pins will tank.
1. The search bar
You can use the search bar to find keywords that people are searching for that is related to your Pin. Try typing a word in and see what suggestions come up. These results tell you what other popular phrases are related to what you have been looking for in the search bar. These can then new included in your keyword research to be used also!
2. The bubbles (they’re back!)
When you’ve entered your search term and pressed enter, there is a bunch of coloured bubbles underneath. These are common, yet very similar search terms that people are also using. Pay attention to these as tiles will have some great keywords to include in future Pins.
Unfortunately, this hasn’t been rolled out to all accounts yet, so if you don’t have this feature, you’re going to have to use the other 3 methods.. Sorry folks!
3. Ads manager
Even if you aren’t creating Pinterest Ads yet, you can still utilise this feature – and I recommend doing so! Of course, as I always recommend – make sure you have a business account as otherwise you won’t be able to do this.
To use this feature go to Ads> Create Ad >Continue. It will look like you’re setting up an ad but don’t worry…you won’t be. Scroll down to ‘Interests and Keywords.’ Click ‘add keywords’ and start typing in a keyword. You should see a whole load of other keywords pop into the box as well as an average monthly viewers indicator, similar to Instagram.
You can thank me later!!
4. Trends
Trends show the most popular searched for or related terms plus the most popular pins within the past 12 months. As you type in the search bar, a list of suggested terms will appear. These suggestions are real searches that happen on Pinterest. They show common and trending terms relevant to the topics entered by you.
Where to put the Pinterest keywords
Almost 9 in 10 people use Pinterest for purchase inspiration so as long as you have created Pins that catch the eye and use keywords that will allow you to be placed in the right feed, Pinterest can literally be a game changer.
There are 5 places to put Pinterest keywords on Pinterest, they are to be put in your:
1. Pinterest profile name
Occasionally people will search directly for profiles, any account that has a similar niche will appear on the results so if you can get Pinterest to know how to categorise your account, it will share your account when your ideal customer looks for it.
Unfortunately, you’re not able to add symbols into your profile name anymore so when I wanted to have “Pinned Social – Pinterest Expert & Social Media Manager,” I wasn’t able to. But the next place can help solve this issue.
2. Pinterest profile bio
Your profile biography allows you 160 characters, which really isn’t that much in terms of making the big sell, but you do get the chance to change it from time to time! It’s worth mentioning offers, freebies etc… But remember to change it up once it expires.
Your profile bio is a massive chance for you to be discovered when users are searching so make sure you take the time to create the perfect bio that lets people know exactly who you are.
3. Pin title
Your pin title should have your main keyword in there, but don’t forget to make it enticing! A lot of businesses underestimate the power of a pin title, but if you can inspire the user to click onto your pin you’re one step closer to making that sale.
4. Pin description
Pin descriptions have 500 characters, the more you use; the more you’re likely to be seen. Just don’t ram just keywords in, add them naturally. otherwise Pinterest could mark your pin as spam and that just wastes your time and potentially affects your whole account.
5. Pinterest board descriptions
If you don’t have board descriptions, get on it now! By having descriptions for your boards, it helps your Pins and account be discovered. Again, you get 500 characters, so fill the space up as much as possible – similar to the way you need to do it in the Pin description.
By using the above 4 places to find keywords and implementing them into 5 different places, you’re more than likely to get a great response to your Pins. Don’t forget you also get the chance to change up your keywords when you create a second fresh Pin.
Book yourself in for a free chat with me here to run through some of your Pinterest plans alongside a cuppa!
CLICK TO PIN THE IMAGE BELOW:
I know how hard it can be to delegate to people but there comes a time in every business where you need to give someone else the ropes so you can focus on the business itself.
You’re the expert in your business so why not give some of your Pinterest work to the Pinterest experts? Afterall, Pinterest is one of the most automatable and delegatable marketing platforms out there.
By doing this it can move from the bottom of your to do list straight on to the completed list as it’s not your responsibility anymore!
So, Why Outsource Pinterest management in the first place?
When it comes to businesses, an online presence is essential and that Pinterest is just one of the many tools well worth considering.
With over 200 billion ideas circling on Pinterest, it is more than a website to inspire decor and recipe ideas. It’s actually a great resource given there are over 478 million monthly active users, then there are the people who continue to sign up and create new accounts on the platform every single day.
As mentioned previously, a Pinterest manager is someone who has spent time learning the platform inside and out, kept up to date with the latest algorithms and has tried and tested numerous industries and strategies to date.
If you’re not sure what kind of tasks you can delegate and outsource to a Pinterest Manager, look at the following tasks to give you an idea:
1. Keyword research
When it comes to keyword research, this is a vital aspect to your Pinterest strategy. It can help:
• Inspire Pin Ideas That Your Audience Will Be Looking For
By searching for keywords and phrases; whether that be through trends or the actual search bar, will inspire new ideas that could create popular Pins.
• Help Your Ideal Customer Find And Connect With Your Content
Place your keywords and keyword phrases wherever possible so your audience can easily find you when they’re searching for content that you’re sharing. The places you need to place the keywords are in the Pin titles, Pin descriptions and the overlay text you put on your Pins.
• Optimise Your Content Faster And Simpler
Use your keyword and keyphrase research to find valuable insights into your ideal audience’s pain points. Try to compare your original keyword to a new keyword to see which would perform better and make note of it.
Whilst this is an important aspect to Pinterest, you will only be doing this occasionally. It is also a tedious process which you’ll no doubt put off time and time again. By passing the task to your Pinterest Manager, it means the task will still be done on time and you don’t have to do it either!
2. Creating pin graphics
Standing out on Pinterest is crucial, but not everyone has an eye for design – and that’s ok!! You might feel like your Pin images don’t look slick enough, you might feel that they make your business look amateur and you might feel that they’re not aligning with your brand. It can become a big problem that causes unnecessary stress and spending wasted time of creating Pins that might not even gain traction.
But Pinterest Managers can create click-worthy Pinterest designs that match your branding, we know what makes the perfect pin design to catch people’s eye when they are flicking through Pinterest. After a while, Pinners will recognize your Pins and will be more inclined to click on them, which in turn means more eyes on your website, which will lead to more sales hopefully!
Here is what would be great to have already prepped in advance:
• Get some inspiration from Pinterest itself and save Pins you like to a secret board to share with your Pinterest Manager
• Find a few Pinterest templates that has your brand and niche’s style in mind
• Provide your Pinterest Manager the text you want on the Pin image itself for each pin
3. Planning what to pin each month
Whilst you might already be on Pinterest, if you don’t have a strategy in place, you won’t see its true potential. This is also pretty common for new users who join the platform who just don’t understand how to leverage it to bring traffic to your website.
People think that managing a Pinterest account is just picking out pins and scheduling them. But the truth is, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes. Not only does it consist of doing keyword research, maintaining existing boards and coming up with new board ideas; a good Pinterest manager will implement a Pinterest strategy that aligns with your business goals.
Try to break down your Pinterest tasks to make it feel less overwhelming. Planning your content is just one of the tasks that can seem daunting to most users. But, a way to get over this hurdle is to write down the Pins that need to be created/uploaded for the month ahead with dates they’re needed for. Make note of any Pins that are required for any blog posts that will be published, any new Pins to share old content and any new products/services that will be released that month that need Pins.
Once your Pinterest Manager is familiar with your brand and content plan, they will be able to take care of the planning stage for you.
4. Scheduling pins
Time is golden – As a business owner, you wear so many different hats and juggle so many tasks day in and day out. Your business should allow you to do the work you love so that you can actually enjoy your work and life but you feel like you’re constantly busy and your to-do list never seems to end.
Maybe you just don’t have time for yet another social platform? If you’re already spreading yourself thin with Instagram, Facebook etc. adding Pinterest is just going to be another pain in the butt.
Keep track of the time you spend working on Pinterest each week and then think of tasks in your business that require your attention, not forgetting you wouldn’t be achieving the kind of Pinterest growth you can expect by handing it over to an expert.
A Pinterest manager can give you back your precious time by taking care of tasks such as creating eye-catching Pins, writing board description that are loaded with SEO keywords and keep track of your analytics.
5. Writing Pin Descriptions
Do you like writing captions for your social media posts? Yes? That is all well and good, but when it comes to writing Pin descriptions, it needs an understanding of Pinterest SEO and keywords. It’s definitely something that takes time, concentration and is probably one of the best tasks to outsource to a Pinterest Manager!
6. Tracking analytics data
Seeing the analytics of your Pins is great and all but you want to be able to see growth over time.
This can only happen by knowing what topics are trending, which designs are hitting the mark and which boards are doing the best. You also need to look at the wider picture and know how the platform is helping your business goals.
The best way to do this is to have a Pinterest Manager track your content monthly and adjust strategies when required to help aid your business.
Are there any tasks here that you just hate to do? Why not book a quick chat with me here and I will help you work out how to make your Pinterest account a more fun place to be!
Don’t miss out on the latest updates regarding Pinterest and Social Media in General by signing up to my newsletter below:
I know what you’re all thinking.
Lianne, what are you on? Instagram and Pinterest are so different. There is no way that this could be happening!
As per usual, I’m always reminding people that Pinterest isn’t a social media platform and Instagram is one of the big social apps!
Surely the fact that they are image based is the only similarity… right?
WRONG!!
Hear me out and perhaps you’ll see what I mean….
Pinterests key feature is the ability to search for and discover content via the use of keywords. Given that Pinterest is a platform for people to be inspired, if you’re looking for a new outfit, decor ideas or a new recipe to try out; Pinterest is the place to find it. An added bonus is that when you do your search, you’re most likely to discover a new product or brand that piques your Interest too.
Late last year, Instagram released a new search functionality. Whilst you were already able to search through profiles, hashtags and locations… the new search function enables you to look for specific keywords that gives you the ability to see all the posts that are using that exact same keyword.
Gamechanger or what?
With this in mind, SEO is even more vital to your Instagram strategy, especially if you want your business to be discovered.
The keywords that appear at the top of the explore page are suggestions based on your search history that Instagram thinks you might find interesting. So, as a business, if your keywords are of interest to certain users, you might get the opportunity to be found when being searched for. Not only would this make a positive impression for your business, but it will also drive high quality traffic to your profile.
Here is a screenshot of my explore page… My Instagram searches are predominantly based around drag queens, puppies and Teen Mom… now what is that first keyword that appears? Yep… one of my favourite search terms Drag Queens!! 
When it comes to SEO placement, some people argue that it’s not as important to optimise captions compared to your username and bio, but without keywords, anyone who is specifically looking for something won’t be able to discover you, your profile, product or even your website. If this isn’t a big enough reason why you should use keywords anywhere and everywhere on Instagram.. Then I don’t know what is?!
Did you know you could add alt text to images? When uploading a post, on the add caption screen scroll to the bottom and select “Advanced Settings.” Scroll down to the “Accessibility” section and add your alt text there. This isn’t just about SEO though, it also makes your posts accessible – a double win as you’re not restricting potential followers.
DISCOVER
Instagram is brilliant at recommending content that they think users might be interested in (above just proves it.) Not only are your images being discovered, but with reels booming, it’s keeping users on the platform for longer and keeping them scrolling into a deep rabbit hole.
With the use of hashtags, it is yet another way to discover brands and businesses. For example, I’m currently looking to get a Newfoundland dog and love to look at their cute fluffy faces on my feed, so by searching for this hashtag I am able to discover several photos of peoples’ fluffy pets. If I see a dog I like, I could go onto their profile to look for more adorable photos and maybe even click onto their website if they have one.
But say I’m looking for a party dress instead…. These can be discovered in the same way as Newfoundland dog photos. By searching for related hashtags, it will show me a range of images of dresses. If I like any of them I could click onto a profile or two, maybe follow some of the accounts I find, or perhaps even buy one or two things (if i feel like it of course!)
When it comes to your images, they need to catch people’s eye when they scroll, but make sure they’re consistent with your brand ie the same fonts, same camera angle, same distance from the subject in the photo (zoomed in or out), same colours, etc.
Your username and your bio are the main aspects that people search for therefore you need to ensure that you optimise these with regards to keywords.. Whilst your username is straightforward you need to include the keyword you consider most valuable but in an organic way. When it comes to your bio, make sure to include any keywords that might not have been included in your username.
INSPIRE
This new focus of inspiring people is all down to the e-commerce features that were added back in 2019. With 75% of users taking action after viewing a business post, Instagram is one of the places to focus your attention to.
When it comes to eCommerce businesses, Instagram is a platform to inspire users and drive traffic to their website. (See, you can say this about Pinterest too!)
If you take the time to make your physical shop look inviting and take the time to ensure it’s clean and presentable; why wouldn’t you put in the same effort for your online shoppers too?
All you need to do is to tweak things to ensure the images or videos you’re sharing show off your products and brand in the same light and to be appealing to scrollers online to invite them “into your store.” It’s this type of posts that can draw users in whether they be serial scrollers, loyal customers or new followers! If you’re lucky it will also inspire purchases and encourage interaction.
So… I guess when I said Instagram is turning into Pinterest I bent the truth a little.
I mean… it’s still a search engine and a social media platform.
BUT…
With the same undertones of Search, Discover and Inspire – they both follow the same values.
So for those who say Instagram is essential to their social media marketing, are you still convinced that there’s no way Pinterest could work for your business?
Why not have a 15 minute completely free chat with me and I’ll prove it can be done.
Book a chat with me here – don’t forget to bring your cuppa too!
Don’t miss out on the latest updates regarding Pinterest and Social Media in General by signing up to my newsletter below:
If your products/services are visual based then you need to show them off and a brilliant way to showcase your business is by using Pinterest.
To be able to know where Pinterest fits into your marketing plan/strategy, you need to know the basics about Pinterest.
But Pinterest can be really overwhelming, confusing and damn right off putting. But what if I told you that 97% of searches are unbranded, giving small businesses a chance of being seen!
There are lots of questions when a business gets started on Pinterest. What is a pin? What is a board? Why do you need to use SEO? But most importantly… how can a business be successful on Pinterest when it’s essentially a moodboard for recipes, weddings and DIY projects?
I will break down one of the most important elements in Pinterest and that is Pinterest Pins.
What are Pins?
Pins can be seen as bookmarks that people save as they like the content they’ve seen on Pinterest. Users can also click onto the Pins to learn more should they wish to.
Those who have a business account can create Pins that link back to their website to share information, products or services with people on Pinterest.
There are several types of Pins, but three types of Pins we’ll focus on today are:
1. Static Pins
2. Video Pins
3. Idea Pins
Static Pins
What are they?
These are your standard, OG Pins. The ones that are your bread and butter. Using an eye-catching image and keywords, this will ensure traffic will lead to your website.
Dimensions
Keep your images at the size 1000 x 1500px. Any other size and Pinterest will actually crop those images!
Do’s and Don’ts
• When it comes to using images on a pin, make sure that you are consistent with your branding ie logo, fonts, colours etc.
• Pins with multiple images or a variety of products see higher engagement.
• When it comes to using images on a pin, make sure that you are consistent with your branding ie logo, fonts, colours etc.
• Those who use the same font, look and colours on their pins often have a higher rate of clicks than those pins that are all different.
Video pins
What are they?
Video Pins are a great way to tell a story about your brand, your products, services or just an insight into the business itself.
Top performing videos are usually tutorials or inspirational videos.
Do’s and Don’ts
• Don’t forget to add a cover image. Users need to know what they’re about to watch just like a Static Pin.
• Peoples’ attention span lasts approximately 8 seconds so choose the right length for your video. Those that last between 15 seconds and 1 minute long do better than other lengths.
• Some Pinners watch videos with the sound off, so use text overlay or captions for the audio.
• Don’t forget your keywords!
Idea Pins
What is it?
If you have a Pinterest business account, you can use Idea Pins to share multiple images and videos in a single Pin. Similar to Static and Video Pins, Idea Pins will stay on your boards once you’ve published them.
How it works?
Idea Pins allow you to share ideas with up to 20 pages of images and text. You’ll recognise Stories by the icon in the top-left of the image.
You can use Idea Pins to:
• Create a step-by-step guide, project or recipe
• Record multiple short videos (no more than 60 seconds) with additional descriptive text or text overlay.
• Improve your targeting with topic tagging
• Curate a collection of products
• Tell a story in a brand new way
There are more types of advanced Pins that could really boost your business, but we’ll come back to them at a later date… Sign up here to be notified when it becomes available
There are times when you feel like you have the ability to juggle all tasks yourself when it comes to your business. But there are times when you need to accept that outsourcing tasks might actually benefit you and your business.
Here are the signs to look for when you need to outsource your Pinterest account to a Pinterest manager:
1. Time is golden
As a business owner, you wear so many different hats and juggle so many tasks day in and day out. Your business should allow you to do the work you love so that you can actually enjoy your work and life but you feel like you’re constantly busy and your to do list never seems to end.
Maybe you just don’t have time for yet another social platform? If you’re already spreading yourself thin with Instagram, Facebook etc. adding Pinterest is just going to be another pain in the butt.
Keep track of the time you spend working on Pinterest each week and then think of tasks in your business that require your attention, not forgetting you wouldn’t be achieving the kind of Pinterest growth you can expect by handing it over to an expert.
A Pinterest manager can give you back your precious time by taking care of tasks such as creating eye-catching Pins, writing board description that are loaded with SEO keywords and keep track of your analytics.
2. You’ve been pinning without a strategy
Whilst you might already be on Pinterest, if you don’t have a strategy in place, you won’t see its true potential.
This is pretty common for new users who join the platform who just don’t understand how to leverage it to bring traffic to your website.
People think that managing a Pinterest account is just picking out pins and scheduling them. But the truth is, there is so much more that goes on behind the scenes.
Not only will they do some keyword research, maintain existing boards and come up with new board ideas; a good Pinterest manager will implement a Pinterest marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals.
3. Creating Pin Graphics Is Too Time Consuming and/or Hard
Standing out on the search results page is crucial, but not everyone has an eye for design. You might feel your designs aren’t professional enough and feel like you’re doing a disservice to your brand.
It can become a really big problem and you might even feel like you’re wasting time to put out a Pin that people might not even click on.
Pinterest Managers can create clickworthy Pinterest designs that match your branding. We know what makes the perfect pin design to catch people’s eye when they are flicking through Pinterest.
After a while, Pinners will recognize your Pin graphics and will be more inclined to click on them meaning more eyes on your website which will lead to more sales hopefully!
4. You dislike working on Pinterest and can never keep up with the ever-changing platform
I know many business owners who don’t enjoy working on Pinterest but know how vital it is to their business. One of the main reasons is due to Pinterest being an ever-changing platform and needing a lot of research work being done behind the scenes… and then what works today may not work tomorrow.
It is worth considering if it’s worth your time working on the account yourself, or if outsourcing would actually increase your sales. For instance, if you are spending money each month on Pinterest Management and the extra time you get to focus on your business leads to an additional income of £1000, it means you’re actually earning money by outsourcing your account.
So what are you waiting for? If you’re looking for Pinterest help right now, book a 15 minute free chat with me here.
When it comes to businesses, an online presence is essential. But did you know there are many ways to grow an online business and that Pinterest is just one of the many tools well worth considering.
With over 200 billion ideas circling on Pinterest, it is more than a website to inspire decor and recipe ideas. It’s actually a great resource given there are over 478 million monthly active users, then there are the people who continue to sign up and create new accounts on the platform every single day.
If you follow me on Instagram, you’d have seen that I’ve previously spoken about the length of time that social media posts last.
The average lifespan of:
• A Tweet lasts 15 – 20 minutes.
• A Facebook post lasts 5 – 6 hours
• An Instagram post lasts 48 hours.
• A Pinterest Pin lasts 3 months!
As your Pins stick around a lot longer than any other social media platform, it gives you a better chance of being discovered once it’s posted. Plus due to the longevity of your Pin, it will constantly bring traffic to your website. Better yet, if you share products or services you sell on Pinterest you can also make money while you sleep!
Just the above makes it pretty obvious that as a blogger or business owner, you really need to invest time and energy into running your Pinterest account; but let’s face it, we only have so many hours in a day.
But what makes for a successful Pinterest account?
The person running the account, whether that be the business owner or being outsourced; would need to have the following:
• Advanced knowledge of the platform
• Multiple strategies that can be implemented
• Ability to create Pintastic images
• Ability to create infographics
• Extensive knowledge of SEO
• Ability to research and find keywords
• Scheduling tools ie Tailwind
• Knowledge to optimise boards, profile and Pins
• Ability to create and upload Rich Pins
• Ability to create and upload Static, Video and Idea Pins
• Knowledge of setting up and categorising shoppable Pins
So what is a Pinterest manager?
A Pinterest manager is someone who has spent time learning the platform inside and out, kept up to date with the latest algorithms and has tried and tested numerous industries and strategies to date.
They are an expert who helps business owners implement a Pinterest marketing strategy to reach their own business goals. A Pinterest manager has an intensely knowledgeable, strategic, and creative understanding of the platform.
The biggest difference between a social media manager and a Pinterest manager, is that with Pinterest being a visual search engine, not a social media platform; the job requires more knowledge when it comes to successfully using SEO.
Key targets for a Pinterest manager include website traffic, brand awareness or increasing sales.
A Pinterest Manager can do more that manage an account, they are able to set up an account from scratch, revamp an existing account, do an account audit or even a strategy/consultation. You can view my services here.
Pinterest is one of the most effective yet the most confusing platforms to market your business, but just like any other area in your business, you have the option to manage the account yourself, or to grow faster by outsourcing.
So what are you waiting for? If you’re looking for Pinterest help right now, book a 15 minute free chat with me here.
