HOW TO USE PINTEREST FOR YOUR BLOG AND BRAND: INFLUENCER EDITION

If you’re a blogger or influencer then Pinterest should already be a part of the arsenal of tools you’re using to grow your business. Many people don’t realize that Pinterest is a visual search engine – so just like Instagram, people search Pinterest for information and inspiration. And others that do understand the power of Pinterest often ask themselves how to use Pinterest for their blog so they can maximize the platform’s potential. 

But why could Pinterest be just as valuable if not more to your brand than Instagram? It’s because people go to Pinterest with a problem (like where to travel on their next vacation, or what bathing suit they should order for their honeymoon) and find pictures that give them a solution (and leads them to a link to a website.) So because Pinterest can drive clicks to your website it has a higher potential to get you website traffic and inevitably more loyal followers and fans!

Here at Sidewalker Daily we work with brands on all things influencer marketing, and have the inside scoop as to what they’re looking for in partnerships. We are also here to help influencers grow their brand and business, addressing issues that may come up along the way. Our students are always trying to figure out ways to stand out and one of the best ways is to showcase your influence! Although Pinterest is often one of the forgotten social platforms, it’s definitely a force to be reckoned with!

Pinterest is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your website which should be a top priority for you while building your brand. Driving traffic to your website is super important as an influencer or blogger because (1) brands want this information when evaluating a partnership; (2) you can grow your email list; (3) you can build solid relationships with followers and fans; and (4) you have the potential to earn income from affiliate sales, services, products, ads etc.

So let’s dive into how to use Pinterest for your blog and brand to make sure you’re maximizing your Pinterest potential.

Since Pinterest is a visual search engine it gives you an opportunity to convey your brand vibe while also showing off the content you’re creating on your site. This means the hyper targeting of potential followers and fans who will love your blog and ultimately you!

There are so many things that go into a solid Pinterest strategy but for this specific article we’re going over the basics.

First things first- we need to talk about the algorithm. Yes, just like Instagram, Pinterest has an algorithm which controls which posts are populated on a user’s feed. And they’ve actually just recently updated their algorithm (le sigh) and made some changes to the way they are weighing and valuing a user’s actions. But don’t worry, we’ll be going over how to coexist with the algorithm throughout this article since we know it’s such a trigger point for all of us!

How To Use Pinterest For Your Blog: Leveraging Boards 

Pinterest is a great opportunity to show the world your brand vibe and voice. All of your Pinterest boards should reflect the type of content and information you create for your followers and fans. Since you’ll also be using Pinterest for blog traffic growth, definitely don’t forget to promote your OWN content on your account, not just everyone else’s. 

And if you do pin anything that isn’t from your blog or website, that’s definitely ok – just make sure it’s on-brand and linked to the article it says it’s linked to. One off-brand pin could make the difference between a quick glance at your page and a full follow. Also, keep in mind that sometimes links go dead (because pins have been online for such a long time), so you’ll want to double check.

And posting a pin with a dead link is a serious no-no when it comes to using Pinterest for blog traffic. It shows that you aren’t paying attention to what you’re promoting on your page. Yikes.

So What Should Go In Your Pinterest Boards? 

Your first board should contain all of the pins from your blog and website, so visitors who stumble on your account can quickly get a good idea of what your blog or business is all about.

And don’t forget to use Pinterest to promote all those blog articles you write. Just make sure you include the corresponding Pinterest image in your boards too and that they are properly linked to your website so when someone sees your pin and is interested in the topic, they will click on the pin and voila…end up on your website!

There was a rumor floating around that Pinterest would consider you ‘spammy’ if you only promoted your own stuff which would inevitably affect your account. But thanks to a recent interview from a Pinterest employee we now know that Pinterest no longer penalizes you for only Pinning from your own website (and no one else’s). So if you have enough content of your own to fill up your boards you should definitely do so and if not, that’s cool too.

The moral of the story is- pin as much of your own content as possible, and then fill up the rest of your boards with other people’s content that doesn’t overlap or compete with your own.

And what if you haven’t created any content for your website just yet? Don’t let that stop you from starting to master Pinterest today. Just pin relevant content to your niche and establish yourself as the go-to for that type of information and the content you plan to create in the future. That way you’ll already have a community of people who love the type of content you’re all about and they will be excited when you start creating your own!

What To Think About When Pinning Images

Since Pinterest is all about images and the visual experience, there are some things you need to consider before deciding what your pins will look like.

The look of your pin is very important. Because Pinterest is primarily a visual search engine you’ll want your pins to look good all together (just like you obsess over on Instagram too). Many people choose to have a set template for their pins so they have a cohesive ‘look’. Another option is to have a few templates and stick to your brand’s color scheme, so everything you post looks like it came from the same company.

Pinterest has said that it’s best to put your name or logo in the center top or center bottom of your photo, so it doesn’t mess up the visual search feature of their platform aka they don’t want to see your brand name front and center and ruin their users’ vibe.

But what makes your pin discoverable to Pinterest users is the actual description of your pin. Think about it like SEO – it’s very important that you add relevant keywords to your descriptions when promoting your blog on Pinterest and whatever you do, don’t leave your pin descriptions blank!  

And of course, don’t forget about good ol’ hashtags which will help for any new pins being pinned for the first time ever. Adding up to 20 hashtags to your new posts will help them get seen when they’re first posted. It’s a good idea to hashtag your keywords or any words that describe your photo or give it context. Remember you’re trying to use keywords you think people would be searching for and would like to see that image or view the content you’re pinning.

Always make sure your descriptions and hashtags make sense with the image or related article otherwise it’s just a waste. Again, your goal is to use everything available to you to get your images and content exposed to new potential followers and fans who will support you to the end. 

Get Organized: Scheduling Your Pins In Advance

We all know that being a blogger or influencer is a lot more work than it looks to the outside world! That’s why we’re so grateful that Pinterest allows you to schedule your pins in advance…a serious lifesaver!

There are platforms and website to help you schedule your pins such as Tailwind, which is an approved Pinterest partner. They will not only help you automate your pinning, but will also do it at the best time of day for you to maximize your Pinterest growth. How cool is that?!

How To Promote Your Blog On Pinterest: Best Pinning Practices

Pinterest recently announced that they will promote your first 5 pins of the day to your audience, so remember that these pins have the best chance of being seen by your followers. The algorithm now makes it so that as a user, you see everyone’s first five pins that you follow, before seeing the best performing pins (and what is judged to be the most relevant) content on your feed, and then everything else. Of course, all that is controlled by the algorithm so those first 5 pins of the day are your best shot!

And since these pins have an advantage over all the rest, make sure to post your most important, beautiful and compelling pins first when using Pinterest to promote your blog or brand.

What we really love about Pinterest is that you actually can’t pin too much (up to 150 pins/day) or at the wrong time! (Which is totally opposite from our friend, Instagram). Pinterest recently divulged that it doesn’t matter when you pin during the day, and it doesn’t matter how many times you pin during the day (up to 150 pins/day) but the one thing that that does matter is CONSISTENCY.

When considering how to use Pinterest for your blog, consistency is key. If you’re on Pinterest you should post every – single – day. It’s also a good idea to space out your pins throughout the day, so you aren’t posting them all at once. Even though they say it doesn’t matter, Pinterest still analyzes your actions and counts them either for or against your account.

So when you pin consistently, Pinterest sees you as an active member of their community and as someone who is adding value to the platform so they’ll reward you by promoting your content more than others who are not. And if you’re freaking out about how much time this is going to take you (and that you don’t have any extra) not to worry – Tailwind has to option to schedule and batch pin so you can do the work in advance!

Similarly to Instagram, Pinterest takes into consideration the engagement with your post to gauge how popular it is with your community. Pinterest engagement is now universal, which means if someone comments on your pin or ‘tries’ it, it will show up on every re-pin of that pin.  

That’s pretty exciting because it will inevitably help your engagement numbers in the long run. And another thing about Pinterest engagement you need to know is that how much engagement your post gets within the first 24 hours…matters. Immediate engagement will help your Pin rank in search and also cause Pinterest to favor that Pin over others.  

And why is this all important? Besides being able to get new followers, if you can show high engagement and numbers on Pinterest you can include that information in your media kit when pitching to brands!

Yes, brands tend to sway towards Instagram at this point in the influencer marketing game but hey, influence is influence so no matter where you have it, you should flaunt it!

Word To The Wise – Utilize Group Boards!

If you’ve been around the Insta block you know how much Pods at one point transformed the engagement game. Group boards are similar to Pods but even better! Basically it’s a group of people in your niche that you can re-pin from and share your own content with, which they can also repin. This gives you the ability to have your content shared with their followers and increase your exposure to like-minded people that could be interested in what you have to say! 

So not only are you getting the engagement on your pins, but you’re getting exposure on Pinterest which helps your blog or brand in so many ways.

There are tons of group boards on Pinterest for about every niche under the sun. When you find a group board you want to join, just contact the group board organizer which is normally the first account to show up on the list.

And when you join a group board, make sure you’re clear on the rules for that specific board (because they differ) and of course, follow them!

Why You Need To Promote Your Pinterest Account OUTSIDE Of Pinterest.

We can’t cover how to use Pinterest for your blog without reminding you to make sure your blog and/or website is set up so all your articles and images are pinnable to anyone who visits. And when you’re pinning to your Pinterest page or boards always do so from your own website! Even if you pin something from your website and down the line you want to add it to a new board, go back to your website and pin it again, don’t take the easy route and just “repin” it from your Pinterest account. This is just another one of those things that makes the Pinterest gods happy. :)

Also don’t hide the link to your Pinterest page on your blog or website – include it with all your other social icons because it’s just as important as all the rest! People tend to forget about Pinterest but if you’re actively working on your Pinterest strategy then you’ll need to make it a priority and promote it whenever and wherever you can.

Don’t forget to verify your website on Pinterest so they know it’s your website and give your content priority over all the other stuff you pin.

And just one more thing – if you sign up for a business Pinterest page (which you should do), you will receive analytics about how many people engage with your account and see your posts. These numbers are valuable analytics that shouldn’t be forgotten or overlooked. You can even add these numbers to your media kit because brands love to see this type of stuff!