If you’ve been around here for a while, you’ve definitely heard me sing the praises of Pinterest marketing. So many social media platforms these days are centered around building ongoing connections (which is great!), but Pinterest has a unique way of boosting your business by showing your content to a brand new audience.
They don’t have to follow you or even know who you are… When you master Pinterest marketing, your pins will reach countless people who are just here to be inspired or to learn something new.
Want to be successful on Pinterest? There are tons of ways to get creative and get more traffic! But first things first — you need to know what not to do. Think of this post as a mini roadmap to Pinterest success. Dodge these potholes and pitfalls, and you’ll be cruising down the open road to brand new leads and customers. Buckle up!
Mistake #1: Using a personal Pinterest account.
I know what you’re thinking. “But Jenna! You’ve always told me to keep my Instagram account personal!” Yes, I have — and I still stand by that! But Pinterest is a completely different platform, and business accounts offer you access to some high-value metrics that can really inform your strategy in the long term.
Just a few perks of a Pinterest Business account:
- You can claim your website (which means you can send people directly there for sales!)
- You’ll get first access to new features, so you’re always on the cutting edge
- You can promote your pins so that the right people are getting eyes on what you offer
- You’ll have full access to your analytics, which will make your future pins even better!
Just trust me on this one: a business account is more than worth it, especially since it’s free!
RELATED: How to Use Pinterest for Your Business & Content Plan
Mistake #2: Thinking that more followers will equal more success.
Vanity metrics don’t mean much on Pinterest. Let’s all breathe a collective sigh of relief, right?! How awesome is it knowing that you can get results without thousands of followers (And the best part? When you follow my strategy, your following will grow!) But this isn’t a popularity contest, per se.
The best way to measure your Pinterest success has nothing to do with followers and everything to do with leads. See, when you really think about it, Pinterest is more like a search engine than it is like social media. We don’t need people to follow us there — we just need to show up in their feeds when they search for what we offer!
Hot tip: To find out if your strategy is working, measure the traffic sent to your website from your pins through Pinterest analytics (or Google analytics, if that’s more your style).
Mistake #3: Saving content that doesn’t align with your business.
It’s so fun to scroll through your feed and pin all the things — but keep your business in mind while you do! The Pinterest algorithm tracks your activity on the app, and it actually uses that information to decide who should see your pins in their smart feed! If you own a boutique, try not to pin recipes all day. If you’re a graphic designer, your “home inspiration” board should live on your personal account (or keep the board private so it’s for your eyes only).
Make sure that what you’re saving matches what you’re selling, and I promise you’ll start to see so much more success in reaching the right audience.
Mistake #4: Pinning your content once and calling it done.
Here’s a fun little secret: Pinterest does not care how many times you share an external link. In fact, for every piece of content I make, I challenge myself to create 10 fresh graphics or pins for it. Imagine, create one thing and promote it 10 different ways. Yeah, that’s life-changing for sure. For Pinterest to clock your pin as “new content,” all you need is a fresh new graphic. Why is this great news? Because we can promote our current offer, latest blog, or featured product as much (& as many times) as we want!
All it takes is a little Canva work (my favorite FREE and easy-for-anyone-to-use graphic design tool), and the algorithm will promote our deal for us. It’s like magic.
RELATED: How to Create and Upload a Pin in Pinterest
Mistake #5: Using Pinterest without a strategy.
Great Pinterest strategies are actually twofold. First, you need a foolproof content plan to get those posts in the feeds of your target audience. But then — and this is the part people usually forget — you need to have a plan in place for that Pinterest traffic when they do come to your website!
What happens when a new connection on Pinterest clicks through to your site for the first time? Are they getting presented with a conversion offer, a downloadable freebie, or a pop-up contact form? Driving traffic to your site isn’t the only, or the ultimate, goal. The real Pinterest win is converting that cold traffic into a warm audience that you can communicate with, get to know, and sell to in the future.
With these 5 mistakes in the rearview, you’re going to become a rockstar on Pinterest. I just know it! Best of all, it doesn’t take hours each day on this platform — just a few strategic minutes can really go a long way. I can’t wait to watch those leads roll in for you!
Grab your seat in my free Pinterest training…
And learn more tips and tricks that will make Pinterest your #1 lead generator. Yes, really!
