Did you know more than 400 million people actively login and search for new ideas and inspiration on Pinterest?! But… my question today is: How many of you as business owners are bringing in content for them to discover? Sometimes learning a new process is bigger in our heads than it is in practice. That’s how it is to create and upload a Pin, but today I’m going to walk you through the few simple steps it takes to do it. I promise it is SO easy, and so worth your while in order to tap the goldmine for ideal clients who are all over Pinterest.
Let’s do a little experiment on Pinterest first.
Picture in your mind a recent client or future person you want to serve in your business. What words might they be searching for when they are looking for products or services like yours?
Now, open Pinterest and enter those keywords that describe your business into the search field. What shows up? Is it content similar to what you currently create or hope to create in the future?
If you answered yes but aren’t sure how to actually get your content into the platform for your ideal client to find, this post is for you.
I’ll cover what qualifies as content, the 3 things you need to showcase that content on the Pinterest platform, and how to actually upload a pin to get started.
What is “content,” anyway?
Content: If you’re sitting there wondering “what exactly is content,” you’re probably not alone, so let’s cover this quickly. Content is a brand term to describe anything you create and publish for someone else to consume. From the smallest form like a social media post or blog, to the largest form like an online course, ebook, physical book, and more—if you are creating something that someone else reads, watches, consumes, or listens to for education, entertainment, or inspiration, THAT is content.
3 key pieces you need to bring content into Pinterest:
Here are the three things you need in order to start marketing your existing content on the Pinterest platform!
01. A unique URL to your content.
This can be a link to an Instagram post, a blog post, a page on your website, an Etsy product, a Youtube video, a Facebook group, a landing page. It’s a destination you want the new person (or people!) you attract on Pinterest to click through to discover what you’ve created.
02. A pin graphic.
Don’t let this step trip you up! PSA: You do NOT need to be a graphic designer (or hire one) to create great pin graphics. My favorite place to design these is on the free design site Canva, where they have professionally designed templates sized perfectly for the platform ready for you to customize.
A few simple design tips to consider as you create your pins:
- Make sure the pin is vertical so it takes up more space in people’s feed.
- Keep the words large and simple to read.
- Use a high quality, on-brand image.
- Consider including your website link, business name, or logo on the pin graphic for additional brand recognition.
- Include a call to action inviting people off the app and to your site to read more. Using strong action words like “Click here,” “Shop,” “Learn more,” “Find,” “Make,” and “Buy” encourage the pinner to click through on the pin.
- Try adding buttons on your design as an illusion since it’s not a real button, but if they click anywhere on the image it will take them to your website which is what we want. Call to action on a pin works REALLY well.
03. A pin title and description.
Sometimes writing the title for your pin can be the hardest part to write! It’s like writing the headline for a blog post or subject line for emails. They’re the most important copy and determine whether or not people continue reading or click through to your content.
A well-written title is going to be clever, use triggers, spark curiosity, and make us wonder what is waiting on the other side of the pin. The important thing to remember about titles is that we need to write them with the singular goal of getting someone to click through and engage with the pin. It needs to accurately describe the content they are going to find while also piquing interest and driving action.
Now that you have your title written, next comes a description. This is an area less about enticing someone to click and more about showcasing what they will find if they click through. A good formula to follow is to ask a question, include your business name, and choose 2 keywords to use in a sentence.
How to create and upload a pin on Pinterest
Once you have these 3 components, it’s time to login to Pinterest, and from your Profile page, click on the “Saved” tab and then the “+” sign in the right-hand corner. Next click “Create” and “Pin” and here you’ll:
- Upload the pin graphic you designed
- Enter the title, description, and destination link
- Select a board to save your pin to and hit “Publish”
Now in addition to your followers seeing this pin in their smart feed, if someone enters keywords that describe your content into the search field, they’ll also be able to discover your content.
Another cool bonus of bringing your content into Pinterest? It’s discoverable for more than the 24 hours of a typical social media post lifespan. I have pins still being distributed to new people on Pinterest that were created years ago.
Now that you know how to bring your content into the platform, it’s important to know that Pinterest isn’t a social media platform. It’s actually a search engine that can push your content into the feeds of your ideal clients endlessly… literally! It is such a powerful way to get more eyes on your content and extent the life cycle of what you create.
