Pinterest Marketing for Beginners: How To Get Started and Grow
Last Updated: June 18, 2026
This Pinterest marketing guide for beginners will take you from not knowing where to start to knowing exactly what steps to take to grow.
If you’ve been putting Pinterest off because it feels overwhelming or you’re not sure it’s worth your time — I get it.
But after 9 years of building Pinterest strategies for businesses across dozens of niches, I can tell you it’s one of the most underused marketing tools available to content creators and business owners right now.
The difference between Pinterest and every other platform you’re already tired of?
Your content doesn’t disappear. It circulates.
Yes, you read that right: your content keeps working after you publish it.
I call it a pin archive filled with your thought leadership, expertise, and solutions. That’s exactly what we’re going to build here.
You’ll learn how to set up your Pinterest business account, find the right keywords, create scroll-stopping pins, and build a Pinterest marketing strategy that works.
Just know going in: Pinterest is a long game.
Most people start seeing results around the 3-month mark and meaningful results by 6 months. If you can commit to that, this guide will show you exactly what to do.
Let’s start building.
Why Pinterest Marketing Works for Business Growth
Listen, Pinterest is a time investment- it’s a slow-moving platform that thrives on taking its time to learn your content and build trust.
You’ll need to invest the time, so here are some powerful Pinterest marketing statistics that make a compelling case for the platform.
- 70% of Pinterest users are women (aka the purchase decision-makers). (source)
- There are 631 million active users who go to Pinterest with high search intent. (source)
- The number 1 reason people use Pinterest is to discover new brands and products. (source)
- 96% of searches are unbranded – which means you don’t need big ad budgets or a well-known brand name to be successful on Pinterest. (source)
Another reason I love Pinterest is that they launched a recent campaign to help people put their phones down and go out into the real world. To me, that means Pinterest’s users feel good about using the platform, which is a departure from how many people feel about traditional social media.
What these numbers tell you is that your audience is on Pinterest, looking for what you do, and open to discovering someone new.
You don’t need a big following, a big budget, or a well-known name.
You just need to show up consistently with the right content — and that’s exactly what this guide will help you do.
Did you know we can take your Pinterest marketing off your plate? Explore Pinterest Marketing Services.
Related Read: Learn How Pinterest Search and Discovery Works
How To Use Pinterest for Business: Beginner Set-Up Steps
Before you pin a single thing, getting your account set up correctly is what tells Pinterest who you are, what your content is about, and who to show it to.
Here are the first steps to set up your Pinterest business account and position yourself for growth:
Create a Pinterest Business Account
Without a business account, you won’t be able to see what’s working or make informed decisions about your strategy.
Signing up for a business account unlocks important analytics numbers and tools so that you can track your success. It’s an absolute must to see what works and what doesn’t.
You can sign up for a business account here.
Complete Your Pinterest Profile Setup
Fill out the information that Pinterest prompts when you first sign up. This is constantly changing, so instead of including the exact details at the time of writing this, I advise you to fill in the info and pick some topics that interest you. Since you’re using this to market your business, make sure it’s closely aligned with your niche.
Optimize Your Pinterest Account Settings
- Add your business name to the ‘account name area’.
- Write a description that explains what your business is about and what pinners can expect from your account. We’ll revisit this later, but first, get something there.
- Change your username to match your business name to help people find you when they search for you on Pinterest.
Claim Your Website on Pinterest
Claiming your website is what connects your Pinterest activity to your actual website traffic — don’t skip it.
To claim your website(s) on Pinterest, add an HTML code to the header section.
Here is a Pinterest tutorial that walks you through the steps to claim your website.
You can also claim your Instagram, Etsy, and YouTube accounts if you have those.
Connect Your Shop to Pinterest
If you’re a service provider rather than a product seller, skip this step and move to the next — this section is specifically for e-commerce businesses.
If you’re an e-commerce seller with a shop, you can upload your product catalog to Pinterest.
Pinterest will then display updated product listings and details, including availability, pricing, and descriptions.
Why would you want to connect your shop to Pinterest?
So that you can get your products discovered in search.
Make sure to set yourself up for success by including keyworded descriptions for your products—more on this later, but know it helps your Pinterest SEO.
Pinterest will create product pins, and you’ll be able to tag your products on pins and idea pins. That means users will be able to shop your products right from your pins.
Apply for the Pinterest Verified Merchant Program
Now that you’ve connected your shop to Pinterest, it’s time to apply to the Verified Merchant Program.
Joining the VMP earns you a blue checkmark next to your business name, letting users know you’re a vetted shop owner they can trust.
If you’re using Shopify, you can use the app to connect your products to Pinterest.
If you’re using WooCommerce, there is a WordPress plugin that lets you easily connect your shop to Pinterest.
Once your business account is in place, it’s time to shift focus to the part that actually drives discovery — and that starts with keywords.
How To Use Pinterest Marketing for Your Business
Let’s get started — these are the foundational steps that will drive consistent traffic back to your website, products, and offers.
Since Pinterest is a visual search engine, not a social media platform, we need to take a few more steps to get things set up correctly.
Let’s get started learning how to use Pinterest for marketing your business on autopilot.
How To Find The Right Keywords for Pinterest
Pinterest users use the platform to find inspiration, explore new ideas, or solve problems. They find information by searching.
That’s why you need to use keywords in your Pinterest marketing strategy.
Not using keywords is like trying to keep a boat in place without an anchor—it just doesn’t make any sense.
The keywords you choose to target will be the foundation for your Pinterest strategy.
The reason for using keywords is twofold.
- Keywords tell Pinterest what your account and content are about so that they know who to distribute your pins to.
- Using keywords helps users find your content when they see your pins ranking for a specific search term.
There are five main ways to find keywords on Pinterest:
- The guided search bar – enter the words your ideal person uses to learn more about what your business solves. Make sure to note which search terms are in the dropdown menu—those are the ones searched most often. Once you’re done recording those searches, hit Enter and see which words appear in the bubbles—those are qualifiers people use to refine their search further. Those are important to pay attention to because they’re often searched for.
- Now return to the search bar and use the alphabet method— e.g., your search term followed by a, b, c, d, and so on. Pinterest will return the top keyword combos for each letter. Make note of the ones most relevant to your business.
- Pinterest trends are another great way to find keywords. You can see when a search term is popular—which will help you plan your content effectively.
- Use the Pinterest Ads Manager— don’t worry, you won’t be launching an ad campaign. You want to set up a campaign and get to Pinterest’s keyword manager. Once there, enter your keywords, and Pinterest will return not only related keywords but also a ballpark estimate of search volume.
- The last place to find keywords on Pinterest is the related search terms that appear after you hit Enter. Scroll down, and Pinterest will show you which keywords are related right in the search results.
PRO TIP: Create a keyword vault using a simple spreadsheet that contains all the search terms you want to target on Pinterest.
Think of it as researching once and then having a solid list of keywords to refer to over and over again.
Having access to search terms will also help you decide what kind of content to create for Pinterest.
It’s ideal to create content that resonates with what people are searching for.
For a deeper dive, here’s how to find keywords on Pinterest.
How To Create Pinterest Boards That Rank in Search
Each board you create is the name of a mini archive of content.
A lot of times, people create boards with vague or cute names and wonder why their content isn’t getting found.
Board names need to be clear and use a keyword to tell Pinterest what the content found on the board is about and who to show it to.
A board named ‘My Favourite Things’ tells Pinterest nothing. A board named ‘Pinterest Marketing Tips’ tells Pinterest exactly what it needs to know.
From there, your board description is where you can expand on that signal by naturally weaving in related search terms.
You’re not stuffing keywords; you’re giving Pinterest a fuller picture of what this collection of content is about. The stronger and more relevant your boards are, the better positioned every pin you save to them will be.
How To Use Keywords in Your Pin Titles and Descriptions
Your pin title should tell the user what the content is about and include a keyword so Pinterest understands it as well.
For example, instead of ‘My Top Tips for Using Pinterest,’ use ‘Pinterest Marketing Tips for Beginners.’
Your pin description is where you expand on that keyword and naturally incorporate secondary and related search terms.
Write it for the person first by explaining what they’ll find when they click through, using related keywords to the term in your pin title.
Please don’t keyword stuff by adding a list of terms. The description needs to be helpful and specific to what is on the other side of the click.
One thing to keep in mind: your pin title and description work together with your board name and description to give Pinterest a complete picture of your content.
When all four are aligned around the same keywords, you’re letting Pinterest know who to distribute your content to.
Understanding Pinterest Search Intent
Finding keywords is only half of it.
The other half is understanding why someone is searching for that term and what they’re hoping to find on the other side of a click.
That’s search intent, and it’s what separates pins that get saves from pins that get ignored.
On Pinterest, there are three core search intents to build your keyword strategy around:
Solution-aware: They know the solution exists but are still figuring out how to do it. They might search ‘how to do Pinterest SEO’ or ‘how to optimize Pinterest boards.’ These people are researching and comparing. Your content needs to position you as the most helpful and trustworthy resource.
Outcome-focused: They know exactly what they want and are looking for the path to get there. They might search ‘Pinterest marketing strategy for beginners’ or ‘how to grow a Pinterest account fast.’ These people are closer to taking action, so your content should speak directly to the result.
Inspiration-seeking: This is unique to Pinterest and important. This person isn’t searching with a specific problem or outcome in mind. They’re browsing, exploring, and open to discovering things. This is why 97% of Pinterest searches are unbranded. People come to Pinterest open to finding someone new, and that someone can absolutely be you.
It’s also worth knowing that problem-aware content that names a struggle your ideal person is experiencing can perform well on Pinterest, but typically through home feed and related pin distribution rather than direct search. That means it’s still worth creating, just not something you’d build your keyword strategy around.
The same piece of content can speak to multiple intents; you just need different pins targeting different angles.
This is why creating multiple pins per piece of content is a core part of your Pinterest strategy — we’ll cover that in more detail later in this guide.
How to Use Pinterest Effectively: Strategy vs. Social Media
Knowing the tactics is just the beginning. Here’s how to put them into practice and use Pinterest effectively to grow your business.
Why Pinterest is a Search Engine, Not Social Media
Understanding how Pinterest differs from other social media means more than just calling it a search engine.
On social media, you’re performing for an audience; you need to show up constantly to stay visible, and the moment you stop, your reach drops.
Pinterest doesn’t work that way. When you publish a pin, it doesn’t disappear. It gets indexed, it circulates, and it can drive traffic months after you created it.
That’s what makes Pinterest one of the most sustainable marketing investments you can make.
It also means your content needs to be created for your ideal person, not for an audience watching your every move.
You’re not building a following; you’re building an archive of your knowledge and expertise.
Want to get a Pinterest marketing strategy in place? Check out our services here.
Related Read: Which is Better for Business: Pinterest or Instagram?
How To Stay Consistent on Pinterest Without Posting Every Day
Consistency on Pinterest means pinning regularly, but that doesn’t mean showing up daily to do it.
When you’re starting out, one pin per day is a solid rhythm that keeps your account active without triggering Pinterest’s spam filter.
From there, expand slowly as your content library grows.
Most successful accounts pin anywhere from 3 to 15 pins per day, depending on how much content they’re working with.
The idea is to not drop 50 pins in a week and then disappear; it’s more about pinning steadily and letting the pin archive build over time.
Using an approved scheduler like Tailwind, Planoly, or Metricool makes staying consistent significantly easier.
Pinterest also has a built-in scheduler right on the platform if you want to keep things simple as you get started.
How To Embed Pinterest Images in Your Website Content
This step gets skipped more than any other, and it’s a mistake.
When you embed Pinterest images directly into your blog posts and website content, two things happen.
First, your website visitors can save your content to Pinterest with one click — using a fully optimized image you created, with your keywords already in place.
Second, it signals to Pinterest that your content is valuable enough that people want to save it from your website.
That’s a powerful trust signal that helps your account grow over time. Every save from your website is telling Pinterest: this content is worth distributing.
An optimized Pinterest image means:
- The image is vertical with a 2:3 aspect ratio, like 1000 x 1500 px.
- Uses a clear text overlay that includes a keyword and a CTA (call to action), if applicable.
- Has keywords in the pin title and description.
You can use a social-sharing plugin like Hubbub to embed images right into your content.
You can easily set the image, title, and description, and it’ll be ready for someone to pin if they choose.
Why You Should Create Multiple Pins for Every Piece of Content
One thing that sets Pinterest apart from other platforms is the ability to create multiple pin assets from a single piece of content.
One piece of content should never live as just one pin, and this is where search intent comes back in.
Remember those three search intent angles we covered earlier?
Each one is an opportunity for a different pin.
A solution-aware person needs a pin that speaks to the how.
An outcome-focused person needs a pin that speaks to the result.
An inspiration-seeking person needs a pin that sparks curiosity.
That’s already three pins from a single piece of content, each one meeting a different person at a different point in their journey.
Start with 5-10 pin variations per piece of content and expand from there, especially for content that starts gaining traction.
The more pins you have circulating, the more ways people can find and connect with your business.
How To Build a Pinterest Marketing Strategy for Your Business
Your Pinterest marketing strategy will look different depending on your business goals — here’s how to build one that works.
Start by identifying your Pinterest marketing goals.
Common goals include:
- Brand awareness
- Email list growth
- Product sales
- Increased website traffic
- Expert positioning
- Client Acquisition
- Community growth
If you’re wondering how to create a Pinterest marketing strategy, here are a few ways to strategically use the platform:
How to Use Your Customer Journey to Guide Your Pinterest Strategy
The customer journey is the path your ideal person takes from discovering your business to becoming a client or customer.
On Pinterest, that journey plays out through search and understanding what someone is looking for, and then supplying it.
Knowing this is the difference between pinning randomly and building a strategy that moves people toward your offers.
Here’s a simple way to think about it: At the top of your funnel, the person is searching for information, inspiration, or solutions. They’re cold and don’t know you yet. This is where your content should be educational, helpful, and focused on what they need, not on what you sell.
In the middle of the funnel, they’re starting to evaluate their options. They might be comparing approaches, looking for someone they trust, or trying to figure out if your solution is right for them. This is where expertise content comes into play: case studies, process posts, and content that demonstrates how you think and work.
At the bottom of the funnel, they’re ready to take action, and this is where service pages and sales pages belong – yes, you should pin these pages!
Map this out before creating pins so you know exactly what each pin will do in your strategy.
To recap, understanding your customer journey is essential for three reasons:
- It will help you know which keywords to target.
- It will guide your content creation.
- You’ll get closer to your Pinterest goals with a solid understanding of how you will guide your ideal person through your sales funnel.
Start by writing down all the steps in your customer journey! From there, start to find keywords to map to each stage.
Record this in your keyword vault and content library!
How to Create Pinterest Boards That Align With Your Marketing Goals
Now that you understand your customer journey, your boards should reflect it.
Yes, your boards should use keywords, but they also need to serve a purpose.
For example, if one of your Pinterest goals is email list growth, you should have boards that house content specifically designed to drive people to your opt-in.
If your goal is product sales, your boards should include a dedicated space for your product pins and content that supports the purchase decision.
Think of your board structure as the architecture of your Pinterest presence. Keywords get your content found — but your boards are what organize that content into a library that guides your ideal person.
Need an example?
Let’s say your Pinterest goals are to grow your email list and drive traffic to your blog.
Your boards might look something like this:
A broad board for your main topic, ‘Pinterest Marketing.’ All pins can live on this board, and it will likely be your highest engagement board.
Next, a board specifically for content that drives people to your freebies and opt-ins, like ‘Pinterest Marketing Resources and Guides.’ Every pin saved here links to a landing page, sales page, or lead magnet.
Next, you would create boards organized by blog topic, such as ‘Pinterest SEO’ or ‘Pinterest Strategy for Beginners,’ so Pinterest can clearly see that each board is about a single topic.
This is how you strategically build a pin archive that keeps working for you.
How to Create Scroll-Stopping Pinterest Pins
Pinterest pins need to do two things at once.
Rank in search and stop someone from scrolling.
They’re two very different jobs, but there are ways to design pins to do both.
Here’s what works:
- Use a relevant image that matches the content. If your pin is about Pinterest marketing tips, use an image that feels like it belongs.
- Write a text overlay that includes your keyword and a qualifier that tells the person this piece of content answers what they’re searching for. Use the search intent angles we covered earlier.
- Try using a call to action where appropriate because telling someone what to do helps them actually do it.
- Keep your pin designs uncluttered, using clear, easy-to-read fonts so that your ideal person won’t get overwhelmed and scroll by when they see it.
Check out my Pinterest pin design services if you’re overwhelmed with the creation process.
Pinterest Pin Types: How to Use Static and Video Pins
For the sake of keeping things beginner-friendly, I’m only going to cover two main pin types.
Make sure to include both in your Pinterest strategy.
Static pins are the traffic drivers — the pins that rank in search, get saved, and send people back to your website, products, and offers.
Every piece of content you create should have multiple static pins with different text overlays, each targeting a different search-intent angle.
Video pins help build reach. They get impressions and help stop the scroll in a way that static pins sometimes can’t.
What I’ve found is that video pins don’t drive clicks to your website the same way static images do, so use video pins to grow visibility.
I recommend leading with static pins and layering in video as it makes sense. Use video to build awareness and static pins to drive action.
Using both pin formats will increase your content’s reach across Pinterest’s feed placements.
From Overwhelmed to Educated Beginner
Learning to use Pinterest for marketing takes time, but with the right strategy, it can become one of the most powerful long-term drivers of discovery and traffic for your business.
I’ve covered everything you need to go from Pinterest beginner to having a strategy that works.
Remember that Pinterest is a long game, and you’ll need to invest the time.
During the first 3 months, Pinterest is learning your content, and your analytics will look underwhelming, but that is completely normal!
By month 6, impressions, saves, engagements, and outbound clicks should be growing.
Beyond 6 months, Pinterest becomes a marketing asset for your business.
For many of my clients, it’s their number-one source of traffic and discovery.
Getting that result comes from consistency, keyword strategy, and giving Pinterest time to grow.
If you prefer to get help with Pinterest, here are a few ways I can help:
My Pinterest SEO and optimization service helps you lay the foundation for growth, plus I support you as you DIY!
My monthly Pinterest account management service lets you hand it off completely, and it’s grown by a Pinterest strategist with many years of experience.
