I love a good chat about Pinterest and because I’m always talking about the platform, I get a lot of questions about how to market your business successfully using…Pinterest.
So, let’s cover the top most-asked Pinterest marketing questions that I hear all the time.
I’m creating this post on my blog so that I can update it as I find more Pinterest marketing questions so make sure to pin this post or bookmark it so that you can stay up to date with your Pinterest marketing.
These Pinterest marketing questions are in no particular order but the answers are jam-packed with amazing information that will help with your Pinterest strategy!
Frequently Asked Pinterest Marketing Questions
Do I need a business account?
Yes! Using a business account allows you to claim your websites and unlocks Pinterest’s analytics dashboard which has tons of info about how your pins are performing. You need this information so that you can weave what is working into your Pinterest strategy as your account grows.
Can’t I just use my personal Pinterest account?
No! You are likely saving a lot of content that has nothing to do with your business account. So, if you truly insist on keeping the same account, make sure to switch that account to a business one and change any boards to secret that have nothing to do with your business.
How long does it take to grow a Pinterest account?
Pinterest accounts take anywhere from 6-8 months to start seeing traction. Before you think that is a long time to see results, remember you’re building an account on a platform that will help you grow your own website traffic, email list, FB group, or whatever other goals you have to use Pinterest. It can be a slow road but it’s also one that will pay off for years.
What are your best tips for growing a Pinterest account?
While every Pinterest marketing strategy will look different for each business, here are 3 things I would focus on no matter the business model:
- Keywords -find the searches people are using to connect with businesses in your space. Do not skip this step or your results will fall flat.
- Consistency – like any platform, Pinterest isn’t a place to dump content and then vanish for weeks. Consistency is key and it will look different for every business owner. If you can pin 3 pins a week, do that consistently. If you can pin every day, awesome. Find your consistency and stick to it.
- Use all the pin formats – make sure to include all of the pin content types in your strategy. There are 3 – static pin images, video pins, and idea pins.
How do I find keywords on Pinterest?
There are a few different ways to find keywords on Pinterest and I’ve written an entire blog post about it.
Click here to learn how to find keywords on Pinterest.
How many boards should be on my account?
There is no set number of boards to have on your account. I recommend looking at the different content categories on your website or in your shop and creating 3-5 boards for each. You might find a certain category does better than another and it is totally fine to have more boards for that content. As you grow your Pinterest account, you’ll see where you need new boards. At the end of the day, how many boards you have on your account does not affect your results in any way.
How much content should I have before I start pinning?
I recommend having around 10 posts to get started. That gives you enough content to get some pins circulating while you’re working on your other content pieces. You can also repurpose some of your social media content on Pinterest, just make sure that you keep the mindset of pinners in mind when you’re reusing the content.
How often should I pin my content?
As long as you are not sharing the same pin image and URL over and over again, you can generally pin as much as you’d like. One thing I’ve noticed with the accounts we manage is that less seems to be more these days on Pinterest. There is literally no need to pin 10 times a day. Aim for at least 1 fresh pin a day but no more than 5 and you’ll see results.
Should I be repinning my pins?
Once upon a time, it was common practice for business owners to repin pins that were already on Pinterest. The idea was to take a pin copy that a pinner pinned and repin that to a relevant board on your own account. Those days are gone and Pinterest frowns on this practice. Instead of repinning content, make sure your content is well-optimized and saved to 2-3 relevant boards. Once you’ve pinned an image it’s no longer considered fresh. Instead of worrying about repinning, focus on creating new pin images Pinterest hasn’t seen before.
Is Pinterest a social media platform?
This is likely where a lot of confusion about Pinterest comes from – no, Pinterest is not social media. It’s a visual search and discovery platform that’s driven by seasonal trends and keywords. Using the same marketing strategy on Pinterest as you do on your socials will not get you results. Think of Pinterest as you do Google or YouTube. Pinners are in discovery mode so how can you serve them at the top of the funnel?
What time of day should I pin?
Honestly, the time of day you pin your pins is not vital to your results on Pinterest. Most pinners will discover your pins in their home feed based on what they’ve shown interest in. You don’t need your followers to see your pins in order to get engagement or distribution on Pinterest. If you’re not convinced, play around with your pin times and test things but, seriously, don’t waste a whole lot of time worrying about what time to pin. Focus on keywords and optimization for best results.
What are monthly viewers?
Monthly viewers are the number of times pins you’ve saved to your account have been seen on screen. Monthly views are a total of your own content and any 3rd party content. This brings me to the next question I hear about monthly views…
Do monthly views on Pinterest matter?
Yes and no. There is a certain amount of social proof that happens when your target audience sees a big number on your account. Plus, you need your content to be SEEN if you want to be successful so while you can’t monetize monthly views or measure the ROI on them, making sure this number is growing or at least maintaining is important. Do monthly views mean more clicks to your website? No. Do monthly views mean more revenue? No. Do monthly views matter as part of your Pinterest strategy? No.
How do I know if my pins are doing well?
Make sure to review Pinterest analytics monthly to see which pins are performing best. You should also review which boards are performing well which can give you even more insight into how your content is performing on Pinterest. You should also review your ‘audience insights’ to learn more about who you are attracting on Pinterest. Another place I always monitor is Google Analytics. There you can see exactly where the traffic from Pinterest is going.
Should I be using Tailwind?
I like using Tailwind to schedule pins because it’s the only Pinterest-approved scheduler and it has some features that help out our strategy for clients. But do you absolutely need to use Tailwind to find success on Pinterest? No. Pinterest actually has a built-in native scheduler that you can use if you’re just getting started. The Pinterest native scheduler is not as robust as Tailwind but it’s a great place to start. Currently, you can only schedule up to 30 pins over a two-week period. If you’re looking for a scheduler that can do much more I do recommend using Tailwind.
Does using a scheduler affect performance on Pinterest?
This is a very common question among business owners and I truly wish we could end it with this answer but I know this won’t be the case. Using a scheduler of any kind does not affect the performance of your Pinterest account. I wouldn’t spend too much time worrying about it when you can be out there creating pins, optimizing them, and getting your content discovered. Remember, everything will not be in your control when it comes to marketing your business. Your job is to focus on what you can control which is your content creation and connecting with your ideal audience.
Should I use group boards?
Oh, group boards. Once upon a time, group boards were an amazing way to share your pins and get more eyeballs on your content. Pinterest has since tweaked its algorithm and now group boards are not effective. There are some who recommend finding highly relevant and optimized group boards to share your pins to and, to be transparent, if you really want to use group boards as part of your Pinterest strategy, well-optimized and relevant ones are the way to go. The ROI on your time is NOT worth it though. Again, focusing on keywords, trends, and interests on Pinterest are a much more valuable use of your time.
Should I pin 3rd party content?
In a solid Pinterest marketing strategy, you may pin 3rd party content from time to time. Do you need to pin 3rd party content to find success on Pinterest? No. Does pinning 3rd party content mean you’re sending a whole bunch of traffic to your competitors? Again, no (it’s not how Pinterest works). If you don’t want to pin 3rd party content don’t. If pinning some 3rd party content would help at times, then do it. Again, worrying about this is not a good ROI on your time.
Do I need board covers?
Board covers are added to your boards to make your profile look more cohesive and on-brand. The line is pretty divided among Pinterest experts when it comes to using board covers. If being on brand and profile aesthetic matters to you, then make some board covers. After all, with the invention of idea pins, there are more people visiting your profile so having a pretty profile isn’t going to hurt. But if you’re a business owner who doesn’t have a whole lot of time for your Pinterest strategy, I’d skip board covers to focus on creating pins for content.
There you have it – the most asked Pinterest marketing questions answered. This is by no means an exhaustive list and I plan to add answers when I see more questions that are important to know about so make sure to check back!
Do you have any Pinterest marketing questions that I didn’t cover here? Make sure to comment below!