How to Use Pinterest for Business
Last Updated on April 20, 2023
With Instagram becoming more and more competitive by the day, Tik Tok becoming exhausting, and Facebook views diminishing to nothing, it’s getting harder and harder to get in front of your ideal audience and customers by the day.
But there’s one platform that business owners are not taking 100% advantage of yet and that is Pinterest.
P.S. More of an audio listener? Check out my podcast episode on this topic below!
In this post, I’m going to highlight how you can grow your online business with Pinterest, the easy way.
How to use Pinterest for business
Pinterest is a search and discovery platform, but many misconstrue Pinterest as a social media platform. Pinners don’t go on Pinterest to connect and message each other, they are not there to be social.
This statement comes straight from the CEO of Pinterest.
“It’s all about inspiration & ideas. Real-life ideas about what’s next.
- What to try next
- What to cook next
- What to wear next
- What to do next
It’s NOT about dance memes, political debates or living the most fabulous life. It’s more media than social”
Instead, pinners use the search feature to look for which kind of content they would like to view and be inspired by.
The only element of Pinterest that is similar to social media I would say is Idea pins, which is Pinterest newest (and biggest) part of the platform as of late. Idea pins (formally known as story pins) allow users to upload multiple page pins just like you would Instagram stories.
Pinners can react to your idea pins, leave comments and even reply to your idea pin with their take.
This feature is helping grow accounts followers and creating more of a brand presence on Pinterest which is pretty new to the platform.
However, this is the only part that semi mimics social media so you should treat Pinterest as you would Google – like a search engine. There’s a big difference between Google SEO and Pinterest SEO but we will get into that soon.
There are two major actions that you need to perform to grow your online business with Pinterest
Attract: You do this by using Pinterest SEO that puts your content in front of pinners who are actively searching for it. You also do this by making quality and visually appealing pins that stand out.
Take Action: The second part of the process is the action part. How can you make your bit of content convert to your destination URLs such as your website, shop or sales pages? What will make the pinner think “I need to know this right now” or “Wow how do I do that?!” and click your pins to take further action.
Why Pinterest?
- 45% of people in the US with a household income over $100K are on Pinterest
- 97% of top Pinterest searches are unbranded
- 85% of Pinners say Pinterest is where they go to start a new project
- 80% of weekly Pinners have discovered a new brand or product on Pinterest
Pinners on Pinterest are buyers and potentially qualified leads. Because Pinterest is a search engine and not a social media platform, they are typing in keywords that relate to your business and from there are looking to be inspired.
With Pinterest, you are targeting mostly customers who are problem aware because they are already typing in search phrases to help them and be inspired by that topic. Which is something you don’t have with social media. In social media, you are targeting all types of people in all types of buying stages.
That means that it’s easier to make sales, grow your email list, gain readers to your blog etc than what it is with social media. Instagram and Facebook want the user to stay on the app for as long as possible, however, that’s not Pinterest’s whole business model.
With idea pins, we are seeing a shift with this though, and there have been talks of ads appearing in between idea pins slides. This will be a part of Pinterest that will make the pinners stay on the platform the longest. However, with standard pins, you get a destination URL and the business model for that is still search and discovery.
Which businesses can use Pinterest to make more sales?
I always say that if you have a business, you can find some way to use Pinterest to your advantage. But some industries are more popular than others so let’s break that down.
- Women make up more than 60% of Pinterest’s global audience
- Male Pinners and Gen Z Pinners are up 40% year over year
- US Millennial Pinners are up 35% year over year
If your ideal audience is any of those people above, then you should try Pinterest out.
Indeed, food bloggers are probably going to do way better than mechanics however that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a go because even if you are in a very niche industry, you will probably have far less competition therefore it will be easier to get in front of those who are looking for you.
How can Pinterest grow in my business?
Many believe that all Pinterest is good for is traffic to your blog. Well, that’s not the case anymore. You can use Pinterest in so many different ways to grow your online business
Traffic to your website
Yes, the obvious! If you have a blog, you should 100% be using Pinterest because you have endless amounts of content. I have been promoting my blog posts on Pinterest since Pinterest first began and it brings me a constant stream of thousands of readers per month with me doing minimal work.
Traffic to your Esty store or Shopify
If you have an Etsy or Shopify store you need to be harnessing the power of Pinterest. Pinners are shoppers and are looking for inspiration on their next purchase. You can lead people straight from your pins to your shop where they can buy the products you featured in the pin!
Email subscribers
Pinterest is a fantastic way to grow your email list. Again, pinners are shoppers so if you can get in front of them and offer value FOR FREE, why would they say no? Pinterest is an easy way to grow your email list while you are doing the least work possible. No Facebook ads are needed.
Brand awareness
Just by being on Pinterest and putting out content you are effectively getting in front of your dream audience that may have never heard of you before. Therefore, with Pinterest, especially with idea pins, you get major brand awareness.
How can I get started with Pinterest?
If you are not on Pinterest yet or just in the beginning stages, then make sure you download my FREE Pinterest starter kit that takes you through the 6 steps to get your business on Pinterest.
The 3 most important things when you get started is:
1. Setup
The set-up process is super important for you to see that growth you desire on Pinterest. Without everything being set up correctly and all the right connections are done, it’s a complete waste of time creating content. That’s why I created the Pinterest starter kit because it takes you through the 6 steps without overwhelming you.
2. SEO optimize
Since Pinterest is a search engine you do need to optimize your profile as much as possible. Learning how to do keyword research, what your ideal audience is searching for and where to put that information is key for success.
3. Board creation
Once you have set up and optimized your profile you now need to set up some boards and join a few group boards if you wish. Boards allow you to categorize your content and attract your dream leads to your business, so they are important. In addition to creating them, you also need to optimize them.
4. Content creation
Start creating! My favourite tool for pin creation is Canva. It’s really easy to use and makes pin creation 10x easier. You will also need to learn how to properly get out your pin for conversions. It’s not enough to slap a picture and some text. This is something I teach in-depth inside of Passive Profit with Pinterest, my signature Pinterest course.
5. Consistency
I know that consistency isn’t sexy but it’s THE most important thing, especially for Pinterest because the platform will reward you if you consistently put out content that your audience engages with.
I recommend posting 2-5x per day and the way I do that is NOT with manual pinning, I use Tailwind to schedule hundreds of pins months in advance!
Is Pinterest dead?
There’s been countless comments and complaints about Pinterest since 2020, with some Pinterest users complaining that their results tanking.
This has frustrated the blogging community especially. As a blogger of 10 years, there’s always a post complaining about Pinterest and talking about how they are giving up and I get it. But here’s the thing:
The way you measure Pinterest has changed
Vanity metrics were what most Pinterest users were obsessed with and when Pinterest decided to change the way they measured people freaked out. Let me tell you this, monthly views don’t mean Sh*t. Do not focus on that. Instead, focus on outbound clicks.
The platform has changed
If you don’t adapt you get left out, so you have 2 choices. Learn the new strategies and adapt your business or fail. It’s that simple.
The past Pinterest threads, mass pinning and hashtags were all a thing we would do on the platform, but things have changed and some of those actions can seriously hurt your account.
When can I see results on Pinterest?
Pinterest is a slow burner. With Google SEO I can sometimes see results within a week or more than 6 months. With Pinterest, you should see some sort of result after posting for 3-6 months. This is why if you’re after a quick fix, Pinterest isn’t it.
You need to be consistent and patient otherwise it won’t work. After 3 months see what’s working and do more of that. Adjust your strategy and the kind of content you create, lean into trends and HAVE FUN!
Can you make money with Pinterest?
Yes! There are a bunch of ways you can, directly and indirectly, earn money from Pinterest.
Affiliate marketing
Within pins and idea pins you can now add your affiliate links. This means there are a bunch of opportunities for you to make money directly off the platform instead of needing a blog. The best way to do this is to create an idea pin. For example, maybe you could create a bit of content called ‘5 must-have tools for coaches’.
Within the idea pin, you could link to 5 products/services that you feel coaches need asap.
Pinterest creator program
Pinterest has announced that in 2022 they will launch their creator program worldwide which allows Pinterest users to create content on trending topics in the form of idea pins and get paid for it! This is available to some users already as I’m writing this so to find out if you’re eligible you can go to your profile > creator hub > at the top you should see ‘earn’. If not, it is not available to you yet.
Traffic
If you have ads or affiliates on your website and you’re leading people there then that’s a great way to earn money. But there’s something I must touch in. It’s all well and good creating this amazing content on Pinterest but what happened when they get to your website is as important.
If you’re seeing lots of outbound clicks but no sales or a high bounce rate, then you need to work on the content on your website or the website itself. If your website is slow, hard to read, hard to navigate then you’ve lost all that amazing traffic from Pinterest.
Product sales
Yes, if you’re a shop seller you can earn make sales while you sleep. If you’re an Esty shop owner, make sure you have connected your Esty store with Pinterest.
You will also need some amazing pictures of your products. When it comes to pin creation, I highly recommend you showcase the product being used or in a natural environment. Nothing says boring than a product against a white background. Instead, style your background and show your product in its glory!
Idea pins can be a fantastic option to go deeper and show the fantastic benefits of your products, so I highly recommend topping your toes in idea pins.
Pinterest tools I recommend
To make growing your business with Pinterest that much easier here are the top 4 tools I recommend signing up and getting:
1. Canva Pro
I love Canva pro for all the content creation. You can use the free version easy enough but if you want extra photos, videos and features to make creating even easier then I highly recommend upgrading!
2. Tailwind
Honestly, don’t manual pin, you’re just making things harder on yourself. Instead, use a Pinterest scheduler. I use Tailwind and have done it for years and years. Here’s $30 Tailwind credit to get you started.
3. Pinterest keyword vault
If you’re overwhelmed at the keyword research part then grab access to my #1 Pinterest keyword resource. It’s filled with over 4000 viral keywords covering 170+ categories and niches. The great part is that you can request categories and topics to be added so it’s a never-ending Pinterest resource!
4. Passive Profit with Pinterest
This is my signature Pinterest course where you learn the exact steps to get started with Pinterest and how to grow and scale to the next level. This is the only way you can get my support with Pinterest currently!
I’m so excited for you to get your business on Pinterest today! I know it can seem like a scary, time-consuming beast to learn but honestly, I spend less than 3 hours per month on my Pinterest strategy and gain thousands of eyes on my business while I sleep!
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