How to Create Click-worthy Pinterest Pins
With the growing interest in using Pinterest to grow an online business, I've seen a lot of business owners or newer social media managers struggle to strategize with a platform that's so unlike any other social media app. In order to succeed on Pinterest, you really need to understand both the algorithm and the mindset of the users.
High quality pins ultimately need two things:
Relevant keywords that the algorithm will boost, and
Attention-grabbing images that will encourage viewers to click.
When you marry these two aspects together, you significantly increase your chances of getting a trending pin with a lot of outbound clicks to your website - which is the ultimate goal!
How to Find Your Keywords
The best place to start finding your keywords is with trending pins in your industry or niche. Start with high-level keywords that are integral to your business. For example, if you own a baby clothing company, you might want to search for "newborn outfits" or "baby shower gifts". See what auto-fills Pinterest recommends, and compare those with the titles and descriptions of the current trending pins in the search results for your high-level keywords.
I recommend keeping a list of all your keywords in a doc or spreadsheet to refer back to when creating new pins, then select the ones that are most relevant to the specific blog or product or webpage you're linking to.
Once you have your keywords, make sure you use them correctly to keep the algorithm happy and your audience engaged. Don’t just dump them all into your pin description - be intentional!
Write Your Title and Description in COMPLETE Sentences
Both Pinterest and their users prefer titles and descriptions that are readable! Copy and pasting just a list of keywords isn't readable and most likely will get you caught up in a spam filter (the Pinterest equivalent of shadow-banning). The Pinterest algorithm is sophisticated enough to find your keywords within well-written sentences, and can also tell if you're just keyword dumping.
Additionally, if a user is intrigued by your pin image but wants to learn more before committing to a save or click-through, you want your title and description to further encourage them to click off of Pinterest and onto your webpage.
Of course, in order to get users to that step, your pin image needs to grab their attention first!
Create Text-rich Graphics
What makes you click on a pin? Do you click through to the website if it's just a nice photo, or do you like to know what to expect on the other side first? One of the best ways to turn your pin from a nice image on someone's "inspo" board into an outbound click to your website is by having a well-designed text-based graphic for your pin's image!
This is where your keywords come back into play - you should be using at least a couple of your most relevant keywords on your pin graphic. It helps Pinterest categorize your pin and show it to the right users, and it helps users recognize what value your pin has for them and why it's relevant to them.
Some industries on Pinterest are much more photo-based in terms of what the algorithm pushes (for instance, I noticed my photo pins got a lot more reach with my client in the hair industry than my text-based graphics did), so having a healthy mix of photo-only pins, text-based pins, and even graphics that have text and a photo is a good way to figure out what works best for your specific audience and industry.
Text-based Pin
Text + Image Pin
Image-only Pin
Keep Researching and Pivoting
Pinterest seems to flip their algorithm on its head more than any other social media platform I've worked with, and this means constantly needing to re-strategize to find what works to keep your account growing and scaling. In general, just keep it authentic and non-spammy, and even if your numbers drop for a season, you'll be on track to get them growing again once you adjust to the new system. Regardless, practicing quality keyword research and keeping your pins high-quality should help your account grow and stay consistent, even if the algorithm shifts and shuffles once in a while.
