Whether you work with content marketing firms or you take care of your social media marketing in-house, you can improve your content optimization for Pinterest using a few simple tricks. Pinterest has developed into a powerhouse of a social media site, especially in the industries of beauty and fashion, crafts and DIY, home decor, and parenting. The evidence of Pinterest’s influence is clear, with many large corporations finding a way to fit Pinterest into their marketing strategies. If you do not understand how to use Pinterest, here are some suggestions to get you rolling.
Create Vertical Images
Pinterest will accept most image shapes, however vertical images fit the best in the pin profile. Vertical pins show up on your feed and boards better than horizontal images. Additionally, they look the best when you open up individual pins. Canva recommends using a 735 x 1102 pixel size for Pinterest, but you can vary that a bit and still get a good visual.
Don’t Forget the Text
While Pinterest is an image site, it has room for a text description on each pin. Since the text is how both Pinterest and Google categorize each pin for search, it is a best practice to fill this area out completely. You can add your opinion, keywords and searchable hashtags here.
Add a Call-to-Action
Adding a CTA to your pin description such as “pin this for later” is another helpful practice to remind followers to save your pin. Repinning or saving a pin places it on one of your follower’s boards, making it easy to find later when they are ready to reference it.
Add Text to Your Image
You can spruce up your image with text and graphics by using sites including PicMonkey or Canva pretty easily. Both sites have a free version which allows you to add various elements to existing images. It is a best practice to use your own images for pins unless you have permission from the image owner. It is not always possible to have an original image for every single post, but it is worth the time if you can.
Use Hashtags Sparingly
Pins can be searched using hashtags, but you can search them without any hashtags. If you do use hashtags, then try to only use a few in context of your description. Don’t pile them up at the end.
Don’t Spam with Multiple Uploads of the Same Pin
This behavior can get you banned from group boards and possibly the entire site. You can pin a single pin to multiple boards, but refrain from repinning the same pin to the same board over and over. You should wait a minimum of three months before you repin to the same board, and only if the first pin is not getting any action.
Clean Out Boards Regularly
About every three to six months, clear out obsolete pins, pins with broken links or poorly performing pins from your existing boards. You can also determine at that time whether a board needs to be split or eliminated.
Paula A is the mom of a college graduate and a freshman in college, and covering up the gray with lots of colorful highlights.
