You might know how to get followers on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, but what about Pinterest? Pinterest can be just as valuable as other social media platforms if you use it correctly. So here’s what you need to know about Pinterest and how you can boost your follower count using both free and paid tactics.
Before you start getting followers on Pinterest, you need to know what the platform is and what it’s all about. After all, Pinterest isn’t something that you can fake since users will be able to spot a novice pinner from a mile away. So, what do you need to know about this burgeoning platform?
Starting with the basics, Pinterest is considered a “visual search engine” wherein you can use keywords to search for pictures and videos rather than websites. And since Pinterest is entirely visual, it’s an extremely creative platform that’s used for things like home improvement, interior design, crafting, cooking, baking, fashion, and more.
Pinterest revolves around “pins,” which consist of photos or videos that users can then save to their own “boards” for inspiration. These pins then link to outside sources where users can learn more information about the product or idea.
For example, say a user is searching for new bedding for their bedroom. They can search for pins based on their style, whether it’s classic, contemporary, minimalist, or boho. When they find something they like, they can save it to their board for later. After they’re done browsing, they can go back to this board to choose their final contenders before finally clicking on the pins to purchase the bedding of their choice.
As you can see, Pinterest is very shoppable and it’s designed that way for a reason since most Pinterest users are searching to do or buy something specific. This gives Pinterest points in the “user intent” category.
Pinterest is also extremely popular during specific holidays and seasons like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc. Users can find the perfect Christmas gifts, the best Thanksgiving recipes, and the best Valentine’s Day crafts all on Pinterest.
Pinterest largely caters to a specific demographic, so if you’re trying to reach this demographic, you should consider establishing a presence on Pinterest. Women make up a large percentage of Pinterest’s user base at 71%. While the platform is most popular in the United States, its international user base has been growing rapidly with 30 million users from Brazil, 16 million users from Mexico, 14 million users from Germany, and 10 million users from France.
In terms of age, the platform is most popular with people ages 18 to 49—with nearly 70% of all users falling into this age group. In terms of education, 70% of Pinterest users hold a college degree. In terms of income, a majority of Pinterest users make over $75,000 a year. Finally, mothers love to use this platform, in that 80% of American mothers who use the internet also use Pinterest.
Follow these 15 best practices to boost your Pinterest account and grow more followers on this valuable platform.
For starters, you need to get pinning! If your account doesn’t post any pins, you’re not going to gain any followers. Generally speaking, you need to be active and engaged on the platform to earn followers. But how do you do this?
A good place to start is on the “Explore” and “Trending” pages. Find pins on these pages that fit with your brand image and re-pin them. It’s also a good idea to re-pin your pins that have been saved by other users.
Finally, you can manually pin products relevant to your brand and products on the platform for increased visibility.
If you want to earn followers on Pinterest, you also need to post your own pins. However, you shouldn’t just post random content in hopes that it will be a successful pin. Instead, you need to make sure that your pins actually fit in with the nature of the content on the platform.
For example, you need to use high-resolution and high-quality images taken with a professional camera. No matter how great iPhone cameras are these days, they still can’t compete with professional photography.
You may also want to prioritize vertical images over horizontal ones so that your pins are more mobile-friendly. Use an aspect ratio of 2:3 when creating your images so that they fit well within the platform. Finally, try to fit multiple products into a single pin without making it too busy so that you can show off as much as possible and appeal to users with different tastes.
Even though Pinterest is a visual app, that doesn’t mean text isn’t important as well. In fact, you should definitely include detailed text descriptions with your pins whenever possible. In the description, you should provide any and all relevant information about the products in the pin so that users don’t have to look elsewhere for answers to their questions. At the same time, your descriptions should make people want to learn more about your products and brand.
Since Pinterest is known as a visual search engine, it’s just as important to know your keywords on Pinterest as it is on a regular search engine like Google. At the same time, it should be noted that effective keywords on Google might not be effective keywords on Pinterest since the platforms are so different.
To find the right keywords on Pinterest, a good place to start is with the search bar’s automatic suggestions. Start typing in some keywords and see what it suggests. Make a note of any relevant keywords so that you can focus on those. You should also make a note of the keyword bubbles that pop up at the top of your search results page.
Like other social media platforms, hashtags are extremely useful on Pinterest, and using them correctly can help you gain followers in no time. If you’re new to the world of hashtags, a good place to start is with the trending hashtags in your category. This feature is only available on the mobile app, but it can help make your pins more searchable. You can also use popular hashtag suggestions when actually creating a pin.
Another great way to earn followers on any social media platform, Pinterest included, is to follow people yourself. Following people makes it more likely that they’ll follow you back. But who should you follow on Pinterest? For starters, follow people who pin your content. It’s also smart to follow your competitor’s followers since odds are they’re interested in your industry and will follow you back.
The sheer number of pins on Pinterest can be overwhelming without proper organization. As a result, it’s extremely important to organize your boards and make them easy for people to navigate. Start by naming your boards something clear yet clever. From there, you can actually organize each individual board with different sections.
For example, if you’re a clothing company, you can create different sections for different types of clothing like tops, bottoms, dresses, accessories, etc.
It would be hard to experience any level of success on Pinterest if you don’t know who you’re trying to reach on the platform. However, your target audience should go beyond basic demographic information and include more detailed information. For example, it’s not enough to say your target audience is women aged 18 to 29 because this group is going to make up a significant percentage of the app’s total users.
Instead, you have to dive deeper by developing a customer persona. A customer persona should look like a legitimate person with likes, dislikes, wants, fears, hobbies, and more. Developing a customer persona can help you reach your target audience on a platform like Pinterest.
Infographics are extremely popular on Pinterest, and you can take advantage of this trend by creating some of your own! While this may be challenging to achieve depending on your industry, don’t be afraid to get creative and visually represent information that people would want to know about your industry, brand, and products.
Pinterest is more than a visual search engine, it’s also a community. You can embrace this community aspect by joining relevant group boards. Locate the top Pinterest board in your brand’s category or industry and ask to join. Also, ask if you can contribute. You may have to reach out to the board owner to do so, but the extra effort will definitely be worthwhile once you’re in.
In addition to joining existing group boards, you can also create your own group board. If you already have a great board, you can turn this into a group board or you can start completely from scratch.
From there, you can start adding contributors to the board and earning followers. Just make sure that you state in the board guidelines that users looking to join the board must follow you in addition to the board. This is standard practice on the platform and can help you quickly gain followers.
If you already have an established following on other platforms, for example, Facebook, Instagram, or even email, it’s a good idea to link to your Pinterest account on these platforms. Odds are that your followers on other platforms would be interested in following you on Pinterest as well. So by not linking to your Pinterest or promoting your account on other platforms, you’re missing out on potential followers.
While it’s possible to earn followers on Pinterest without spending money, sometimes it makes sense to invest in Pinterest advertising by promoting your content on the platform. To do this, you will need a business account.
From there, choose to promote your best-performing pins and select your targeting mechanisms based on the customer persona you’ve developed. The right pin and the right targeting can earn you a lot of new followers.
It can be difficult to choose your best-performing pins to promote on Pinterest, which is why testing can be a huge help. Testing different iterations of pins through A/B testing before you actually post or promote them can help you get the best bang for your buck. Think of testing as an investment that will pay off in terms of clicks and followers on Pinterest.
Clearly, a lot of work goes into earning followers on Pinterest—enough to make it a full-time job. Unfortunately, you likely don’t have the time to make it your full-time job, but that doesn’t mean that you have neglected the platform and everything it has to offer.
Instead, you should consider using a Pinterest advertising agency to help you take advantage of everything this platform has to offer. A Pinterest advertising agency can help you create appealing pins, target the right users, and launch effective marketing campaigns to grow your follower list in addition to your sales.
MuteSix is a Pinterest advertising agency with the experience and expertise needed to be successful on the platform. MuteSix does this through our in-house creative studio. We also include targeting testing, optimization, and scaling to earn you the best possible results.
While there are countless tactics you can use to earn followers on Pinterest, perhaps the best strategy is to outsource your Pinterest efforts to a dedicated advertising agency. MuteSix is a best-in-class performance advertising agency that scales brands using cross-channel, data-driven creative content.
We have achieved incredible results for top brands on Pinterest and we can achieve the same incredible results for your brand as well. So, reach out to our marketing experts today to schedule a complimentary marketing consultation.
Sources:
Buyer Personas: What They Are, Why They Matter and How to Best Build One | Entrepreneur