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Over the past year, I’ve seen traffic to my website Wicky Design explode by using one tool – Pinterest. When used correctly, Pinterest can be a powerful marketing tool and you don’t need a ton of followers to see big results. If you aren’t using Pinterest, you’re missing out on tons of traffic to your website. Before we get into ways to use Pinterest to gain traffic, let’s go over some of the common misconceptions of the platform.
Pinterest is a social network.
Pinterest gets labeled as a social network, but it’s really more of a visual search engine. Type what you’re looking for in the search bar and Pinterest will deliver you hundreds of pins related to that subject. They’ll even give you search suggestions to better guide you in the right direction. Just like Google, the more relevant a pin is, the better it will do over time.
Only girls use Pinterest
While Pinterest definitely skews more female, 40% of new signups are men. Another important thing to remember is Pinterest tailors content to what a person is interested in, meaning you can tailor your content to a specific audience. If you’re audience is male, you can still use Pinterest as a way to generate traffic to your site.
Pinterest is for recipes and weddings
A lot of people think the only things on Pinterest are recipes and wedding inspiration, but you can find pins related to ANY topic. Travel, clothing, finance, business – you name it, it’s on Pinterest.
Now that we’ve got the misconceptions out of the way, let’s talk about ways you can use Pinterest to grow your blog traffic.
Create Pinnable, Branded Blog Images
A “pinnable image” is a graphic you add to your blog post specifically so people can save it to their Pinterest boards. These images should be vertical orientation and include your brand elements (colors, logo, fonts). An easy way to do this is to make a Pinterest template, then change out the content for every new blog post.
Pin Your Work
If you run a service based business, Pinterest can be a great tool to display your work. Along with pinning my blog articles, I’ve created “portfolio” boards to display my brand and website designs. It’s been a great way to get exposure and show the type of clients I work with.
This works for product based businesses, too! Pinning product images from your website is a great way to get more eyes on the things you sell.
Create Relevant Boards
Make sure your boards are relevant to your industry and the things you talk about on your blog. While recipes are great, unless you’re a food blogger, it’s probably not relevant to your business. Save those for a personal account.
Pin Other People’s Content
Like other forms of marketing, the 80/20 rule applies to Pinterest as well. Just pinning your own content can make you look spammy, so share the love! If you come across an awesome article related to your industry, pin it to your boards. When you pin other people’s work, they’ll be more likely to return the favor.
Join Group Boards
Group boards are a great way to get your content out to a large audience quickly. Find group boards related to your industry and ask to join. Once you’re in, pin regularly! If you can’t find a good group board, feel free to start your own.
If you need help finding group boards, try Pin Groupie.
Check Your Statistics
Pinterest business accounts have built in analytics that let you see what pins are working well and getting the most interaction. This information is super helpful in deciding what to pin and the types of content to create for your blog.
Pinterest is a great way to increase site traffic and get more eyes on your content. The best part; you don’t need a ton of followers to see big results. Start pinning today and watch your traffic explode.
Guest Post: Barbara DiLisio is the co-founder of Wicky Design, a brand and website design agency in Philadelphia. She is passionate about helping small business owners develop a strong foundation for their marketing efforts, both on and offline.
