Inspiration can be found in many things. For some, it happens spontaneously, arising at any moment. Whether through exercise or being enamored by another’s work, there are many factors that can get those pesky creative juices flowing. For others, motivational concepts are easier to understand when mapped out, à la vision boards. A digital vision board in its own right, Pinterest is a social platform that many companies are exploring to spark inspiration and ideation.

It is a place to bolster brand awareness, develop customer engagement, and reach more consumers.

What Exactly Are Pins?

Utilizing Pinterest for business is fairly simple; an explore page customizes to an individual’s searches. Concepts are represented by Pins that users scroll through and save to their profile.

These activity bookmarks are as follows:

Idea Pins – a multi-page canvas used to create guides, target your audience, or tell a story. Essentially, sharing a collection of ideas.
Standard Pins – still image(s) or video(s) linked to a URL that will redirect to a brand’s store or website.
Video Pins – arguably the most effective tool. The multimedia format promptly captures the attention of browsing Pinners.

Pinning The Best

Pinterest is a steadfast resource that will inform inquisitive consumers researching their next purchase decisions. There are 431 million active users built into the marketplace, awaiting your next campaign.

Here are four tips for creating Idea Pins that will improve performance and attract the right audience for your business.

Tip #1: Show Personality Through Authenticity

Consumers (in particular Millennials and Generation X’ers) are always on the lookout for believable and relatable brands. Go bold and infuse personality in your Pins.

Those who visit Pinterest don’t really know what the heck they’re looking for.

In fact, 97% of the top searches on the platform are unbranded. With that in mind, 80% of weekly Pinners have discovered a new brand or product by browsing.

By establishing a clear hook via an engaging visual reference to promote an idea, Pinner’s attention will naturally be drawn to your post. Creating inspiring and informative Pins using high-quality images (in particular, video) will reap brand awareness and generate further repins.

Tip #2: Create Consistent, Relevant Content

People want to try new things. Specifically, Pinners come to the platform to fulfill their inspiration. There’s not a proven posting cadence that works, although consistency is key. Obviously, it's a visual platform, so producing original Pins multiple times a week will develop a steady stream of content that will increase exposure over time.

Because a majority of users browse Pinterest on mobile, vertical imagery is a necessity. High quality imaging and tasteful branding are also required to reinforce visual messaging.

Schedule Pins ahead of time natively on Pinterest or a social media scheduling platform (such as Hootsuite) for organizational purposes.

Tip #3: Use Relevant Keywords in the Description

Focus on publishing clear and specific details about the products or services you are marketing.

Once you upload your Pin, organize your Pinterest boards into precise, detailed groups to make your profile easily searchable. Don’t forget to add actionable details by having a URL that drives traffic back to your company’s website or social media channels.

Tag easily searchable keywords that will have your Pins show up more frequently on boards specific to your audience. For example: if selling a wellness product – such as a candle – be sure to use descriptive words like “home”, “warm”, or “cozy”. This sense of comfort will pop up on searches tailored for home goods or aesthetic items.

Fun fact: the retail sales of candle products are estimated at $3.14 billion annually. We had no idea!

Tip #4: Include Subtle Branding and Calls to Action

If your brand has an icon or a logo, make sure to include that in your Pin. This symbol is how Pinners will recognize your brand when they might not remember the company’s name; it’s a signifier that distinguishes from the competition.

Using text overlay and relevant calls to action on Pins help Pinners learn what your content is rapidly. CTA’s like “Sign Up”, “Download Checklist”, and “Shop Now” will help drive more engagement and link clicks. The Pinterest algorithm also reads text on images, bettering their position in the feed.

Pro Tip: Avoid placing your logo in the lower right-hand corner, it will get covered up by the Pinterest icon!

More Doing, More Pinning

Now that you know the top tips for creating pins that perform, it’s time to get started.

We understand getting started on a new social media platform might be overwhelming to execute. Firebelly has helped numerous brands create the right results with their full-funnel Pinterest programs. We’d love to help you put a plan together to achieve the outcome you desire.

The Best 4 Tips For Creating Pins That Perform