How to Build a Winning Pinterest Marketing Strategy for Your Business

If you’re planning to invest time and money in marketing on Pinterest, your main goal is to grab the attention of new potential clients and turn that interest into business growth. But how do you create a Pinterest marketing strategy that actually transforms clicks into traffic, leads and sales? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the steps to get started on the right path to design a conversion-focused Pinterest marketing strategy.

Are your customers hanging out on Pinterest?

First of all, is your target audience active on Pinterest? If you’re in the B2C or D2C space, the answer is most likely a resounding YES! Pinterest is a goldmine for businesses looking to connect with consumers who are constantly on the hunt for inspiration, whether it’s for their next home project, a new fashion trend, to solve a practical problem or plan their next holiday.

For B2Bs it can be an excellent platform to reach professionals who use it to spark their creativity and gather fresh ideas. Think about interior designers seeking fresh decor ideas, photographers curating mood boards, or wedding planners crafting the perfect event. Pinterest is more than just pretty pictures; it’s a powerful tool for connecting with an audience that’s actively looking for inspiration, and potentially, your products or services. So, whether you’re selling directly to consumers or targeting businesses, Pinterest is a great place to catch your audience’s eye!

The best way to discover if your products or services will resonate with an audience on Pinterest is to dive in and explore the platform yourself. Take some time to browse, search for relevant topics, and see what comes up.

Understand how people use Pinterest

Next, it is important to understand what makes Pinterest unique and how people engage with it. Unlike other platforms where users might scroll aimlessly, Pinterest is a place where people go with a purpose. They’re not just there to consume content passively, they’re there to get inspired and explore their own interests. Users aren’t looking to be told what they should care about; they want to discover what truly resonates with them on their own terms. This intentionality is what sets Pinterest apart from other online spaces.

Whether someone is casually browsing or has a specific goal in mind, like finding those perfect black trousers, they come to Pinterest with varying levels of intent. Some might be in the early stages of gathering ideas, while others are closer to making a purchase and just need to find the right brand. Understanding where Pinterest fits into your potential customers’ purchase journey is key. By doing so, you can connect with them in a way that feels natural, relevant, and helpful, no matter where they are in their decision-making process.

Decide on your objectives

Whether your goal is to build brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or boost sales, Pinterest offers unique opportunities to reach your audience at every stage of the marketing funnel. The beauty of Pinterest is that you can tailor your approach to hit one or all of these objectives with the right strategies.

For instance, if you’re focused on building brand awareness, you might invest time in crafting a cohesive Pinterest presence that reflects your brand’s personality and values. This could involve creating boards that showcase your brand’s lifestyle or curating content that aligns with your brand message.

On the other hand, if your primary goal is to drive traffic to your website, a solid strategy might include creating visually appealing pins that link directly to your blog posts, product pages, or landing pages. By incorporating keywords into your pin descriptions and boards, you can ensure your content is easily discoverable through search, helping to attract users who are already interested in what you offer.

Whatever your objective is, publishing relevant content and an SEO-optimised Pinterest account are at the heart of any kind of Pinterest marketing strategy. These are essential ingredients to maximise your reach and engage users in a way that aligns with your goals.

Treat Pinterest like a search engine

Pinterest is a search engine. Even though the platform is highly visual, most searches on Pinterest are still done through keyword search. What’s more, the algorithm is heavily guided by the keywords associated with your account and it’s content. To optimise the chance of your content getting found, the titles and descriptions of your boards and pins play a very important role. Read more about creating relevant and discoverable boards.

Do keyword research on Pinterest (and Google!) to see what keywords and key phrases people use to find the product/services you sell. Document them in a list and refer to this list every time you publish new content. Update this document regularly.

The Pinterest search bar is great tool to find keywords (see image above). To better understand how it works, type a few keywords in the Pinterest search bar. Take note of the suggested keywords. Do a similar search for categories and keep drilling down the list of categories you are presented with. This will give you a good idea of the most frequently used keywords.

Organic content vs Paid advertising

When you’re just getting started on Pinterest, diving into organic pinning is an excellent way to get a feel for the platform and discover what types of content resonate with your audience. By posting organic content, you can experiment with different ideas and see what sparks the most engagement, all while helping the Pinterest algorithm understand the nature of your account. As you consistently pin, the algorithm begins to learn what your brand is all about, ensuring your content appears in relevant spaces and search results.

While organic efforts are essential for laying the groundwork, if you’re aiming for faster and more targeted results, paid advertising is where Pinterest truly shines. Paid ad campaigns allow you to take your Pinterest marketing strategy to the next level by optimising your ads for specific marketing objectives, whether that’s driving traffic, increasing sales, or boosting brand awareness. With a range of targeting options, including demographic filters and retargeting capabilities, you can precisely reach the audiences that matter most to your business. This means your ads will be seen by users who are more likely to be interested in your products or services, making paid campaigns a powerful tool in your Pinterest marketing toolkit.

In essence, a balanced approach that combines both organic and paid strategies can help you make the most of what Pinterest has to offer. Start by establishing a strong organic presence, then amplify your reach and refine your targeting with paid ads to achieve your marketing goals more effectively. This combination is the key to a successful Pinterest marketing strategy.

Track your progress and keep improving

Tracking your progress is a vital part of any successful Pinterest marketing strategy. Regularly monitoring your results gives you clear insights into whether your marketing efforts are hitting the mark or if adjustments are needed. Even if you’re just starting out on Pinterest and don’t have much historical data to compare against, setting up a routine for monthly tracking is invaluable. It allows you to establish a baseline and see how your strategy evolves over time, ensuring you’re always moving in the right direction.

At the end of each month, take some time to dive into Pinterest Analytics and Google Analytics. These tools are goldmines of information, providing you with the data you need to track your performance and measure your success. Whether you’re looking at pin engagement, website traffic, or sales conversions, these analytics will give you a comprehensive view of how well your Pinterest marketing strategy is working.

If you’re running paid Pinterest campaigns, it’s especially important to keep a close eye on your campaign statistics. Regularly checking in on your ads’ performance allows you to see if any tweaks are necessary. Maybe a particular audience segment isn’t engaging as expected, or perhaps a different type of pin design is driving more clicks. By staying on top of your data, you can make informed decisions and fine-tune your Pinterest marketing strategy for even better results.

Consistent tracking and analysis are the keys to continuous improvement. Whether you’re a Pinterest newbie or a seasoned pro, monitoring your progress ensures that your Pinterest marketing strategy stays effective, adaptable, and aligned with your business goals.

In summary

Building a successful Pinterest marketing strategy takes time, creativity, and careful planning, but the results can be truly rewarding. By understanding how users interact with Pinterest, setting clear objectives, and balancing both organic and paid approaches, you can effectively reach and engage your target audience. Remember to treat Pinterest like a search engine by optimising your content with the right keywords and continuously track your progress to refine your strategy. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to enhance your existing efforts, the steps I’ve outlined here will help you make the most of Pinterest’s unique capabilities.

Contact me

I’m always excited to connect and help you navigate Pinterest! Let’s start a conversation—reach out to me on LinkedIn!

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Mary Lumley – Pinterest Marketing for eCommerce & Travel / How to Build a Winning Pinterest Marketing Strategy