A woman sitting cross-legged with a laptop, working on building an email list. Above her, envelopes with avatars representing new subscribers float, and a large 'Subscribe' button is highlighted. The image represents a Black Friday marketing strategy, focusing on how to grow your email list using Pinterest for holiday promotions.

How to Grow Your Email List with Qualified Leads Using Pinterest

Have you ever thought about using Pinterest to get more email sign-ups? In this article you’ll learn how to grow your email list using Pinterest. It’s not just a hub for creative ideas and inspiration. Pinterest is a truly powerful search engine that is very good at driving website traffic. Whether you’re selling products or offering services, Pinterest can help you attract the right kind of website visitors and transform them into loyal subscribers. The best part? You don’t need thousands of followers to make it work! Let’s dive into exactly how you can use Pinterest to attract targeted visitors that will leave you a precious email address.

Mary Lumley - Pinterest Expert
Hi! I’m Mary Lumley. Thanks for dropping by!

Need help with this Pinterest stuff?

We’re here for you! Let’s talk.

Need help with this Pinterest stuff?

We’re here for you! Let’s talk.

Hi! I’m Mary Lumley
Pinterest Specialist for eCom & Travel

Why use Pinterest to grow your email list?

Diversifying your traffic sources is a sensible mitigation tactic. If you’ve been hit by some of the recent Google algorithm updates, you’ll know what I’m talking about! Unlike other platforms, that are built around algorithms that keep you scrolling on the platform, Pinterest is built to lead users to new places away from the platform. That’s why Pinterest excels at driving traffic, which is exactly what you need to grow your mailing list! Not only that, people on Pinterest are in an information-seeking, project planning and/or shopping mindset.

Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing tools out there. Combining it with lead generation on a platform that people turn to for immediate or future purchase decisions just makes sense:

  • 59% of consumers say marketing emails directly influence what they buy.
  • Half of consumers make a purchase from email marketing at least once a month.
  • In 2023, 52% of people made a purchase straight from an email.
  • 61% are more likely to visit a store after receiving an email.
  • Plus, email marketing is three times more likely to lead to purchases than social media.

With stats like these, it’s clear that email marketing is here to stay, and so is Pinterest! Keen to get this combo going? Read on to learn how you can turn Pinterest into your email list building buddy.

Optimise your Pinterest page

You will get the best results if you have a solid foundation in place: an SEO-optimised Pinterest page for your business. Your page and it’s content should be fine-tuned to attract the right kind of people who will subscribe to your mailing list. Not sure where to start? Check out our Pinterest Marketing blog for tips and advice. These are good places to start: How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account in 3 Easy Steps and Pinterest SEO: 4 Smart Tactics That Will Boost Your SEO Ranking.

How Pinterest attracts new subscribers

In a nutshell, to grow your email list with Pinterest you:

  1. Create content on your website that provides value. Ideally, it covers key questions or topics your audience is interested in relation to the product or service you offer.
  2. Create eye-catching, SEO-optimised, high quality Pins (image on Pinterest with title and description) that link back to this content on your website.
  3. Offer something of value related to the topic or product on your Pin that made them click through, so that they leave their email address in return.

Most people who see your Pin are ‘cold’, they haven’t heard of you yet. That’s why it’s so important to create a Pin that sparks curiosity and gets them to click through. Once they’re interested, you’ll want to offer something valuable they can’t resist signing up for.

How to grow your email list for services

Let’s dive into how this strategy works for service-based businesses on Pinterest. We’ll look at two organic and two sponsored Pin examples that show just how effective this approach can be.

Airbnb SEO Cheat Sheet ad with the headline 'Hacks to Optimize Your Listing' illustrated by people interacting with a large search engine interface. The design emphasizes improving Airbnb listings for better search visibility. This ad encourages users to grow their email list by offering a valuable cheat sheet for optimizing their Airbnb listings. The website 'alexwongcopywriting.com' is displayed at the bottom.
Ad promoting '9 Legal Requirements for Starting a Small Business' with a clean design featuring a beige card and a 'Check out the full list' call-to-action. The ad encourages users to visit the website for more detailed legal information. This type of content can help grow your email list by offering valuable resources to aspiring business owners, enticing them to sign up for additional legal templates or guidance.
Acuity Scheduling ad featuring a playful puppy being held while showcasing an easy online scheduling interface for businesses. The ad promotes a free trial of Acuity Scheduling with an eye-catching call to action: 'Start Your Free Trial.' The text 'Try Acuity Scheduling for free today' is included at the bottom, with a 'Sign up' button. This sponsored Pin encourages users to grow their email list by using Acuity's scheduling tool to offer seamless booking options for clients.
Amica Auto Insurance ad featuring a father and two children sitting at a picnic table near their car. The headline reads 'How much car insurance do you need?' with a 'Swipe to Learn' call-to-action. The ad promotes learning more about car insurance options and encourages users to engage with Amica. This type of ad shows businesses how to grow their email list by offering valuable information that leads potential customers to sign up for personalized insurance quotes.

Provide solutions and offer value

The first two organic examples above are perfect for AirBNB owners or aspiring entrepreneurs looking for advice. When they click on these Pins, they’re taken to a helpful blog post that offers valuable tips, with an easy option to get a cheat sheet or legal templates delivered right to their inbox.

Acuity’s sponsored Pin goes straight to a landing page where users can try their scheduling tool for free, while Amica’s Pins answer common insurance questions. They lead to a blog packed with useful info, followed by an invitation to get a car insurance quote.

Most of these examples use indirect promotion, where the Pin links to a blog post with an offer inside, rather than direct promotion that takes people straight to a landing page. For growing your email list, this indirect approach often works better on Pinterest. Since the audience is new to your brand, they need value and context before they’ll sign up.

How to grow your email list for e-commerce

The strategies and examples we’ve discussed work great for service-based businesses, but they can be just as effective for online stores too! By sharing informative articles that address your audience’s problems or aspirations, you can promote your products in a more indirect way. For instance, if you sell plus-size fashion for Gen Z, posting Pins that link to blog articles about their interests, challenges, or aspirations can help attract that audience to your site.

But remember, since many Pinterest users are in a shopping mindset, direct promotions can be super effective too. Here’s a strategy you can try:

Offer exclusive content or discounts with a strong CTA

The objective here is to use an enticing offer (e.g., a discount or sample) to encourage users to visit a landing page where they naturally encounter the email sign-up form as part of the process.

  • Create a Pin that features a visually appealing image of your product, with copy like “Unlock 15% Off Your Next Purchase” or “Get a Free [Product Name] Sample Today!”
  • Focus on the Value Proposition in both the image and the pin description. Highlight the benefit the user will get, like the discount or the freebie.
  • Link the Pin to a Landing Page where users can claim the offer. This page would explain how they can unlock the discount or freebie (by entering their email). The email sign-up is seamlessly integrated into the flow. For example, the user must enter their email to receive the coupon code or access the special offer.
  • Use Promoted Pins to boost visibility, especially if you are targeting a specific audience. You can use Pinterest’s audience targeting tools to reach people who have already shown interest in your niche.

Here are some examples:

Ad for Society6 featuring a collage of whimsical imagery, including nature scenes, floral headpieces, decorative pillows, and a peaceful reading spot outdoors. The text reads 'When you want your space to feel: Whimsical' and promotes a 25% discount on first-time purchases. This ad shows how to grow your email list by offering a discount to new subscribers, enticing them to sign up and receive future offers.
Ad for Mitchell Black featuring the 'Nomalanga - Olive & Linen' custom-made designer wallpaper. The ad offers 15% off the entire order, with a minimalist design showcasing the product pattern. This promotion encourages potential customers to grow your email list by offering a discount in exchange for signing up, creating a strong incentive for engagement.
Ad for Fireclay Tile showcasing green glass tiles with the text 'Made in America, Starting at $35/SqFt.' The ad includes a button labeled 'Sample Glass Tile' to encourage users to request a sample. This ad shows how to grow your email list by offering potential customers the chance to sign up and receive samples, providing a direct value-driven incentive for engagement.
Ad for Sabai featuring the 'Elevate Sofa' available in 13 colours. The image shows a vibrant orange sofa in a stylish living room with swatches of different colours displayed below, inviting users to 'Order Swatches To Find Your Style.' This ad shows how to grow your email list by encouraging potential customers to sign up for swatches, offering a personalised experience to find their perfect sofa colour.

Organic vs Paid List Building

As you’ve seen in the examples, you can grow your email list either organically, with paid ads, or a mix of both. Organic growth tends to be slower and less targeted, but by using Pinterest SEO best practices and posting consistently, you’ll not only grow your list but also boost your SEO on Pinterest, and even on Google!

On the other hand, paid advertising comes with some big perks. You can be very specific about who you want to reach, targeting by location, demographics, keywords, and interests. Plus, paid ads give you valuable audience data to fine-tune your campaigns. Another big win? You can make your Pins even more clickable by adding a call-to-action like ‘Sign up’ or ‘Learn more’ right under the Pin.

How to grow your email list – 4 key ingredients

To wrap things up, let’s break down the 4 key ingredients you need to attract new subscribers through Pinterest:

  • CONTENT – Your website needs to have content that brings real value to your readers, i.e. your future clients. It is this content that will feed your subscription engine. If you already have a lot of content on your website, take a look at your analytics (Pinterest and Google) and note down which articles generate the most site traffic.
  • VISUALS – Create different Pinterest images for each of these articles. To ensure that they attract attention, your images must be eye-catching with an irresistible message that makes people want to click to find out more. Make your images stand out
  • LEAD MAGNET – You must offer something enticing as an incentive for potential subscribers to leave you their e-mail address.
  • STRATEGY – To grow your email list organically, it’s essential to pin “fresh” content every day. Pinterest defines Fresh Pins as new images or videos that haven’t been seen before. This keeps your content engaging and relevant. Find out more about fresh content. Our favourite Pinterest scheduler, Tailwind, makes this easy by allowing you to post automatically when your audience is most active. For paid ads, the key is to target your ideal audience with precision. By running paid ads alongside your organic strategy, you can drive traffic faster and capture sign-ups from users who are already in a shopping or browsing mindset.

Ready to grow your email list with Pinterest? By using this powerful visual search engine, you can attract visitors who are truly interested in what you offer. The key is to create compelling content, and offer irresistible lead magnets. So, start pinning with purpose today!

Leave the Pinning to us!

Ready to attract new leads with Pinterest but short on time or knowledge? Don’t worry—we’re here to help! Our team of Pinterest experts can take the reins, managing everything from content creation to pinning strategy, so you can focus on running your business. Let us handle the pinning while you enjoy the results. Let’s chat!

One of the best agency client relationships I have had!

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“They developed and designed a suite of ads that solve problems for each target audience to garner clicks and engagement back to our site to deliver sales. Mary and the team were so insightful when it came to Pinterest and it was a pleasure to work with them”
Simon Marmot
Chief Marketing, Advertising & Strategy Director

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Graphic with colourful envelopes against a blue background, accompanied by an illustration of a white envelope with an arrow pointing upward. The text below reads 'How to Grow Your E-mail List with Pinterest' with a red 'Discover' button and branding for MaryLumley.com. This image promotes strategies on how to grow your email list using Pinterest as a key marketing tool.

Mary Lumley – Pinterest Marketing for eCommerce & Travel / How to Grow Your Email List with Pinterest


Sources (for email statistics):

1 40+ Email Marketing Statistics You Need to Know for 2024

2 49 Email Marketing Statistics In 2024

3 How to Use Email Marketing to Increase Sales in Your Brick-and-Mortar Store

4 33+ email marketing stats you need to know in 2024