Welcome to Lesson 3 in my 8-Part series: “Pinterest Marketing for Beginners”.

Learn how to effectively market, build your brand, and sell your products on the world’s #1 visual search engine!

Lesson 1 Why is Pinterest So Powerful? What You Need to Know.

Lesson 2 Pinterest Essentials – Small Business Marketing for Beginners

Lesson 3 Understanding the Pinterest Interface – Complete Guide for 2021

Lesson 4:  How to Create a Winning Pinterest Marketing Strategy in 2021

Lesson 5 7 Ways to Take Your Pinterest Marketing to the Next Level

Lesson 6:  5 Brands with Amazing Pinterest Marketing Strategies

Lesson 7:  Putting it All Together – Your 4-Step Pinterest Marketing Plan

Lesson 8:  Wrapping It Up: Pinterest Marketing – 13 Do’s & Dont’s

As a new user first logging onto Pinterest, it can be a little overwhelming and daunting. You’ll notice the site looks very different compared to Twitter or Facebook, and the navigation might not seem intuitive. How do you find your way around?

If you are using a personal Pinterest account, you’ll be greeted by your Home Feed, which will take up the majority of your screen real estate. This will consist of images and pins from top users, boards, and brands. It will also include content from anyone that you might have already started following.

If you have already converted your personal account to a business account, this page will look quite different. It will display Getting Started ideas, Performance Analytics, and Resources to jumpstart your business goals. You’ll need to click the ‘Business’ button at the top left corner of the screen and then select ‘Home Feed’, as shown below.

 

 

Pinterest Business Home Feed

 

 

Once on the Home Feed, you’ll find several options underneath the images. First, we’ll take a look at the pinner’s link. In the case below, clicking the link, Olivier Hall Studio | Planner Stickers, will take you to the pinner’s Pinterest page where you can view boards they have created and saved.

 

 

Pinterest link to pinner

 

 

From here, clicking the ‘Share’ icon will give you the option to share the pin on your WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter accounts. The pin can also be shared through email, or copy the pin link and share wherever you choose. If you type a username into the text field you can send the pin directly to another Pinterest user.

Select ‘Choose from Contacts’ to upload your list of Facebook friends who are also on Pinterest. You can also upload your Gmail contacts.

 

 

Pinterest Share this pin

 

 

Click the three dots and you will find options to ‘Hide Pin’, ‘Download Image’, and ‘Report Pin’.

 

 

Pinterest links

 

 

Clicking on the URL will take you to the product, article, or sales page outside of Pinterest.

 

 

Pinterest product link

 

 

When you click the pin image, it will expand to a full screen version where you’ll see the title of the pin in bold letters. Click on this to go to the related website.

Underneath, you’ll find the pin description, the author, and the option to add a photo if you have tried the pin. This is particularly applicable if the pin is a craft, DIY project, or beauty tip. You can post a new comment or respond to a comment already posted.

 

 

Pinterest full pin image

 

 

If you want to find pins related to a particular subject matter, then your best bet is to head to the ‘Search Bar’ at the top of the page. Here, you can type in whatever it is you’re trying to find.

When you click on the search bar, a dropdown menu will display your ‘Recent Searches’, if applicable. Click on these for more pins related to those searches. Also displayed are ‘Ideas for You’, based on your recent pin searches. Finally, Pinterest displays a visual list of what’s most popular at the moment.

 

 

Pinterest search

 

 

 

There are a lot of pins on here, so don’t hesitate to type something specific, As you can see in the example below, while you type, Pinterest will display related accounts and ideas based on your search phrase.

 

 

Pinterest search bar

 

 

Alternatively, you can click on the names of boards or users as you’re browsing your Home Feed, and this will take you to their collections. This is often how you discover the really great stuff – it’s just a matter of finding someone with similar interests and tastes as you, in which case, you’ll discover all the research and browsing they’ve done. This can then be used in your own projects.

Click on your picture or icon to the far right of any Pinterest page and you’ll be taken to your collection of boards, along with your name, page description, and cover image.

 

 

Pinterest VA Services

 

 

Both personal and business account users will see bell and speech icons. Click the bell to view updates from Pinterest. This displays pins you may be interested in based on your browsing activity. Click the speech icon to send direct messages and share pins with other Pinterest users.

If you are using a Pinterest Business account, you’ll find an additional icon next to the speech icon. Click the triangle icon to track your pin engagement, respond to comments, track reactions, and see who’s been trying your published pins.

 

 

Pinterest Icons

 

 

At the bottom right of your Pinterest profile page, you’ll see that one of the options is a ‘Plus’ sign. Click this popup for ‘Pin’, ‘Idea Pin’, and ‘Board’ links. Note that Idea Pin and Board are found only on Pinterest Business accounts.

 

 

Pinterest create pin or board

 

 

The first option, Pin, allows you to upload a pin or image of your own, or input a URL by clicking ‘Save from Site’, to import a pin image. Be sure to add a keyword-rich title and description to your pin along with an accompanying URL for visitors to discover more about your pin product, service, or idea.

Use the Pinterest search bar as well as Pinterest trends to discover relevant keywords to add to your title and description. Ubersuggest is a good free tool with an optional paid upgrade. Although keyword research tools like Ubersuggest don’t pull directly from Pinterest data, they are still a great way to find keywords.

According to Pinterest, up to 20 hashtags can be used in a Pinterest description, although I have found that 3-5 will suffice. Make sure to use hashtags for your keywords (i.e. #momfitness, #weightloss, #weddingcakes, etc.), which are relevant to your pin.

 

 

Pinterest adding a pin

 

 

Click ‘Idea Pin’ from the plus sign popup box to create a pin design from multiple images, directly on Pinterest. Idea pins increase engagement by showcasing ideas and step-by-step tutorials on things such as craft or DIY content. Follow these steps to create your own Idea pin.

 

 

Idea Pin

 

 

Under the same plus sign, on Pinterest Business accounts, there is an option to create a Pinterest board to house your pin collection. On personal Pinterest accounts, the plus sign is available on the middle right side of your Pinterest Profile page.

If you choose, you can keep the board Secret, which means only you and those you have invited to collaborate on the Board will be able to view it.

 

 

Pinterest create a board

 

 

Again, a public board should have a keyword rich description that is directly related to the Pins you plan on adding to it.

To demonstrate the importance of strong descriptions, Pinterest created a study of 21,000 pins in 2018 (still relevant today!) and the information they uncovered is amazing! Here are just a few highlights:

  • Including your business name in the first sentence of the description leads to a 54% higher conversion rate for email signups
  • Using clear, actionable wording and a strong call to action increased email signups 70% and online sales by 6%.
  • Adding a price increased sales by 28%.

Good Pinterest descriptions matter to both the people on Pinterest as well as the Pinterest algorithm.

Pin descriptions are absolutely vital to pin distribution.

By including relevant keywords (that relate to the page you’re linking to) in your Pinterest pin description AND board title you send a signal to Pinterest about your content (think: Pinterest SEO!)

Keyword signals in your pin title, pin description, board title, and board description help Pinterest serve your pin to the right people and in the right search results.

Below is an example of a keyword-rich Pinterest board title and description. Note the repetition of the main keywords: blog, traffic, and Pinterest.

 

 

Pinterest Board Creation

 

 

As with Google, don’t use random, unrelated keywords, only relevant keywords. You want to avoid being reported for spam on Pinterest!

Populating your boards with relevant pins and will likely be the main method you use if you’re a content creator. It’s hard to build a brand with boards comprised entirely of content that you borrowed and didn’t create.

On the other hand though, if you want to add pins in the quickest way possible, you’ll find that the best way to do that is to just browse the boards of other users and then click to repin their items to your own boards.

Above your collection of boards and pins, click the button with your Pinterest picture or profile icon to edit your profile settings. Here, you’ll be given the option to fill in some details about yourself.

 

 

Pinterest Profile Settings

 

 

Specifically the options you’re given are:

  • Picture
  • Display Name
  • Username
  • About
  • Website
  • Email address
  • Country
  • Location (if you are a retail store)

Make sure that you use a picture that will grab the eye and look appealing, and that your username matches your company’s branding. Note that your username will also become your URL. In my case, ‘superwomansolutions’ is my username, so my page URL is pinterest.com/superwomansolutions.

You can also add your website here. Make sure that you do this and, at the same time, confirm your website by adding a small bit of code to your page or uploading a verification file to your web server.

Spend some time on this page and make sure that you edit your profile to reflect well on your brand. This means that you should have a compelling “About” section that explains what you do, tells people why they should be following you, and is keyword-rich.

Under “Settings”, you’ll also be given a few more extra options for personalizing your account and controlling its behavior. This section allows you create Bulk Pins, control your Privacy and Security, view any connected Apps, and specify how you want to receive notifications.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of Pinterest’s 2021 interface and account setup, let’s dive right in to your Pinterest Marketing Strategy.

 

Pin It For Later!

The Pinterest Interface - Complete 2021 Guide

 

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Andrea

My passion for online marketing dates back to 2006, when I first opened my virtual doors as a one-woman agency, providing small to mid-sized businesses web design and SEO solutions. Fifteen years later, I've expanded my service offerings to include social media, email management, WordPress sites, and just about any custom project my clients need.

Aside from the Internet, I enjoy 3d puzzles, roller skating, and spending time with my two spoiled dogs. I'm a perpetual learner and always looking to broaden my skillset.

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