Oh, Pinterest. Everyone’s favorite one-stop-shop for everything from recipes to house renovations to the endless DIY projects that never get completed. But from a business perspective, are you taking advantage of this free resource to drive traffic to your site? If not, follow along to get your Pinterest account business ready in just five simple steps.
Switch to a Business Account
The first step is to get your account set up as a business account. Why does this matter you ask? Well, this will give you access to all the wonderful analytics, so that you can measure how well you are doing, and figure out where to improve.
If you already have an account that you would like to switch over, simply click the three dots in the top right corner. Then click the big red button for “Upgrade Now.” Yep – it really is that simple.
If you don’t have an account, or you would like to create a separate account for your business. Head on over to Pinterest and select “Create a business account.”
Regardless which option applies to you, don’t forget to verify your domain so that you can get access to all the analytics Pinterest has to offer. For Squarespace users, click HERE for step by step instructions on verifying your site.
Optimize Your Profile
Once your account has been set up, it is time to optimize it! Make sure to create a description for your profile that tells people who you are and what you do. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but this will help both Pinterest and other users know what type of content to expect from you.
Also, upload a photo – either one of yourself or your logo – whichever fits your brand better.
Keep Content Relevant to Your Brand
Sure, we all love Pinterest because of its ability to give us recipes, travel tips, and outfit inspirations all in one place. But for your business account it is better to only keep boards that are relevant to what you do.
If you converted your personal Pinterest account into your business account, the easiest way to achieve this is by making boards secret. Go through your account and only keep the ones that relate to your business.
For new accounts, simply create only boards that relate to categories of your business. The more specific you can be in this, the better. For example, photographers can create two boards one for “Bride Getting Ready” and another for “First Look” rather than one board called “Wedding Photos”
Create Keyword Rich Descriptions for Your Boards
No, this doesn’t mean you need to type in 20 different hashtags into your board descriptions. But rather tell those looking what they can expect to find in your board. Simply state what the purpose of the board is and what type of pins you will be pinning there.
Set Up A Pinning Strategy
Because Pinterest is a search engine, rather than a social media platform, you need to think differently. Pinterest uses a smart feed, so your task will be to understand how this works to truly leverage this resource. Create a Pinterest strategy for your business using both your own content and repins from others, making sure to set up a plan for consistent pinning.
If you decide to use a scheduling tool to schedule your pins, double check to make sure the platform is approved by Pinterest (my personal favorite Pinterest Scheduling tool is Tailwind0. Pinterest will actually hurt your analytics if you use an unauthorized third party.
Did you find these tips helpful?
