21 Awesome Ways To Boost Your Engagement & Growth On Pinterest.

I have been using Pinterest for a few months now to help grow my visibility and blog traffic … and I have been blown away by the results I have been getting.

I never imagined I would be getting so much organic reach, organic list sign-ups and organic sales … just for using Pinterest as a marketing tool for my business.

Plus … it’s REALLY bloody enjoyable to use too … I find blogging and creating new Pins such a pleasurable activity and spending an hour or 2 laying on my sofa while I sip coffee and go “Pin Hunting” is a really awesome way to chill out and relax.

I mean … who the hell can call THAT working?? LOL

Social networks require a delicate balance of business and personal when used by entrepreneurs.

Social contact is always relationship-based, with a good dollop of entertainment thrown in.

Pinterest, in particular, is a visual network—and visuals should be fun, inspiring, thought-provoking—and helpful. (How many recipes have you downloaded thanks to Pinterest? How many beautiful stores have you browsed there?)

Most people only really associate Pinterest with things like food and lifestyle shizzle so don’t even think to use it for service-based businesses … but … it’s freaking awesome for us too.

Here are 21 awesome ideas to increase your visitors’ engagement with your pinboards and pins.

2 – Pin as Often as You Can

Pinterest is one social network where you apparently can’t have too much of a good thing! Companies such as Buffer report as much as “150% more engagement on Pinterest” by pinning at least 5 times per day (spacing out these pins.)

3 – Pin It “for Later”

Include “Pin It for Later” links in your Facebook posts. (RockSteadyResolutions shows you how.)

4 – Optimize Your Image Sizes Specifically for Pinterest

If you are creating images from scratch, pay attention to the sizes you set. Unlike Twitter, Pinterest likes vertical rectangular images—not squares.

Your images should be a minimum width of 600 pixels X 1400 pixels. (That’s an image ratio of 1:3.5).

A 2:3 ratio also works (that would be 600 pixels X 1200 pixels).

Paying attention to this detail ensures that important parts of your images don’t get chopped off.

I’m a huge fan of using PICMONKEY to create my pins.

5 – Use Image Templates

Save time and ensure correct display by using image templates optimized for Pinterest. (You will find these in graphics Apps such as Canva.)

6 – Create a PositiveTakeawayy for Every Pin

People go to Pinterest specifically to make their lives better: By finding inspiration, cheering themselves up, giving themselves a visual treat. Make a point of keeping your pins positive, fun and helpful.

When creating each pin, make sure it answers your question: “What positive and interactive takeaway can my viewer get from this image/pin?”

7 – Avoid Cheesy Sales Messages

If people like your pin, they will click on your rich pin interactive URL and you won’t need to say a thing. That can take them to any specific landing pages you want, so avoid obvious or cheesy sales messages like “Get Your Big Discount NOW!”

(Especially keep sales messages of ANY type out of your description.)

8 – Create at Least One Pinterest-Optimized Image per Blog Post

Follow Buffer Social’s example, and make a point of creating one Pinterest-optimized image per blog post.

10 – Show, Don’t Tell!

Storytellers and writers have an iron-clad rule …

One that makes the difference between a boring story and a great one.

And that is “show, don’t tell”.

The reason?

Showing engages the emotions. It puts your reader IN the action, instead of being told about it. It’s the same with your images. Use your image to say things that would fall flat with words. Rather than including a ton of text on your graphic for your Peaceful Retreat, use an image that SHOWS the emotion they will experience, for example.

Always remember this principle with every pin you sit down to create and you’ll soon have a vibrant Pinterest presence

11 – Run a Pinterest Contest

Pinterest contests are popular … probably because they’re fun! If it fits with your brand, consider running one yourself.

For helpful tips and ideas, check out Social Media Examiner’s article, How to Run a Pinterest Contest without Breaking the Rules.

12 – Comment on “Popular” Pins

Make it a habit to visit the Popular Pinterest page and comment on pins that suit your brand. (It increases your visibility and reach.)

And do take it one step further and create pins for trending, Popular categories!

13 – Balance Your Comments

While commenting on pins is a great strategy for making yourself known to/having yourself associated with influencers, use your comments wisely.

• Comment on one specific point
• Avoid generic, meaningless comments
• Keep your comments detailed but SHORT
• Keep your comment positive and/or helpful
• Don’t leave more than two or three comments per day (Pinterest frowns on it as ‘spamming’

14 – Look for Your Other Social Network Friends on Pinterest

And follow them, of course!

15 – Respond to Commenters!

People tend not to, on Pinterest, but do so, anyway … it can mean the difference between someone commenting-and-forgetting, or commenting-and-following.

And always respond to questions.

17 – Use Your Pinterest Top Row

You can rearrange your pinboards so that specific ones run across the top row of your Pinterest Business Page. Use this row as a balanced showcase for the pinboards that best reflect your brand message and focus.

Make sure you choose pinboards that have an active and vibrant feel to them.

18 – Build a Board Widget

This allows up to 30 pins from each board to be displayed when someone clicks on a board in your Business Page.

Just use the handy tool provided by Pinterest Developers

19 – Never Serial-Pin

Serial pinning is something often indulged in by newbies.

That’s when you post pin after pin … it can feel like spamming to others: Particularly if you’re posting to someone else’s pinboard.

Instead, choose one or both of these practices:

• Space your pins out over the day
• Combine 3 or 4 images on one pin graphic (a collage of related images)

20 – Research Your Specific Pinterest Demographic

Every social network is different, and you will build a particular audience for your Pinterest Business Page whether you mean to or not.

Find out what that specific demographic is, so you can create an Avatar for your ideal and most responsive individual follower. Get this information from your Pinterest Analytics, which you can access up in the top-left menu bar on your Pinterest Business Page.

21 – Spring Clean Your Pins

Pinterest likes tidy users. Go through your pins regularly and delete any that received no comments, shares or other activity.

(If you leave them, they will weaken your Pinterest presence.)

And, of course, the most important tip of all for Pinterest …

Your pins are as individual as you are.

Don’t blindly follow all strategies, but do pay attention to your analytics and do more of what is getting your biggest response!

Love & Light

Your Empire Creation Queen 👑