What Pinterest is and how to use it effectively for your business

You have certainly heard of Pinterest and may even have visited it to find inspiration. Pinterest is a well-known platform where users create boards and save inspiring images and ideas to them. When you mark that you like something, Pinterest starts showing you similar content. It is an excellent place for finding recipes, fashion trends, hairstyles or interior decorating tips.

Let us look more closely at everything Pinterest offers and how you can use it! 

How does Pinterest work?

Sometimes it is hard to describe in words exactly what we are looking for. On Pinterest, though, people can simply discover it visually. By browsing images and ideas they gradually refine what they have in mind until they find the right thing. Pinterest works on the principle of boards where users "pin" various images, videos or articles called "pins". These pins can then be organised into thematic groups called "boards".

Creating and saving pins - a visual eye comes in handy

With the pins users like most you can do various things - save them for later, click them for more information, or even buy the products they discovered straight away. After registering on Pinterest you get three starting boards:

•  "My boards" for an overview of the boards you have created
•  "Pinterest for you" with recommendations based on your interests
•  "Search" for showing search results

You can adapt your boards to your interests. If you love make-up, create a board  "Make-up tips" and add images of inspiring looks, tutorials or product reviews to it. If you like cooking, set up a board  "Recipes to try" and save the tasty dishes you want to make there.

The algorithm and personalisation

The platform's algorithm takes several factors into account to show users the most relevant pins. These factors include:

• The user's activity: what the user does on Pinterest, what they view, what they save and what they "like".
• The pin's content: whether the pin contains keywords matching what the user is looking for.
• The pin's quality: how visually attractive the pin is and whether its text is relevant to the content.
• The board's relevance: whether the board the pin is saved to is thematically related to the search term.
• The pin's title and description: whether the pin's title and description clearly explain what it is about.
• The website's authority: how trustworthy the content on the website the pin links to is.

Thanks to these factors the algorithm tries to make sure users see content that is interesting and useful to them.

Searching and discovering content

Searching on Pinterest works much like on Google, but instead of a list of websites it shows you images and videos. On top of that Pinterest remembers what you like, so on your next visit it will offer you new inspiration based on what you have already saved.

SEO optimisation for Pinterest involves optimising your profile, boards and pins in order to attract new users to your website. It differs from Google. While Google SEO focuses more on domain rating, the page and the domain's age, Pinterest SEO is more about pins' engagement rate, above all saves.

Whom is Pinterest suitable for?

Pinterest suits anyone looking for inspiration or wanting to promote their content or products. It is excellent for individuals planning events or looking for creative ideas, and for website and e-shop owners wanting to reach a wider audience.

Pinterest for personal purposes

Pinterest is excellent for gathering inspiration and ideas you can save and organise on your own boards. It is an ideal way of keeping track of content you want to return to. If you do not find enough Slovak results, try searching in English or another language – you will be surprised how wide a range of topics is available on Pinterest. Pinterest is also a favourite helper when planning big life events such as weddings or renovations. 

Pinterest for professional purposes

If you already create interesting content for social media or a blog, why not share it on Pinterest too? Popular topics such as fashion, beauty, recipes, travel and DIY projects can help reach a new audience.

A business account gives you access to detailed statistics that help you optimise your strategy on the basis of pins' performance and site traffic. You gain an overview of impressions, interactions, saves and top pins, which lets you understand your audience better.

You gain access to statistics such as:

• Impressions: how many times a pin appeared on screen.
• Total audience: the total number of impressions and interactions with a pin.
• Interactions: saves, pin clicks, link clicks and so on.
• Top pins and boards: an overview of the most successful content.
• Saves: how many times users saved your pins.
• Link clicks: how many times users clicked the link in your pin and went to your site.

Paid advertising on Pinterest is effective, unobtrusive and reaches users looking for similar content. Read more about the options for creating advertising on Pinterest. 

Why is Pinterest worth using?

With 522 million active users, Pinterest is an excellent marketing tool. People come here looking for ideas and inspiration, which makes it an ideal place for raising brand awareness, reaching a new audience and attracting visitors to your website. Unlike Facebook, where a post is quickly lost among the others, relevant pins on Pinterest have a long life and reach a wide audience.

Companies can use Pinterest to create visually attractive content. By using relevant hashtags and working with influencers they can promote their products and services effectively.

How to build a successful Pinterest profile?

To succeed on Pinterest you need a well-optimised profile.

Here are a few tips on how to do it:

1. Create a business account

If you are serious about Pinterest, a business account is essential. You gain access to statistics, paid advertising options and other features that help you grow.

2. Optimise your profile

• Profile picture: use a logo or a professional photograph.
• Profile name: state clearly who you are and what you do.
• Description: write a brief, compelling description containing relevant keywords.
• Link to your site: connect your profile with your website.

3. Create good boards

• Thematic boards: organise your pins into boards relevant to your audience.
• Compelling titles and descriptions: use keywords and describe clearly what the board is about.
• Attractive visuals: make sure your pins are visually appealing and high quality.

4. Pin relevant, interesting content

• High-quality images/videos: use content that engages.
• Compelling descriptions: describe your content so that it is interesting and engaging.
• Regularity: pin new content regularly to keep your followers' interest.

5. Use keywords

Find out which keywords your audience uses when searching.

6. Interact with others

• Follow others: follow users and boards relevant to your audience.
• Comment and like: join in interactions with other users' content.
• Collaborate: work with other creators and brands on joint projects.

7. Analyse your results

• Track statistics: check regularly what works and what does not.
• Adjust the strategy: on the basis of the statistics, adjust your strategy and content.

8. Be patient

Building a successful Pinterest profile takes time and effort. Do not expect results overnight. Be consistent and patient and you will reach your goals in the end.

Strategies for creating content

To begin with you can use Pinterest's detailed guide to creating graphics. If you have a capable marketer and designer, you will manage it without trouble. To create an attractive visual you can also use free stock photo sites.

• Standard pin: choose a quality image with a 2:3 aspect ratio (1000 x 1500 pixels, for instance). Avoid abstract visuals and put your product to the fore. Add context and use a logo, but not in the bottom right corner where Pinterest's icons could cover it.

• Video pin: engage in the first seconds. Promoted videos should be 6-15 seconds, unpromoted ones 15 minutes at most. The story should be comprehensible without sound too, or add captions. Choose an interesting cover image and devote time to the copy, such as the title, description and hashtags.

Sizes and character counts:

• Standard pin: 2:3 (1000 x 1500 pixels, for instance).
• Video pin: 1:1, 2:3, 4:5, 9:16.
• Titles: max. 100 characters.
• Descriptions: max. 500 characters.

Engagement and performance analysis

Although there is no need to promote every pin, if you decide on paid advertising Pinterest offers several options:

• Promoted pin: a simple ad with one image, ideal for raising awareness of a product or service.
• Promoted video pin: a dynamic format that engages and tells your story. You can choose between a classic or full-screen video.
• Promoted carousel pin: the familiar format that lets you show up to 5 images in one pin, ideal for presenting several products or details.
• Promoted app pin: it looks like an ordinary pin but with an icon and a button for downloading the app, which supports installs.

Pinterest is not just an ordinary platform for sharing photos and inspiration. It is a dynamic environment where your content can genuinely shine and reach an audience looking for new ideas and products. If you create advertising, Pinterest opens the door to a world of possibilities for presenting your products and services to millions of active users.