by Many bloggers overlook Pinterest marketing for blogs. Yet this visual social platform offers incredible reach exposing content to millions of active lifestyle niche audiences. With some strategic repinning and smart creative approaches, Pinterest can significantly grow blog traffic, leads, and sales.
This article reveals insider tips for maximizing Pinterest for established or aspiring bloggers at any level. Let’s dive in!
Why Pinterest Works Well for Blog Promotion
Unlike text-based posts on Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest offers lasting visual content discovery that matches perfectly with visually rich blogs. Reasons it excels include:
Engaged Users:
Over 400 million active pinners seek ideas spanning style, food, home, travel, DIY, weddings, parenting, and more. 80% use it to guide purchases – prime blog target demographics.
Search Site Functionality:
Unlike social feeds, Pinterest runs like a visual search engine with users seeking solutions, indexed by similarity using machine learning constantly. So you can optimize to rank high for keywords.
LinkBack Option:
In descriptions allow linking back to original blog content, directing ideal prospects to sign up or purchase.
Cross-Platform Potential:
By tailoring repins for different sites, one image can gain exposure on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest expanding reach.
Overall the platform allows matching aspirational blog content to those passionately seeking such content daily – a perfect value exchange giving Pinterest a prime place in blogger marketing mixes.
Setting Up Your Pinterest Account and Profile
Optimize initial account elements for branding and discoverability:
Username: Use blog name or established social handles.
Name Field: Again brand appropriately so followers recognize your niche.
Profile Picture: Display logo or popular blog imagery rather than personal photo unless you are the brand.
Description: Explain briefly what value you provide – decor tips, travel insights, healthy recipes, etc. Use keywords.
Website Field: Link website to attribute content to traffic sources tracking analytics.
With a branding set, craft an engaging about page sharing your backstory and passion for helping readers. Guide them to a blog or other contact points.
Curating Excellent Content Consistently
Successful pinners post consistently sharing varied content aligned to their niche including: Original photos from blog posts
Enjoyable infographics
Videos like recipe demos or DIY projects
Influencer collaborations and guest quotes Shoppable products or service offerings
User-generated content submissions celebrating customers Curated third-party articles, how-to’s, and listicles Polls, surveys, and can’t miss limited-run pins. Ideally share user value across multiple categories so those passionate about aspects like style, parenting, or food see your expertise and personal branding. Show up often answering needs!
Smart Pin Title and Description Best Practices
Optimizing text elements on pins boosts content visibility in search and conversions:
Engaging Headlines:
Summarize value helpfully rather than generic terms to catch attention fast at first glance on feeds. List numbers and benefits.
Relevant Keywords:
Weave in popular search terms people use finding solutions in your niche like budget home decor, kid-friendly dinners, small bathroom storage hacks, etc strategically in descriptions.
Quality Alt Text:
The alternative text box describing images assists visually impaired users but also aids Pinterest visual search bots so include concise explanatory phrasing highlighting main themes or value.
Blog Links:
Connect pinners directly to related blog content instantly to subscribe or purchase through clear, clickable links strategically placed.
Reader Questions:
Pose common problems your niche faces as questions headlines that content answers like “Struggling with toddler tantrums? Here are 10 soothing strategies.”
This optimizes impressions getting more repins back to blogs.
How to Gain Early Traction Quickly
Bootstrap followers and engagement with smart early approaches like:
Share New Pins Broadly: Manually send the latest pins to your current social media feeds bringing existing audiences. Ask friends and influencers to share as well.
Cross-Post Existing Visual Content: Revamp evergreen blog imagery already performing well optimized for Pinterest including title, descriptions, and keywords.
Comment Sincerely – Praise others’ content in niche channels driving tramc back to your profile. Provide advice to position your expertise over time.
Perfect Niche Board Mix – Create 20-30 thematic idea boards aligned around major category and keyword clusters. This grows discoverability on varied searches.
Follow Engaged Profiles – Connect with profiles interacting heavily in your content areas through likes, comments, and repins for increased reciprocal visibility. Like their posts too building community.
Send Blog Post Links To Email Lists – Encourage current email subscribers to pin or share posts socially to expand reach quickly leveraging their established audiences. Offer promo codes or pin shout-outs as incentives driving viral interest.
This foundational community building through quality engagement precedes monetizing efforts as followers increase. Pay it forward!
Advanced Tactics Driving Sales
Later optimization tactics focus on converting new blog traffic into leads and customers using:
Shoppable Pins – Use the retail tag when pinning product images spotlit in blog content so pinners can click directly into secure checkout through partner platforms minimizing barriers.
Affiliate Links – Curating other retailers’ materials allows earning commissions on affiliate networks while widening niche authority at once. Transparently disclose on pins.
Promo Codes – Create special Pinterest-only limited-run promo codes for email list opt-ins, products, or services to track engagement analytics back to platform adoption so you justify spend. Codes spike opt-in rates by 65%.
Pinterest Link in Posts – Prompt blog readers clamoring for more like resources to follow you on the highly visual pinnable platform for future exposure driving community.
Website Conversion Tracking – Install analytics like Google Tag Manager to spot high-intent site landing page activity from Pinterest specifically. Double down on what converts best!
There you have tips for taking Pinterest results from vague “likes” into tangible lead generation and sales compounding overall social strategy. Now go captivate audiences through images!
Common Pinterest Questions
Are personal accounts better than business ones?
For bloggers establishing personality-driven brands tied to their name, personal accounts suit building loyal relationships with fans who feel they know you. Businesses suit company pages. Choose what reflects your blog identity accurately.
Can I automate pinning from blog posts?
Yes, automation tools like BoardBooster, Tailwind, or Zapier can pull new imagery through your RSS feed to re-pin. But curating additional interspersed repins keeps followers engaged rather than solely “broadcast” content pushes turning them off.
Is a group board or profile strategy better?
The majority of pinner action centers around the main profile initially while group boards make sense later for branding satellite topics and partnerships – like guest chef recipe collections or co-hosted retreat boards. Start personally then expand purposefully.
When’s the best day and time to pin content?
Analyze metrics under Analytics to detect when your audience engages most actively. Weekday mornings and weekends tend to perform better. Test what works for your niche!
In summary, incorporate Pinterest thoughtfully but aggressively into the blogger toolset from the start! Persistence with smart optimization bears significant traffic and conversions in the long run. The visual social strategy allows bridging inspiration to results – the perfect value circle for lifestyle blogs to support reader’s dreams. Let images open a world of possibilities. Happy pinning!
