It’s time to start thinking about Pinterest as a less of an ideas tool and more of a search engine!
When I first signed up for Pinterest, it was because I was looking for ideas and DIY decor for my wedding.
Little did I know how powerful this incredible site would be for my blogging business!
Only after a few dozen searches for “How to Start a Mommy Blog” and an “Aha” moment did I realize that, oh my Goodness…
I should be promoting my blog on Pinterest as well!
And if you want people to read your blog, you need to get started with a Pinterest Business Account pronto!
This guide to using Pinterest for business will cover:
- Pinterest tips for business owners
- How to use Pinterest for blogging
- The difference between a Pinterest business account vs personal account
- How to set up a Pinterest business account from scratch
- How to covert an existing Pinterest account to a business profile
- Ideas for branding your Pinterest profile
- How to use Pinterest with other social media platforms
Let’s get started with some advice on how and why you should be using Pinterest to grow your online business.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and, should you choose to make a purchase using one of them, I could receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
Pinterest for Business Tips
What is Pinterest for business?
And why use Pinterest for business?
I made my introduction to blogging and social media through Instagram tips and photo editing tutorials, but I get more page views and subscribers from Pinterest than any other social media platform… combined!
Yes, this means Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
I’m also gaining about 100 new followers a week since I’ve started focusing on this social platform more than the rest.
On a day to day basis, the dominant majority of my blog traffic comes from a combination of Google and Pinterest!
However, it’s hard to start ranking on Google without existing traffic.
Pinterest is a completely different story!
You can start ranking pretty easily (and making money!) in Pinterest search inquiries with just three tools:
- Pinterest business account: to gain access to valuable tools and analytics about your profile
- Canva account: to create the pins that you and other Pinterest users will share on the platform
- Tailwind for Pinterest: to get your content shared and in front of more eyeballs!
All three of these tools are easy to sign up for and Tailwind is the only one with a monthly fee.
A Brief Introduction to Tailwind
Tailwind is a Pinterest scheduler and content sharing tool that allows you to schedule all of your pins in advance and automatically posts them at the most ideal times.
Tailwind helps me work smarter by:
- getting my content shared and seen the moment I release it
- scheduling as many pins as I want to in advance – I had one year of pins scheduled at one point!
- provides in depth analytics about boards and my website that Pinterest doesn’t
I schedule 99% of my pins using Tailwind and have grown my Pinterest monthly views to over 4 million with this amazing app.
You can click here try one FREE month of Tailwind Plus.
Who should use Pinterest for business?
Your Pinterest monthly viewers and followers are correlated to your revenue, so if you can get a better understanding of your business and what’s working, why wouldn’t you!
Since making the switch to a Pinterest business account, I spend most of my time creating pins and sharing new content on the platform daily.
Meaning, I am:
- Not following new Pinterest accounts: I actually trimmed down my following list drastically!
- Not joining New Pinterest Group Boards: I actually left a lot of my Group Boards – about 80% of them!
- Not participating in Facebook Groups: I’m not a fan of Facebook engagement groups and would rather focus that energy on creating new content for my blog and Pinterest itself!
Using a combination of Manual Pinning and Tailwind has been my strategy when it comes to this platform.
Pinterest is best suited for lifestyle topics and ideas – it’s meant to inspire users to do things and make purchases. If your business fits within these guidelines, you’ll do well here!
Below is a glimpse of popular Pinterest categories as determined by the site’s developers.
How to Use Pinterest for Blogging
If you’re ready to start using a Pinterest business profile, the first thing you’ll want to do is set up your blog!
Haven’t started one yet? No problem!
Follow my guide on how to start a blog from scratch to create yours in just 15 minutes – Siteground hosting makes set up super easy and affordable which is why I host mine with them too!
Is your blog ready to go? Awesome!
Using Pinterest for blogging is a great way to start promoting your new business – whether it consists of writing and content creation or a business that features a blogging component to it.
Think of Pinterest like free advertising – like the cork board behind the condiments station in your local coffee shop. See the resemblance between the masonry style layout?
There is a serious difference though and this comes down to user intent!
Unlike the coffee shop where customers arrive for a caffeine hit, Pinterest users visit the platform in search of something – inspiration, creative ideas, and/or tutorials.
It’s up to you to create a gorgeous “business card” in the form of a pin that draws them into what you have to offer – whether it’s a product, service, or otherwise.
Here’s an example of a search for keto desserts.
Below your initial inquiry are a number of Pinterest suggestions based on what’s trending now.
Here are our results:
Your number one goal in using Pinterest for business is to rank within these top spots – most eyeballs on your pins mean more website visits and more sales!
Creating a Pinterest business account is the first step to getting here.
SEO for Pinterest goes a long way and can even help you land that dream first spot in the search results for a subject you’re writing about anyway!
I rank fourth for “start a blog” at the moment – a ridiculously competitive term! And if you don’t count the promoted pin in second place, make that third, wow!
For more on how to get discovered in Pinterest search results, head over to this tutorial on Pinterest SEO.
I also rank first for Google Adsense and this is a vintage pin for one of the very first articles ever written on this blog – anything is possible with Pinterest!
And there’s that same promoted pin again, hah!
We’ll talk more about promoted pins shortly 🙂
Pinterest Business Account vs Personal Account
The most valuable reason of all to switch from a personal account to a business account is for access to Pinterest Analytics!
Similar to Instagram for business, switching to a Pinterest Business profile allows you to see how each of your pins is performing.
For example, say you launch two alternate pins to promote your latest blog post.
By using Pinterest for Business, you can then determine which of these pins is performing better and launch more similar pins to that one for future content releases!
Pinterest Business gives you Pin stats insights including:
- Impressions
- Closeups
- Saves
- Link clicks
- A list of board where your pin has been saved
You can also view Pin stats for:
- Last 30 days
- Last 7 days
- Last 24 hours
to track the performance of how your pin has done shortly after launch.
Pinterest Promoted Pins
If you are interested in promoting your content through paid advertising, this is also possible with a Pinterest business account and the cost can be very affordable.
To start promoting one of your pins, go to your Profile and then click Boards.
Highlight the pin you’d like to Promote and then click the corresponding red button in the top right hand corner of that pin.
Once there, you’ll see the Create a traffic campaign screen like the one shown below.
Enter your Daily budget and select your desired Campaign duration.
Now, click on the blank field under Target audience to fill in desired search terms relevant to the pin you will promote.
Always search and utilize keywords on Pinterest to see what’s trending and expand your reach!
If you use more highly searched terms, in this instance, simply the word, you’ll have to pay an additional cost per click!
Vary your keywords, keep them related to your niche, and try to keep the cost low per click to obtain the best value for your traffic campaign.
I’ve personally found that the more generic the keyword, the more impressions. But clicks are an entirely different story!
If you’re running a promotional campaign, it means you’re probably looking to:
- increase blog traffic
- make money blogging
- make more sales on Pinterest
A pretty picture that gets saved is just that!
So, let’s get to it and set up a Business Profile for Pinterest so we can start growing a business or promoting your blog today!
How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
There are two different means of creating a business profile on Pinterest.
You can either:
- Create a new business profile
- Convert a personal profile to a business profile.
(1) Create a New Pinterest Business Profile
1. If you are logged into your personal profile, click logout first in order to create your new account.
2. From this new screen, move your cursor to the top right hand corner and click Sign Up or visit pinterest.com/business/create/
3. Choose Create a business account.
4. Enter your Email Address
5. Enter a Password
6. Click Create account
6. Select your Language and Country and then hit Next
7. Enter Your Business Name into the Give your business profile a name field
8. Choose the Type of Business you manage by clicking on the corresponding title from the Tell us about your business field
9. Enter your Website Address into the Add your website
10. Claim your Instagram, Etsy Store, or YouTube Channel by connecting them to your new Pinterest business account
11. Decide on if you will run ads for your new Pinterest business account.
If you chose yes, you’ll see the screen below next.
If you don’t know you’re monthly budget yet, save this for another time or click the Not sure option to leave your contact information and have someone from Pinterest get back to you to discuss your options!
Simply enter your callback details in the fields below if you’d like someone from Pinterest to contact you and discuss your advertising options.
12. Choose at least 1 topic related to your business from the available categories below. You can unfollow this topic later on, if you like.
13. Welcome to your new Pinterest business account 🙂
Add a profile picture and you’re all done!
That’s it! Enjoy your new business profile!
(2) Convert an existing Personal Pinterest Profile to a Business Profile
1. If you are not already logged in, log in to your personal Pinterest account now.
2. Click on the three dots settings button on the top right hand side of your screen or visit pinterest.com/business/convert/
3. Click Upgrade Now
4. Confirm this is the correct Email Address you want to use to signup for your business account and hit Continue
5. Fill in your Business Name and choose a Category that best describes your business.
6. Enter your Website and click Next
7. If they were not already connected to you Personal Account, Claim your business’ social media accounts now.
8. Choose whether or not you would be interested in running a traffic campaign or decide later.
If you clicked yes, you’ll see the screen below next. If you don’t know you’re monthly budget yet, save this for another time or click the Not sure option to leave your contact information and have someone from Pinterest get back to you to discuss your options!
Simply enter the details below to arrange a callback.
Congratulations! You’ve now setup your Pinterest Business Profile and are ready to go 🙂
Tips to Optimize Pinterest for Business
To draw users in and create a loyal following, Pinterest profile optimization is a must in any successful Pinterest marketing strategy!
Apply search engine optimized (SEO) terms to your profile in order to show up in more users search results!
Start Branding: Pinterest Board Covers
To really stand out from your competition, create unique board covers for all of your Pinterest boards!
Branding a small business can start with the smallest details and grow as your business does.
By beginning with something as simple as your Pinterest Board Covers, you’re taking the first step! And once you’re satisfied with your brand image, try extending those same elements to your:
- Pinterest Pins
- Pinterest Profile Picture
- Blog Logo
- Blog Header
- Blog Business Cards
- Instagram Highlight Covers
- Instagram Feed Aesthetic
- and more!
Have you setup your Pinterest Business Profile yet? What do you think of the Analytics? Have you run a Traffic Campaign? Share your experience in the comments below!
As I was setting up my business account, Pinterest asked me to verify my website. Do you know where I would have seen that request. I did copy the link they gave and put it in my website and now my website designer has a question about where I got it but I don’t remember.
Thanks for this wonderful tutorial.
I got so much value from this. Thank you so much. I really hope to learn more about blogging and using it to grow my mlm business.
Hello! Total newbie here. Do I have to blog? Or can I have a business to sell only? Also, I’m in the beginning stages. I don’t have a website just yet. Is it possible to leave that section blank in “starting a business” on Pinterest?
Thanks!