“What’s going on with my Pinterest marketing strategy?” – Pinterest marketers in 2021
You know the old saying, “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”? Well, I think it’s time to add one more thing to the list: social media algorithms are ALWAYS changing. Pinterest marketing is an incredibly effective strategy for growing your business, but just like Facebook and Instagram the algorithm is constantly shifting and changing. We can complain (and we at PinHouss often do!) about the abrupt and sometimes harsh changes, but at the end of the day we either adapt or fall behind. We choose to adapt!
2021 has seen massive changes for Pinterest marketing. Marketers the world over have spent more time this year scratching their heads about drops in traffic and impressions than any other year. As Pinterest marketers we work really hard to be on the cutting edge of what’s going on at Pinterest so we can work in the best interest of our clients. We spend much of our days r, and have boiled them down for you in this post. Hopefully armed with this knowledge you can figure out how to adapt your strategy and start getting massive traction on our favorite platform.
Go for Quality over Quantity
In an effort to reduce spam, Pinterest wants creators to put out quality content. It used to be pinning as many pins as you could everyday was the best strategy. This is no longer the case. Pinterest has been clear that they would rather have you pin 5 relevant and timely pins than 30 repins or spammy pins. For businesses, this is good news, you don’t need to pin just to pin, you can focus more on a quality strategy that is going to help you achieve your goals. Whether that means you can spend more time blogging or more time creating video content.
Fresh Pins Only
Gone are the days where you can just keep pinning the same old pin over and over again (I’m looking at you TailWind Smart Loops), Pinterest has said they want fresh pins. What is a “fresh pin”? It’s a new graphic that you pin to Pinterest. This doesn’t mean that you can’t pin the same blog posts or products over and over again, it just means you need to create new pin graphics. For example, for your best selling product, you need to create a new pin graphic for that product every month. Maybe you change the headline, use an infographic, pull a quote or even just alter the way the graphic looks by adding a new photo or changing the layout.
For more info about Pinterest graphics, here’s our Pinterest Image Guide.
Use Idea Pins
Idea Pins (formerly Story Pins) are a great way to increase the reach of your account, especially if you are a new to Pinterest. You can’t directly link them to your website, but it does help you reach a wider audience with your brand and increase followers. Idea Pins are similar to Instagram Stories, in that you can use different panels to tell a story. The best Idea Pins give value, we like to turn blog content into Idea Pins, DIYs, recipes or product features. They are not ideal for direct calls to action, but a fun way to show a different side of your brand.
Try Pinterest Ads
This is the best way to get better reach for your content. Just like with most platforms, Pinterest is increasingly pay-to-play. We still focus on an organic Pinterest strategy, but for best results we boost high performing pins or set up campaigns in Pinterest’s ads manager. Even just starting with $75-$100 a month can significantly increase your traffic. It’s easy to set up a Pinterest ad campaign and the same rules apply. Focus on keywords, great imagery and watch your campaigns closely to make sure you’re getting the best value. You also need to make sure you have a great website to convert the leads you’re sending to your site. Check out our guide to building a website that converts for more info.
Keywords are still everything!
Pinterest has changed a lot, but one thing hasn’t: It’s still a search platform! Your keywords are the most important part of your strategy. Continually update and research keywords to make sure you are staying relevant and consistent. Change them out often and seasonally. Here’s how to find your keywords and here’s where to put them.
Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
This goes for ALL platforms. Instagram just announced a big change when it comes to video, Facebook ad reach is WAY down in 2021, the lesson? Don’t bank on one platform. Marketing is all about reaching people and in this fast paced world, the best way to do that will constantly be shifting. We have to continually be re-evaluating our strategy and figuring out what’s working, what we need to be improving and where our potential customers are getting lost in the shuffle. Diversify your marketing so that when these algorithms change (and believe me, they will) you will have other sources that will continue to work for you.
Pinterest is the best traffic referrer besides Google, so don’t give up, just tighten up your strategy and stay consistent!
Need more help with your Pinterest Strategy? We can help! We offer Pinterest Strategy Sessions and Pinterest Management.
