How to Create an On-Brand Pinterest Profile: Part 1

Are you using Pinterest for your business? If not, you should definitely consider it!

I’ve loved Pinterest from the start: I remember when it first launched, I was still in high school. Originally, you had to “request to join”… and I was so excited to be accepted! I spent far too many hours (probably during class) pinning images that inspired me or promised to make my life easier with helpful tips. Pinterest has changed a lot since then, but it’s become an even more powerful tool—especially for small business creatives.

I believe Pinterest has something to offer for every business—whether that’s creative inspiration, resources for your clients, or (most importantly) directing traffic to your website… and ultimately leading new clients right to your doorstep.

What I love about Pinterest is that it’s so evergreen—at such a low-cost time investment.

It only takes a few clicks to pin an image for your website, but then the image lives on Pinterest forever.

Weeks or months or even years from now… that one pin can continue driving traffic to your website. I have a few pins that have gone “viral” (I use that term super loosely!) and are still generating traffic to my website years later. That’s definitely worth a few clicks on the front end, if you ask me!

When you pin an image, it has potential to be re-pinned and clicked (leading back to your website) for a virtually unlimited time period. As other users continue to give your pin traction, it will pop up on their followers’ feeds, and it will become a suggested pin for new audiences. That same pin is reaching new people (and potential clients) all the time! Pinterest breathes new life into old content.

Another reason to love Pinterest? It acts as an alternative search engine. It’s not always easy to get your images to appear on Google: even with excellent SEO, it takes time to build a real presence against other businesses who are also competing for Google’s top search results. Pinterest acts like a search engine with a more specific audience: it’s easier to connect with people who seek out similar content.

Sounds like a dream! But how can you make the most out of it?

Today I’m sharing everything you need to know about setting up your Pinterest profile for success. We’ll cover the basics of setting up a Pinterest account for business—not just for your own favorite recipes.

And this is just Part 1! Come back next week to find out how to make sure your Pinterest feels on-brand and full of content that will serve you and your clients well.

Let’s get your Pinterest business-ready!

Getting Started

• Make sure you have a business profile. Sign up for a Business Account, or request to convert your existing account into a Business Profile.
  
• Confirm your domain. This is essential. If you ignore everything else on this list, please be sure to confirm your domain! It helps recognize content from your site (like page titles, image titles, caption quotes, etc.). It will also make your pins look like they come from a branded website, not just an individual user. It also gives you access to analytics—which you will definitely want to see! If your domain has been confirmed, you should see a little globe icon next to your website URL on your Pinterest profile.
  
• Upload a brand photo. Be consistent! Use your logo / brand icon, or use the same headshot featured across all your social media. We want to make sure you’re recognizable!
  
• Write a description with relevant keywords. It’s important to make your brand description relevant for Pinterest. Let’s make it easy for people to find you! Write a brief description to tell us what you do and how we can work with you.

 

Next-Level Features

• Products. Pinterest allows you to “shop the look” with tagged products on a pin. This is incredibly valuable if you have an online shop where you’d like to generate more traffic! You can also link your Etsy account if you are a seller on that platform.
  
• Video / Stories. As with every other social platform, video is only gaining more and more traffic on Pinterest. Consider linking your YouTube account if you have a vlog, or creating a few videos of your services that might attract people on Pinterest.
  
• Tailwind. If you want to take Pinterest to a whole new level, try scheduling and recycling content with Tailwind (you can get a month free via this link!). It allows you to schedule content regularly, and repurpose old content to be re-pinned and appear new again. This is definitely a big step up if you’re new to Pinterest, but it is a tool that packs a lot of functionality!
  
• Paid Advertising. I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t have a ton of experience in this area. My Pinterest growth has all been organic—no ads. That being said, I wouldn’t discount paid advertising on Pinterest… it is a platform where users are ready to make a purchase (unlike Instagram or Facebook, where ads can feel more intrusive / annoying). I think paid advertising is likely a better fit for you if you’re selling tangible products rather than services. If you do choose to explore paid advertising, remember that visuals are key. You’ll definitely want to create custom branded graphics that invite users to purchase—rather than simply promoting a regular image. You can read more next week about ideal graphics for Pinterest, so stay tuned!

With these tips in mind, you’ll have a Pinterest account set up for business success! Want to walk through these steps together in more detail? Join my online course, Pinning with Purpose. I’ll show you how to set up your account and profile step by step.

What should you pin? How should you set up your boards? What are the secrets to an “on-brand” Pinterest profile? …Click here for Part 2!

These posts have a lot of information packed into them, but the heavy lifting is really done on the front end. Once you’ve set up your profile and generated some basic content, it’s easy to maintain your profile each month… and in the meantime, watch your website traffic go up and up!

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Still want help developing your Pinterest strategy? Join Pinning with Purpose: my online course guiding you through every step of my tried-and-true Pinterest marketing methods. I’ll show you the exact strategies that have worked for me, one step at a time.