5 Mistakes You Might Be Making on Pinterest
Pinterest is an amazing platform for creative businesses. It’s a place where your work can truly shine and attract your ideal audience. But here’s the thing—Pinterest only works if you know how to use it. In my time as a Pinterest virtual assistant, I’ve seen many businesses making some common mistakes that hold them back from getting the traffic they should be getting.
Let’s dive into these mistakes and explore how you can avoid them to boost your Pinterest game and get your content in front of the right eyes.
📌 Don’t forget to pin this for later!
Inconsistent Posting Schedule
Consistency on Pinterest is key. I’ve noticed that businesses often pin sporadically, which can lead to lower engagement. Pinterest rewards daily pinning; inconsistent posting can actually hurt your visibility and audience engagement.
THE SOLUTION: Set up a regular posting schedule and schedule out your content, aiming for 1-2 pins per day. This is going to get you more returns, as compared to dumping all your pins on the site at once.
Use Pinterest’s native scheduling tool to schedule a month’s worth of pins at a time. This way, you can maintain consistency without having to log in daily. If you don’t have time to do this, a Pinterest virtual assistant can help you out!
Neglecting SEO Best Practices
Pinterest works like a visual search engine, so SEO (or search engine optimization) is crucial. Many businesses miss out on this by not using relevant keywords in their pin descriptions, board titles, and profiles. This can limit how easily your content is discovered by users searching for specific terms.
THE SOLUTION: Do some keyword research to find terms that are relevant to your niche. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your pin descriptions, board titles, and profile. For more places to use keywords, check out this blog post!
PRO TIP: Start typing right in the Pinterest search bar to find what users are searching for. Then, use those keywords!
Not Analyzing Performance
Pinterest provides great analytics tools, but many business owners don’t take advantage of them. Ignoring your analytics can mean missing out on opportunities to refine your strategy and get better results.
THE SOLUTION: Regularly check Pinterest Analytics to see how your pins and boards are performing. Look at metrics like impressions, saves, and clicks. Use this data to understand what’s working and adjust your strategy as needed.
Not Creating Fresh Content
Reusing the same pin OR the same URL repeatedly can lead to decreased engagement. Pinterest’s algorithm lovesss fresh content, so it’s important to regularly create both new pins and new long-form content (blogs, podcasts, etc.) to keep your audience engaged.
THE SOLUTION(S):
Create a variety of pins for each piece of content. Try different designs, overlays, headlines, and formats. Once you see what kind of content does well with your audience, create more pins like that!
Try to write 1-2 new blog posts per month. Chat GPT can be great for generating and outlining blog ideas. Train it on your ideal client, and see what it can come up with!
CAUTION: Pinterest users want solutions and inspiration. If your pins get people to your website but your blog posts stink, they’re probably not going to engage with you further. Provide them real value!
Neglecting to Optimize Boards
Your Pinterest boards should be well-organized and optimized. Many businesses create boards without clear themes or descriptions, making their profiles hard to navigate and confusing the algorithm.
THE SOLUTION: Organize your boards with clear, descriptive titles and keywords. Create boards that reflect the different general themes you blog about. (For example, if you’re a wedding stationer, you might have boards for wedding invitations, real wedding inspiration, and wedding planning tips.) Ensure each board has a detailed description, loaded with keywords. Check out my Pinterest for examples of how I do this.
Confused about what boards to make for your profile? Amy LeBlanc of Levee Road Studio has a great blog post on this topic!
Making Pinterest work for your business is all about a consistent, strategic approach. I’ve seen firsthand how these mistakes—like posting inconsistently, overlooking SEO, and not analyzing performance—can hold businesses back from seeing significant growth on the platform. By focusing on the solutions to these five common mistakes, you’ll set yourself up for success.
If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, don’t worry! I’m here to help. As a Pinterest virtual assistant, I can guide you through these steps and ensure your work gets in front of the right eyes. Let’s connect and see how we can make Pinterest work for you and your business!
