Audio Playback Powered by Amazon Web Services  |
We all love Pinterest, right?
Okay, well, I love Pinterest! Whether you use Pinterest for your writing business or just for your own personal inspiration board, everyone who is on Pinterest loves Pinterest. And there are still certain Pinterest mistakes we should try to avoid at all costs.
And I know that it has been mostly promoted as a marketing tool for bloggers and some ecommerce sites, Pinterest is also a great way to market your writing business and services, your published books, or even to use as your own personal inspiration board. Regardless, everyone who is on Pinterest loves Pinterest. And there are still certain Pinterest mistakes we should try to avoid at all costs.
But marketing your writing services on Pinterest takes more than simply writing up pin descriptions to go along with your blog post and throwing them up there with a pin image. Pinterest users are on the site for a reason, and that reason is usually to find something that inspires them. So, let's talk about some common Pinterest mistakes we should try to avoid at all costs and some of the best practices that we can do instead.
Pinterest users who are on the site primarily for personal use love how easy it is to organize our inspiration: recipes we want to try, clothes we want to sew, things we want to learn, places we want to go. And for those of us who use it for business? Well, it's pretty hard to beat the traffic that comes from this particular channel. No other social channel really comes close to the return on effort and time spent with a solid Pinterest marketing strategy.
And I know what you're going to say: Pinterest isn't really a social network, it's a search engine…
Yes, I know that. But it's a social search engine. It's not Google, m'kay? We can't forget the social part.
But I digress.
As awesome as Pinterest is, it can only be as good as its users, right?
It wouldn't be very good as an inspirational cork board or as a marketing tool if all it ever served up were dead links and spam, right? No one would ever use it.
So, to help with that, here is a list of Pinterest mistakes for you to avoid.
1. Forgetting to Optimize Your Profile
Pinterest is an incredible social media platform for businesses, bloggers, and creatives who want to showcase their brand, products or services in a visually appealing way. The platform has over 250 million active users monthly, making it the perfect place to market your business.
However, just having a profile on Pinterest is not enough. You need to make sure that your profile is optimized for search engines and visually appealing to attract more followers and potential customers.
Optimizing Your Profile for Search Engines
When it comes to optimizing your Pinterest profile for search engines, there are a few things you need to pay attention to. First of all, make sure that your username reflects your brand name or website URL.
This will help people find you when they search for keywords related to your business. Secondly, fill out the “About You” section with a clear and concise description of your business or blog.
Make sure to use relevant keywords that describe what you do or sell. This will help Pinterest understand what your content is about and show it to the right people.
Include links to other social media platforms where people can connect with you outside of Pinterest. This will also help increase visibility for your other online channels.
Tips for Creating a Visually Appealing Profile
Your profile should be aesthetically pleasing so that it captures the attention of potential followers or customers. Here are some tips on how you can create a visually appealing profile:
– Choose an attractive profile picture that represents your brand. – Use high-quality images in all of your boards.
– Organize boards by categories so that it's easy for visitors to navigate through them. – Use relevant board titles and descriptions using keyword-rich language.
– Add board covers that match the branding of each board. By implementing these tips, you'll create an aesthetically pleasing and optimized profile that will capture the attention of potential followers and customers.
2. Forgetting to Use the Right Keywords
Pinterest is all about visuals, but text is just as crucial when it comes to getting your content seen by the right people. Failing to use keywords in your descriptions and board titles can severely limit the visibility of your pins.
The beauty of Pinterest is that it functions like a search engine, so you need to make sure you're using the right keywords for maximum discoverability. The first step in choosing the right keywords for your Pinterest content is understanding what your target audience is searching for.
Take some time to research popular search terms in your industry or niche, and use these as inspiration when creating boards and pins. When it comes to choosing keywords for board titles and descriptions, focus on relevancy.
Your boards should be named according to their specific themes or topics, with descriptive titles that include relevant keywords. When writing descriptions for each pin, make sure you're using language that accurately reflects what the image represents while also including relevant keywords.
How to Research and Choose the Right Keywords
There are several tools available to help you research and choose the best keywords for your Pinterest content. One of the most useful tools is Pinterest's own search bar – simply type in a keyword related to your content and see what other suggestions come up. You can also look at related boards or pins with high engagement rates for inspiration.
Another great resource is Google's Keyword Planner tool, which allows you to see how frequently certain terms are searched for on both Google and YouTube. While not specific to Pinterest, this tool can give you a good idea of which terms people are searching for in relation to a particular topic.
Once you've compiled a list of potential keywords, test them out by typing them into Pinterest's search bar yourself. See what other suggestions come up and use this information as feedback when refining your list further.
Using relevant keywords in your board titles and descriptions is crucial for increasing the visibility of your pins on Pinterest. Take the time to research and choose the right keywords, and watch as your content gets seen by a wider audience.
3. Forgetting to Use Quality Images
Pinterest is all about visuals, so it's crucial that your images are of high quality. In fact, according to a study by Curalate, images with a high amount of whitespace (or negative space) received 29% more repins than those without. This means that clean and simple images tend to perform better on Pinterest.
But why do high-quality images matter so much? For one, they increase engagement.
Eye-catching visuals make users stop scrolling and take a closer look at your content. This gives you the opportunity to attract new followers and potentially drive traffic to your website.
Additionally, high-quality images can help establish your brand's credibility and professionalism. When users come across blurry or poorly lit photos on your profile, they may be less likely to trust you or take you seriously.
Tips for Creating Visually Appealing Images
Creating visually appealing images doesn't have to be difficult or expensive. Here are some tips to help you get started:
- Use High-Quality Photos: Avoid using grainy or pixelated photos as these can be distracting and unappealing. Instead, opt for sharp and clear images that are visually stimulating.
- Utilize Negative Space: As mentioned earlier, negative space can help draw attention to the subject of your photo while also making it stand out on the platform.
- Keep Your Branding Consistent: Use consistent branding elements such as colors or fonts in all of your photos so that users start recognizing them as yours.
- Experiment with Creative Formats: Try experimenting with different image formats such as infographics or collages to make your content stand out even more. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way towards creating captivating imagery for your Pinterest account!
4. Forgetting to Track Your Performance on Pinterest
If you're using Pinterest to promote your brand or business, it's important to track your performance on the platform. This means keeping an eye on metrics like impressions, engagement, and click-through rates.
By doing so, you can understand what's working and what isn't, and make data-driven decisions about your Pinterest strategy. The good news is that Pinterest provides a range of analytics tools that make it easy to track your performance.
To access these tools, simply sign up for a free business account and visit the Analytics tab. Here are some of the key metrics you should be tracking:
Impressions
Impressions refer to the number of times your Pins have appeared in people's feeds or search results. This metric is important because it gives you an idea of how many people are potentially seeing your content. When analyzing impressions, look for trends over time.
Are your impressions increasing or decreasing? If they're decreasing, it may be time to reevaluate your content strategy.
Engagement
Engagement refers to any action taken on your Pins – such as saves, clicks, and comments. This metric is important because it shows how interested people are in your content. When analyzing engagement, look for Pins that are performing particularly well (or poorly).
What makes these Pins different from others? Use this information to inform future content creation.
Click-Through Rate
Click-through rate (CTR) refers to the percentage of people who clicked through from one of your Pins to your website or landing page. This metric is important because it shows how effective your Pins are at driving traffic. When analyzing CTR, look for patterns across different types of Pins.
Are certain types of images or descriptions more effective at driving clicks? Use this information to optimize future Pin creation.
Tracking your performance on Pinterest is crucial for success on the platform. By keeping an eye on metrics like impressions, engagement, and click-through rate, you can make data-driven decisions about your content strategy.
Remember to analyze your metrics over time and look for patterns and trends. With a strategic approach to analytics, you can optimize your Pinterest presence and drive real results for your business.
5. Forgetting What Pinterest is
Pinterest is a “visual discovery tool.” If you forget this and start treating it like any other search engine or treating it like any other social network, you're really going to miss out on a lot of what makes Pinterest great. If you're using Pinterest to promote your business or services, you need to be aware that spamming or overposting can have severe consequences. By consistently sharing irrelevant content, sending multiple promotional messages, or posting excessively, your account is likely to get flagged as spam.
This can lead to a decrease in engagement and followers, and even account suspension. Spamming on Pinterest not only annoys your current followers but also harms the overall quality of the platform.
It dilutes the experience for other users who are genuinely interested in finding new ideas and inspiration. Additionally, it can damage your brand's reputation as people tend to associate spammy behavior with untrustworthy businesses. How to Avoid Spamming on Pinterest
To avoid being flagged as spammy on Pinterest, it's essential to follow some simple guidelines. Firstly, avoid posting too many pins at once.
If you have a lot of content you want to share with your audience, spread them out over several days or weeks instead of overwhelming them in one go.
Secondly, don't post irrelevant content. Only pin items that are relevant and useful for your audience. Posting unrelated content could lead followers feeling confused about your brand's identity and purpose. Make sure you are doing good keyword research so that you always have content that's relevant to what your target audience is searching for, and use these keywords strategically in your board descriptions as well as your pin descriptions and titles.
Avoid repetitive pinning behavior such as repeatedly pinning the same image or link over and over again. Repinning is an excellent way of giving old pins new life but make sure that there is enough time between each repin so that it doesn't look like excessive promotion. The Pinterest algorithm loves new pins and will regularly push them out to its users over repeat pins, but Pinterest does also understand that as you gain new followers over time, some people might be interested in some of your old pins that they haven't seen yet. Reposting these pins sparingly can help give the look of fresh pins that Pinterest likes while bringing attention to some of your older posts.
Pinterest continues to be a valuable tool for businesses looking to expand their reach and grow their online presence. But don't forget the importance of etiquette when using this platform. By avoiding common mistakes such as neglecting optimization your profile and Pinterest boards or ignoring analytics tracking tools' importance while also preventing overposting or spamming, you can ensure that your business is well-positioned for success on Pinterest.
Remember to post relevant content, optimize your profiles and boards correctly, and track your performance regularly to stay ahead of the curve. With these tips in mind, you can avoid common mistakes and build a loyal following on Pinterest that will pay dividends for years to come.
The Importance of Avoiding Mistakes on Pinterest
I know it kind of goes without saying, we all try our best to avoid making mistakes with our marketing strategies. Unfortunately, sometimes things still slip through the cracks and sometimes people don't really care all that much because they think that mistakes can't really hurt their Pinterest account. And that is mostly true: most of the common Pinterest mistakes that you might make can be easily remedied before they truly hurt your account. If you forget to write up a good profile description, or if you're not sure what goes into a good profile description, you can fix it. If you aren't sure what goes into a good pin design, you can learn and get better.
So I don't want to make it sound like if you make any mistakes on Pinterest that you're doomed to lower blog traffic and no sales. But Pinterest does take more time to build up than other social networks, so making those mistakes can delay your growth on Pinterest and really stunt your website traffic. And then, based on what I've seen happen, people get frustrated because they aren't getting the traffic that they want, they blame the Pinterest algorithm, and they give up. So let's try to stay ahead of the curve from the beginning by keeping the Pinterest user experience top of mind.
As I alluded to earlier, Pinterest is all about visuals. The quality and appeal of your pins, including how relevant the pin image is, will determine whether or not Pinterest users engage with your content. The more users engage with your content, the more data that Pinterest is able to gather about the type of people who like your content, and the more people the Pinterest algorithm will be able to target for you. (Not that I enjoy calling people “Data”—unless they happen to be an android living on the Starship Enterprise, but it really is true that the more data you can feed Pinterest, the better it can serve your posts and product pins to its users, and the easier it will be to find your target audience). If you make mistakes that result in unattractive or irrelevant pins landing in front of your target audience's eyes, it could negatively impact their perception of your brand.
In addition to maintaining user engagement through high-quality visuals, avoiding certain mistakes will also help ensure that your content is discoverable by other users on the platform. As with any search engine or social media algorithm-driven platform like Google or Facebook – there are several factors at play when determining what content appears most prominently within search results/feeds/searches/etc.
In short – making mistakes will hurt both engagement from viewers who find you as well as visibility to others who may be looking for you. So, let's dive in and make sure you're avoiding the critical errors that can derail your Pinterest success.
Five things you should never, ever pin on Pinterest.
Stolen Pins.
I know, sometimes it can be hard to tell whether or not a pin has been stolen. Especially if you are just running through Pinterest for a few minutes to save some things and not actively searching for anything. However, of all the Pinterest mistakes you could make, this one is probably the worst. Pinning or repinning a stolen pin can come with some serious consequences — including getting your entire account shut down. So it's definitely not worth the risk.
But how can you tell if a pin is stolen?
The easiest way to tell is to see if it leads to what it says it's going to lead to. Hopefully, the pin in question will have some branding on it somewhere – a logo or a watermark or something that tells you who the original belongs to. If the pin leads to any other site, then it's likely stolen. At that point, your best bet is to either search for a different pin to pin or go to the site you were looking for and pin directly from there.
You can also let the owner of the original pin know that it has been stolen and send them a link to the pin you've found. Although this isn't required, it would truly be appreciated by most of us.
If you're not sure and can't check right away, save the pin to a secret board and come back to it later. That way, there is no way for someone else to come across your pin and report it as stolen before you've had a chance to check it out.
Pins that Go Nowhere.
Remember that time you were searching for something and thought you found your answer, only to follow the link right to someone's homepage instead of to the actual article you wanted? Or worse — following it into a dead end?
Ugh!
Neither of these scenarios is helpful. When people click on a pin in Pinterest, they want to go directly to the recipe or article the pin is promoting. They don't want to have to start searching around some other website to find their answers.
Once again, the only real way to know for sure if the pin you're about to pin leads to a good link or a bad link is to check it out. If you're pinning on the fly and don't have time at the moment, then again, save it to a secret board to be reviewed later. Better for those pins to just die in secret than to continue to plague the rest of us by getting shared over and over again.
Pins your Ideal Client Doesn't Care About.
There's a time and a place for personal and business pins. Does your ideal client care about your fantasy wedding? Or which recipes you want to try? Maybe…but if she isn't interested in trying those same recipes, then pinning them to your account is not going to help draw her to you. In fact, pinning those things may draw the wrong person to your Pinterest profile. So before you pin or repin anything, you need to think about this: does your ideal client care about this? And would your ideal client follow you if she sees this pin?
There are some exceptions to this rule, of course. But for the most part, everything you pin to your account should be something your ideal client is interested in.
Pins that Have no Description.
Pinning or repinning something because it has a pretty picture or an interesting title isn't going to do anyone any good. First of all, those descriptions are important pieces of a pin's SEO factor. And there are 500 characters for you to use to help people find that pin and tell them what it's about.
Of course, not everyone understands the power of a description, and you may find some people (especially consumers) will pin or repin something without even looking at the description. However, without those descriptions, you're relying solely on your reputation and the image itself to show up in search results. And that's not a very reliable way of bringing someone to you. You want to make sure your ideal client can find you at the moment they are searching for an answer you provide. And the best way for that to happen is if your pins have a good, easy to read, keyword-rich description.
And by “keyword-rich,” no I don't mean keyword-stuffed.
Pins that are All Keywords and No Substance.
Pinterest. Pinterest Marketing. Pinterest Mistakes. Mistakes in Pinterest Marketing. Mistakes to Avoid. Marketing Mistakes. What not to repin. What not to repin on Pinterest.
Can you read all that? Does it make sense to you? Can you honestly read through that line and glean any information about the post at all?
Probably not. Maybe you'll get “Pinterest mistakes” — but that's about it. Not very helpful at all.
For one thing, there's no context included. What type of mistakes? Where on Pinterest?
Is Pinterest making these mistakes?
If you, as a human, are having trouble gleaning the context from that sentence, imagine what a search engine is going through. Search engines are becoming more and more sophisticated because they have to return results that a human is looking for. That means they have to think like humans. They use relevance and context to help rank their results. So if a human can't read the sentence, chances are a search engine can't either, and that pin will get ranked lower.
Additionally, in the off chance that this pin does get found, what are the chances that someone will click on it based on that description? Not very high. And if you're using Pinterest for business, then the point of everything you pin or repin should be to get people to your profile, to follow you, and to click through to your website, shop, or blog.
Gee, that seems like a lot of rules, doesn't it?
Here's the deal — you get a limit of 200,000 pins on Pinterest. Two hundred thousand. That's it. That seems like a lot, but remember that it includes pins on your secret boards as well as pins you leave on someone else's group boards. And using a scheduler like Pin Generator to keep you going is great, but it can also make it hard to keep count of your pins. If you're pinning between 72 and 100 pins a day, you're looking at a maximum of 7.6-5.4 years before you're maxed out.
Are you planning on staying in business longer than five and a half to seven and a half years?
I am.
So it's important that you pin and repin the posts that are going to be the most efficient. Avoid stolen pins, pins that will have a hard time getting found, and pins that aren't going to convert so your Pinterest account will have the highest return for you possible.
All in all, Pinterest is a powerful tool in the world of social media marketing. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can take full advantage of its potential to drive traffic and sales to your website.
As we have outlined, it is vital to optimize your profile and boards for search engines by including relevant keywords in descriptions and using high-quality images. Additionally, regularly tracking your performance through Pinterest analytics is essential in determining what is working well and where you need to adjust your strategy.
Avoiding spamming or overposting will not only help maintain a good reputation but also ensure that your followers are engaging with the content that resonates with them. Ultimately, implementing these tips will lead to a successful Pinterest strategy that can benefit businesses of all sizes.
So why not give it a go? Get creative, stay consistent and reap the rewards of this fantastic platform!
Did you enjoy this article? Here are a few other blog posts about Pinterest you might like:
Pingback: Become a Pinterest VA in a Day | Help Me, Naomi