Most of us are using Pinterest to plan our next vacation, find new and delicious-looking recipes to try or hunting for ideas for our Christmas shopping list. However, Pinterest is not only an amazing visual search engine, but also a great marketing tool for many businesses. With over 430 million monthly active users worldwide, not incorporating Pinterest into your digital marketing strategy would be a missed opportunity, whether you are selling pearl engagement rings, car accessories or sustainable activewear. If you are an entrepreneur yourself, keep reading for secrets and tips on how to successfully promote your business on Pinterest.

1. Pin Quality and Engaging Content

Data shows that around 80% of weekly users discover a new product or brand on Pinterest, whether it’s when looking for presents, shopping for pearls or just browsing for décor inspiration. This means that sharing high-quality, relevant content is essential in the success of your digital marketing campaigns. Be aware of the fact that around 82% of users browse Pinterest on mobile, so optimization is key. Make sure your content is visually clear on your Pinterest mobile app, so you don’t end up posting awkwardly-looking images. Always accompany your videos and pictures with good copy to give some context to your visuals and help you improve SEO.

2. Schedule Your Posts and Be Consistent

Consistency is key no matter what social media platforms you are using to promote your brand – and Pinterest is no different. Daily pinning can be highly effective and can help you reach a wide audience with your content. Make sure you post when your target audience is most active on the platform – you can find all the information you need about your audience in your profile’s analytics. If you know you won’t be available at the time you should be posting, make sure you schedule your pins to be automatically posted when you want them to be. But don’t over-pin. This can cause the algorithm to see you as spam and block your content from reaching your audience. Stick to one or two original posts per day, but be consistent and patient and you will see results.

3. Use Pinterest Ads

Data shows that Pinterest users spend roughly twice as much on shopping each month compared to people that don’t use the platform. As pinners are mostly using the platform to discover new products, they respond very well to ads. With one of the lowest CPCs (cost per click) in social media advertising, Pinterest is a very effective way to promote your business. Using promoted Pins or video ads with detailed audience targeting allows you to reach specific groups of Pinterest users based on their age, location, interests or whether or not they have engaged with your Pins.

4. Improve Your Pinterest Profile

Your Pinterest profile represents your business, so make sure it is in accordance with your brand’s values. After creating your business account, make it as visually appealing as possible. Verify your domain and make sure that all the links from your posts work properly. As Pinterest is a visual platform, all your content should be high-quality, properly optimized and click-worthy. Try to share as much relevant content as possible and avoid filling your profile with your brand and products.

5. Take Advantage of Major Holidays

Pinners usually start searching for Christmas inspiration, whether it’s for décor or gifts, around 2 months before the holiday. Same goes for any important day, such as Mother’s Day, Valentines Day and other holidays, so keep this in mind when designing your pins. If you are trying to promote your Christmas jewelry collection, make sure you start pinning relevant content around the beginning of October.  But be aware of the fact that Pinterest takes roughly 2 weeks to analyze any new pin, which means that your content will show up in searches about 2 weeks after posting.

6. Use Targeted Keywords and Hashtags

Keywords are a very important SEO tool and your Pinterest profile is not an exception. Add targeted keywords to the beginning of your board name and insert them into a board or pin description. Use the search bar for relevant keyword suggestions. Add popular hashtags to your pin description but use maximum 3-5 hashtags for each pin, to avoid the spam filter.

7. Keep Track of Your Metrics

Any successful digital marketing strategy is based on data. This means that analyzing your key Pinterest metrics and audience behavior will help you understand what type of content is the most engaging. Whether you are a pro or a beginner, using the Pinterest analytics tools is essential in successfully promoting your brand on this platform.