When I started my startup’s Pinterest page in September 2023, I had just 6,000 impressions, 200 engagements, and 8 clicks in 30 days. Today, I’ve exceeded over 200,000 impressions, 10,000 engagements, and 286 clicks in the last 30 days! 📈 Let me walk you through my journey.

When I created our startup’s marketing strategy, I knew Pinterest would be a key channel. Our niche, a B2C app in the mindfulness space, aligned perfectly with Pinterest’s platform. From vision boards to wallpapers and inspirational quotes, Pinterest was a goldmine for our content distribution and repurposing strategies.

How Pinterest Predicts

in 2024

Pinterest is a highly visual platform, ideal for showcasing images, infographics, and videos. It hosts a large, active community interested in health, wellness, beauty, self-improvement, and so much more.

According to Pinterest's 2024 trends report, this year will be all about forging deeper connections. “People use Pinterest to plan what’s next in their lives; their next home, their next meal, their next trip. That gives Pinterest unique insight into the future—what’s going to be really big, really soon.”

Here are some insights into recent data on Pinterest:

• In February 2024, Pinterest reported 498 million monthly active users, up by 16 million users from the previous quarter.

• 80% of Pinterest’s 2023 predictions came true (crazy)

• The majority of Pinterest’s user base is between 25 and 34 years old, and 76% of Pinterest’s user base is female, which is key since our ICP is within this demographic.

As a marketer, staying up to date on platform algorithm changes and reports keeps me informed about topics and content that are gaining traction + I also love making data-driven decisions!

The Original Pinterest Strategy

When I first started pinning, there was no particular strategy or plan (I underestimated the true power of Pinterest). It was mainly a channel to repurpose and redistribute content that was created for other platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Here are some early pins:

Videos reposted from Instagram Reels and TikTok

Graphics reposted from Instagram (note the description + headline aren't optimized)

According to the analytics majority of the pins did not perform well and had little to no impressions. This meant the original pins were not being shown on the Pinterest algorithm. At this time, resources were limited. I handled editing, design, and platform management on top of other marketing strategies. Pinterest was somewhat neglected during the Winter of 2023.

The original Pinterest strategy was not effective for the following reasons:

• Decreased Engagement: With less frequent and less optimized content, engagement levels dropped.

• Stagnant Growth: The lack of consistent activity and strategic content posting meant our growth was stagnant. We missed opportunities to maximize reach and increase impressions.

• Lower Visibility: Pinterest algorithms favor active, fully optimized and engaging profiles. Our inactivity and lack of optimization likely led to lower visibility in search results and feeds.

• No optimized descriptions, headlines, or hashtags: Without optimization, our content was not effectively discoverable, leading to a further reduction in engagement and reach.

Key Strategies for Pinterest Growth

Best-Performing Content

I remember seeing affirmation wallpapers go viral on TikTok and thought that these would perform well on Pinterest. I decided to design some aesthetic affirmation wallpapers and quickly noticed these were our best-performing content types. 

One of the first wallpapers I designed

Before investing in the content machine, I wanted to understand the market by finding other wallpapers and creators producing the same type of content. Understanding the competition helped me refine my strategy further and allowed me to see the opportunity to create content in this untapped market.

Once I found the best-performing content and analyzed all existing content, I saw an opportunity to invest more in our content strategy. I improved our Affirmation Library (our knowledge hub, great for SEO) created visually aesthetic affirmation wallpapers, and began to upload new content every day. Now, we have over 1,000 affirmation wallpaper pins that generate more than 250,000 impressions each month.

Optimization Techniques

Optimizing on Pinterest is crucial because it helps your content reach a wider audience and gain more visibility. By using relevant keywords in my pin descriptions, titles, and boards, I increased the likelihood of my pins appearing in search results when users look for related topics. This not only boosts the pin's discoverability but also enhances engagement as users find content that matches their interests. 

I improved our Pinterest strategy by implementing optimization techniques across our boards, pins, and profile. Here's a breakdown of the improvements made:

1. I integrated relevant keywords and strategic hashtags into both board titles and descriptions. This ensures our boards are easily discoverable when users search for related topics and increases our visibility.

2. I concentrated on crafting and refining pins that resonate with our audience. Each pin now features detailed descriptions with targeted keywords.

3. Our profile page and bio have been improved to better reflect our identity, incorporate keywords, and attract more followers.

Top boards in the last 3 months (Affirmations, Artwork, Educational Carousels)

I also regularly update and organize my boards to help maintain relevance and keep my audience engaged over time. Effective optimization on Pinterest can significantly improve impressions, engagements, pin clicks, and saves.

My 2024 Pinterest Content Strategy for Growth

My current content strategy focuses on two primary areas: our self-improvement blog and database of affirmations. These are key not only for enhancing SEO but also for redistributing written content into visual content, perfect for platforms like Pinterest.

Content from our blog and affirmation database serves as the foundation for creating engaging designs customized for Pinterest. By turning blog posts and affirmations into visually appealing pins, I'm able to redistribute this content on Pinterest. This approach not only boosts visibility and engagement on the platform but also drives traffic back to our website and blog.

Here's a detailed approach to how I manage this:

1. I design batches of 50 affirmations and corresponding wallpapers using tools like Canva and Photoshop. This method allows for consistent quality and style across all our posts, maintaining a cohesive visual identity. Batch designing content also saves time and makes this process efficient.

2. I am always exploring new content formats such as lists, infographics, and blog graphics to diversify our strategy and conduct A/B tests. From there, I double down on content that is performing well.

3. To maintain consistency on Pinterest, I batch upload 50 pins every other day (you don't want to spam the algorithm). Each pin is optimized with headlines, relevant keywords, and hashtags. Pins are also categorized into boards.

I am actively testing new creatives and monitoring analytics to find what performs well and what doesn't. This data-driven approach allows me to make informed decisions, refining our content strategy with each upload to improve engagement rates.

The type of content I'm testing now

Key Takeaways from My Pinterest Growth Journey

1. Focus on the content that resonates most with your audience. For us, aesthetic affirmation wallpapers were the key driver of engagement.

2. Regularly create and upload high-quality content. Daily uploads of optimized pins increased our visibility and impressions.

3. Use relevant keywords, detailed descriptions, and hashtags in your pins and boards. This improves your content's chances of being discovered by the right audience.

4. Maintain a consistent posting schedule. This helps in keeping your audience engaged and favorable in the Pinterest algorithm.

5. Continuously analyze performance data to understand what works and what doesn’t. Use this insight to refine your strategy and improve results.

6. Stay updated on platform trends and adapt your content strategy to align with current and emerging trends.

Creating content on Pinterest is a long-term investment but is now a high contributor to the startup’s growth and traffic. After taking the time to assess, optimize, and adjust our strategy I was able to significantly increase our reach and engagement. I highly recommend exploring Pinterest as a marketing channel for growth and passive traffic.