How to Use Pinterest to Generate More Leads
You need a Pinterest marketing plan… or so they say.
Let me guess? You’re a freelancer or creative business owner with a few thousand things on your to-do list already. You love your products or services, and you’re excited to get them into the hands of more customers. You just can’t quite figure out how. “They” keep saying you need to share on Pinterest more. But what should you post? Also, when and why?
Not to mention: WHO HAS THE TIME?!
That’s why I created this guide with you in mind. The passionate, talented, creative BOSS. You’re big on goals and short on time. So let’s get started:
In this 6 step guide I’ll talk about the importance of an actual Marketing Strategy (versus randomly pinning when inspiration strikes), explain how to create a Pinterest Marketing Strategy for your creative business, and provide a VERY useful bonus you can download and use!
So real quick, what even is a Pinterest Marketing Strategy — and why does it matter?
A Pinterest Marketing Strategy is simply a roadmap that outlines how you use this powerful platform to support the overall Marketing Plan for your business.
Think of it like this: if you took off on your cute beach cruiser and just started biking your way down the road, odds are you would eventually come across a great coffee shop for your afternoon iced latte. But how long would it take to get there? Are you taking the shortest route? Do they have coconut milk? And if you love it, can you even remember how to get back?
Having a map, or a plan, would have made that bike ride way more enjoyable and productive. Marketing is the exact same. So how do you make your own Pinterest Marketing Plan?
How to make your own simple Pinterest Marketing Strategy
1. Always start with your goal in mind.
What’s the plan anyway? Maybe you want to sell out your new digital course pre-sale, or increase sales of your best offer by 10% from last quarter. Only you know what you’re aiming for, but making sure you’re super clear is a very important first step.
Pro tip: If you think you need to start on Pinterest because “everyone else is” it’s time to do a little re-evaluating. Pinterest can be an incredible tool for small business owners. (Like that time I sold $24,000 worth of cookies in 2 months without paying a single dollar for marketing.) Organic Pinterest and Email Marketing legit changed my business (and life) but only because I used it intentionally and with a very clear goal in mind.
Without a goal in mind, social media can have the opposite effect on your creative business. It can become a huge distraction that sucks up your precious time and makes you feel inadequate (comparison is the thief of joy).
If you need help setting goals/ creating a vision for your creative business, check out this post on How to Find Clarity and Create Clear Goals.
2. Now that your goals are defined, let’s talk about your clients.
WHO are you creating social media content for? Spend some time thinking about your ideal customers (or Dream Client) so you know exactly who you’re trying to reach. The internet is a BIG place…. You don’t need to reach everyone with your killer content — you just need to reach your people. So talk directly to them!
Not sure exactly who your ideal customer is yet? Try this exercise: Get a blank page and set a timer for 5 minutes. Don’t overthink it, just start describing your ideal customer:
Are they male or female?
How old are they?
What do they do for fun?
Do they have expendable income?
Where do they hang out?
You can literally give this person a name to help you think of them as a real person. When you start writing your social media content, you’ll be writing directly to this person. This helps your ideal customers feel a connection with you. It’s like you’re speaking to them directly!
3. Decide how much time you can dedicate
Listen — you just can’t do it ALL. Not all at once anyway. Somebody else might be all over Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tiktok, and Pinterest. It’s tempting to think that more is better, but I guarantee you this: The businesses you see all over have a whole TEAM helping them. They aren’t doing it by themselves.
Please remember this, or you’ll go straight down the path to burnout.
If you’re ready to add Pinterest to your marketing plan, start by deciding if you want to learn how to DIY it, or if you want to outsource to a marketing agency. If you’re on the fence, I recommend checking out the Pinterest Profile Checklist. It’s a comprehensive list that will help you set up your Pinterest business profile so you’re ready to start converting pinners to purchasers!
Pinterest Profile Checklist
Need a step-by-step guide to setting up your Pinterest business account? Here it is!
4. Set up & optimize profiles
Ok, now we’re rolling! You have a clear goal, a dream customer, and you know which social media platform is best for you. It’s time to get set up for success.
Pro tip: You might be tempted to skip this step. I can see you rolling your eyes and scrolling past to the next step. Please don’t! This doesn’t take long, but it will make a HUGE difference in the long run.
Here are my best tips for setting up *and optimizing* your profiles (aka making the most of the limited space you’re given, so MORE CUSTOMER FIND YOU):
Choose a username that makes sense & use the same name for all of your profiles. Seriously, I know you want to be cute and express yourself. You’re creative and fun… which is incredible. BUT now is the time to be strategic. Choose a name that matches your business and very clearly shows people what you’re about, and use it everywhere. Bonus points if it includes a keyword, or description of your actual product (ex: @tenthousandcookies incorporated my business mission and main product all in one).
Use your “About Me” space to talk about how you can help your customers! Spoiler alert: you usually get a very limited amount of characters in this space. Instead of telling them that you’re a “crafty cat mom who loves coffee” tell them how your “freshly baked and hand decorated sugar cookies make a perfect gift for anyone on their list”
Give them a call to action. Include your website, order form, or your contact information. Your goal is to connect with them asap.
Bonus tip: If you do most of your business locally, make sure you include your city/ state. If you ship, include that info too!
5. Create a Content Calendar
Honestly, this could be another post on its own, but let’s talk about the basics. A content calendar is simply a schedule that lets you plan a bunch of content or posts all at once.
This step is SO IMPORTANT because planning your content in advance means you’re posting with a goal in mind and pinning with consistency (which is super important on the platform).
Have you ever been scrolling mindlessly when a post pops up and you know whose it is before you even see the account it came from? Some people/ businesses are so good at creating a brand identity and voice that you can tell it’s them from a mile away.
That’s not an accident! When you plan your content in advance, you can tell a whole story instead of random pieces here and there. Plus, you’re not pulling your hair out trying to come up with something to say every day. So here are the steps to creating your content calendar:
Decide how many times you realistically can/ want to post. (Hint: remember that consistency is key. 1 pin/ day is a great place to start, but if you have enough content or e-commerce links, you can pin 5-10/ day!
Design high-quality graphics that are attention-catching, on brand, and informative.
Research keywords that will help Pinterest categorize your content for the right audience.
Write captions that contain your keywords and clear Calls to Action so pinners actually save or click on your content!
Get organized… and better yet, automated. Finding a scheduling app can be a lifesaver! There are tons of tools out there, but my team is honestly loving the native Pinterest scheduler. You can schedule Pins 2 weeks in advance, so you’ll only need to schedule time for pinning 2x each month and the rest is done automatically!
6. Stop. Evaluate and listen. (Ice is back for a brand new edition.)
Give it some time. Try your new Pinterest Marketing Strategy for 4-8 weeks and then evaluate.
“Remember, you’re not going for an overnight success story, just consistent growth!”
When you evaluate, ask yourself if this is sustainable for a longer time period and if it feels worth your time.
Pro tip: Lots of creatives are great at the visual piece. If you have high quality product photos or brand pictures that you’re using for your shop or website, you’re all set for images… but writing the copy can be a different challenge. Consider outsourcing the content writing to a pro!
Creating a Pinterest plan might feel overwhelming at first, but once you have it in place you’ll be so happy not to have to think about it every single day. Essentially, you’re freeing up time and mental space to focus on the aspects of your business that are in your “zone of genius”.
Still not 100% clear on how to put your plan together or how to put it into action? Book a free Clarity Call to see how we can work on it together. This is one of my favorite things to help creative clients with!
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