11 Pinterest Mistakes To Avoid On Your Blog
Pinterest is my primary source of traffic. I used to rely on Facebook as my go-to traffic source, but I realized something (aside from Facebook’s ridiculous algorithm)…
When you post something to Facebook, it only “lives” for a few minutes, hours maybe, a day if you’re lucky.
On the other hand, when you post/pin something to Pinterest, it lives FOREVER!
Sure, not every pin is going to go viral, but a few will and even the ones that don’t, could still provide you with passive traffic while you sleep.
Then when you start using automation tools like Tailwind (see it in action here), you’ll really start to see the power of Pinterest.
Pinterest Mistake 1: Not Trying Different Strategies
If your regular pinning style is not working then try a different one. Keep experimenting to find one that works for you.
Change your pin size, try the different color combination, make a fresh set of pins, shuffle your board booster queue, try manually pinning at a different time.
Pinterest Mistake 2: Not Making It Easy To Share
If you are committing this mistake then it’s epic. If you want your readers to share your content so that it attracts more readers then make it super easy for them by:
- Installing a pin it button
- Social share plugin to make it easy to share across all social media like Social Warfare
- Have a call to action in your post, ask your leaders to share your post, pin it
Pinterest Mistake 3: Not Spending Time On Pinterest
Even though Pinterest allows automaton but it makes sense to reward people who actually spend time on the platform. So, my dear friend, you can spend time on Pinterest by manually pining your pins as well as others.
Check pins on your home feed and pin few from there. Remember. Blogging is all about helping each other and being social.
You can also pin from tending section and group boards and let Pinterest know that you are an active member.
There are many people who have built their business on manual pinning solely so it’s a good idea to pin manually.
Pinterest Mistake 4: Not Making Multiple Pins
For each blog post make at least two pins. Multiple pins will help you to rotate your pins and you’ll have more pins to pin in different group boards on different days.
When Pinterest went through the recent update, my traffic dipped a bit almost by half. There was no change in my pinning strategy but traffic was dipping and of course, I was worried so I made a fresh set of pins and it helped greatly.
Pinterest Mistake 5: Not Being Consistent
Pining constantly plays a big role on Pinterest if you are looking for a consistent traffic.
In Pinterest, the more you pin, more exposure your pins get. There is no magical number to pin but if you pin 30-40 pins consistently per day then you are good to go.
Pinterest Mistake 6: Dull Pins
Pinterest is a visual platform so it’s very important to create beautiful pins. Your pins are the gateway to your blog post so creating an attractive pin that stands out in the sea of pins is important.
Use contrast colors, beautiful images, flashy fonts etc…
According to a new Pinterest update, the pin dimensions are 600 X 900 but you can also try other sizes.
Make sure your pins are clean and pleasing to eyes. Use catchy Headlines, it doesn’t have to be exactly like in your blog post.
Pinterest Mistake 7: Not Creating Your Own Group Boards
Creating your own group boards will help you to increase your followers faster, followers have a huge impact on your traffic so more followers you have better for your traffic.
Participate in Facebook Group collaboration threads and promote your group boards.
Pin your group boards on your Facebook Page. Share it on other social media accounts.
Pinterest Mistake 8: Not Making Use Of group Boards
If you want more eyes to your pins then join group boards in your niche. It’s must to join many group boards in your niche to increase your presence.
Send an email to group board owner asking to join the board with relevant details like:
- group board name that you want to join
- your Pinterest username
- email address and blog name
- follow the account before sending the email so that the group owner can add you
I have three group boards and trust sometimes people send an email asking to join my group board with no information except for their desire to join my boards, not even board name. I simply delete these kinds of email. It’s too much
Please don’t do such kind of mistake. It’s your requirement to join the board, so end a proper email with all the relevant details like your blog name, Pinterest user name, the board you want to be added, and above all follow the owner’s account first and then send an email requesting to contribute.
I also know that some big bloggers take time to reply and if you don’t get any response then try again after 7-8 weeks.
Pinterest Mistake 9: Create Boards For Your Audience
This business account is to attract visitors to your blog so create boards that will attract the target audience. As your blog post, the boards on your Pinterest account are for your audience. So make it valuable for them by creating relevant boards.
Create at least 10-15 boards in your niche with proper description and keywords. If you are out of ideas then check the Pinterest account if successful bloggers in your niche and get inspired.
Fill these boards with helpful pins from Pinterest that is related to your niche.
Pinterest Mistake 10: Keywords, Keywords, And Keywords
Keywords play a vital role in your Pinterest game plan.
Add keywords to your Profile description. Briefly describe your boards and group boards and add relevant keywords so that your pins come up in the search results for those keywords.
For example, I have blogging, affiliate marketing, and side-hustle as keywords on my profile.
These will make it immediately clear, what I blog about and what kinds of pins will I be pinning.
Pinterest Mistake 11: Not Enabling Rich Pins
Enabling rich pins is a great way to help boost your presence on Pinterest.
Rich pins are pins that include your website address and meta description underneath the pin image. Rich pins also have bold description when they’re showing up in a feed, making them much more noticeable than non-rich pins.
Why You Should Focus Your Blogging Efforts On Pinterest
Remember, Pinterest drives massive traffic to many sites and yours can be one of it unless you are not committing one of the above mistakes.
Also, it takes time to see the results so don’t give up and pin consistently.
Be active on the platform and don’t be scared of trying new things.
Great post! Especially creating your own group boards. This could also help if you’re looking to join group boards of a similar size, you can offer to add them to your board in exchange.