Promoting Products on Pinterest: A Complete Guide

Instagram and TikTok are some of the hottest platforms right now. You likely have a presence on both platforms, but I also understand that getting people’s attention there might be a tough ask.

There is, however, another platform that’s not as saturated. And what’s more, people go there to find inspiration and potentially make purchases. This untapped goldmine is called Pinterest. It’s a visual discovery engine that many marketers overlook or misunderstand. While everyone fights for attention in the crowded arenas of Instagram and TikTok, Pinterest offers something different: an audience that’s actively searching for ideas, inspiration, and, yes, products to buy.

Today, I’ll be your guide on this tour of Pinterest. I’ll walk you through exactly how to harness Pinterest’s unique qualities to showcase your products, build your brand, and drive sales. We’ll cover creating the perfect Pin, optimizing for Pinterest’s search algorithm, building a content strategy that converts, measuring your results to continuously improve, and avoiding common pitfalls that trip up many marketers.

Let’s take a look at our itinerary of learning:

• Why Pinterest is different from other social platforms and how that benefits product marketers.
• How to set up your Pinterest Business account for maximum discoverability.
• The science behind creating Pins that stop the scroll and drive clicks.
• A sustainable content strategy that won’t burn you out.
• Best practices for Pinterest success and common pitfalls to avoid.
• How to measure and optimize your performance over time.

First, let’s go over why you should add Pinterest to your social media repertoire.

Pinterest: Not Just Another Social Network

Let’s get something straight: Pinterest is not a social network. Not really.

While platforms like Instagram and Twitter are about what’s happening right now by providing us with conversations, trends, and fleeting moments, Pinterest functions more like a search engine with a social component. People come to Pinterest with intent: they’re actively looking for ideas, planning projects, and discovering products to buy.

This fundamental difference changes everything about how we should approach marketing on this platform.

The Search Engine in Disguise

Pinterest works more like Google than Facebook. Users enter keywords to find specific content, and Pinterest’s algorithm serves up relevant Pins in a personalized feed. This means SEO principles apply: keywords, quality content, and user engagement all factor into visibility.

When someone searches “minimalist office desk,” they’re signaling interest in that type of product. If you sell office furniture and haven’t optimized your Pins for those keywords, you’re missing out on highly qualified leads.

The Long Lifespan of Pins

Here’s something mind-blowing: while a tweet’s half-life is about 18 minutes and an Instagram post might get engagement for a day or two, Pins can continue driving traffic for months or even years.

Pins from two years ago can suddenly resurface and drive a surge of traffic when seasonal trends come back around. That longevity means your content investment compounds over time, a stark contrast to the constant treadmill of content creation on other platforms.

The Shopping Intent Advantage

Perhaps most importantly for product marketers, Pinterest users are in a buying mindset:

• 85% of weekly Pinners have made purchases based on content they saw from brands.
• 93% of users plan purchases on Pinterest.

These aren’t just browsers, they’re shoppers in research mode. They’re actively looking for inspiration and products, not just passively consuming content.

Setting Up Your Pinterest Business Account for Success

If you’re serious about marketing products on Pinterest, you need a Business account. This unlocks analytics, Rich Pins, and other features essential for marketers. Let’s set things up properly.

Converting to a Business Account

If you already have a personal account, you can convert it to a Business account without losing your existing Pins and boards. Just go to the conversion page and follow the steps.

If you’re starting fresh, head to the Pinterest Business page to create a new Business account.

Claiming Your Website

One mistake I see repeatedly is brands not claiming their website on Pinterest. This is like forgetting to verify your business on Google; it costs you credibility and visibility.

When you claim your website:

• Your profile picture appears on all Pins from your site.
• You get access to website analytics.
• Your Pins are seen as more trustworthy.
• You can enable Rich Pins (more on those in a minute).

For more details on how to claim your website on Pinterest, you can visit the site’s Help article on the subject.

Enabling Rich Pins

Rich Pins are Pinterest’s supercharged Pin format that pulls extra information directly from your website. There are four types:

• Product Pins (show price, availability)
• Recipe Pins (show ingredients, cooking time)
• Article Pins (show headline, description)
• App Pins (show install button)

For product marketers, Product Rich Pins are gold. They automatically update when you change prices on your site and include a direct link to purchase.

To enable Rich Pins, you’ll need to add metadata to your website (if you use Shopify, WooCommerce, or another major e-commerce platform, they often have built-in support for this). Then validate your Rich Pins through Pinterest’s Rich Pin Validator and apply to enable them.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Product Pin

Not all Pins are created equal. Let’s break down what makes a Pin stop the scroll and drive clicks to your products.

The Visual Element: Images That Convert

Pinterest is a visual platform, so your images need to be striking. Here’s what works:

• Vertical format: Use a 2:3 aspect ratio (1000 x 1500 pixels). This takes up more screen real estate as users scroll, giving you higher visibility.
• Bright, clear images: Dark or blurry images get skipped. Make sure your product is well-lit, and the key details are visible.
• Lifestyle context: Don’t just show the product, show it in use. A desk looks more appealing when styled in a workspace setting rather than isolated on white.
• Text overlay: Adding a short headline or value proposition directly on the image can increase clicks by 30% (based on my own testing). But keep it minimal. Too much text clutters the image.
• Branding elements: Include a small logo or consistent color palette across your Pins so they’re recognizable as your brand.

These are just general guidelines. From these, you can build a visual guide that works well for your brand.

Crafting Compelling Pin Titles and Descriptions

Your Pin’s copy is crucial for both discoverability and conversion. Here are some elements of compelling pins:

• Keyword-rich titles: Front-load with specific, searchable terms. “Modern Glass Desk for Small Home Office” is better than “Our Newest Desk Design.”
• Conversational descriptions: After your keywords, write naturally. Describe benefits, not just features. “This adjustable desk gives you ergonomic comfort while its compact design saves space in small apartments” speaks to the customer’s needs.
• Call to action: End with a clear CTA like “Shop now” or “See more colors” to guide the next step.
• Hashtags (but not too many): Add 2-5 relevant hashtags at the end of your description. More than that, it looks spammy.

If your Pin’s image is the bait, the title and description are the fishing line and rod. Once the potential customer sees the image and “bites” by clicking, you can then reel them in with a compelling copy.

The Controversial Truth: What Really Gets Clicked

Contrary to popular belief, the “perfect aesthetic” you see in Pinterest marketing guides often isn’t what drives the most clicks.

While beautiful, minimalist product images perform well for saves (repins), slightly “imperfect” images that show the product in real-world settings, sometimes with subtle signs of use, actually drive more click-throughs and sales.

Why? They feel attainable and authentic. When people can picture themselves using the product in their actual lives (not in a staged, perfect environment), they’re more likely to make a purchase.

Test this yourself: create two versions of a product Pin. One with studio-perfect styling and another with a more casual, lived-in feel. Watch which one drives more traffic to your site.

Building Boards That Showcase Your Products

Your boards are the organizational structure of your Pinterest presence. Think of them as the departments in your store. They need to be intuitive, inviting, and optimized for discovery.

Strategic Board Organization

Instead of creating a single “Our Products” board, create multiple boards that organize products by:

• Use case or solution (“Small Space Office Solutions”)
• Style or aesthetic (“Minimalist Home Office”)
• Collection or line (“Spring 2024 Collection”)
• Customer segment (“Student Desk Setup Ideas”)

This approach helps different audience segments find exactly what they’re looking for.

Board SEO: Beyond the Basics

Each board needs its own SEO strategy. Here’s what you need to have on each board:

• Keyword-focused names: Make board names crystal clear and search-friendly. “Ergonomic Office Chairs” is better than “Sit in Style.”
• Detailed board descriptions: Use the first 500 characters to include relevant keywords naturally. Describe what kind of Pins users will find and how they’ll benefit.
• Categorization: When creating a board, select the most relevant category from Pinterest’s options to help the algorithm understand your content.
• Cover image selection: Choose your most visually striking Pin as the board cover. This is the first impression users will have.

Balance between style and function. Flowery copy and award-worthy images won’t be worth much if the customer doesn’t know what they’re about to click on.

The Group Board Debate

There’s a heated debate in Pinterest marketing circles about the value of group boards. These are boards where multiple contributors can pin content, potentially expanding reach.

From my observations, most group boards have become significantly less valuable since Pinterest’s algorithm updates in 2021 and 2022.

Why? Pinterest now focuses on promoting high-quality original content. Group boards are often cluttered with low-quality Pins competing for attention, which can actually hurt your visibility.

Instead of chasing group board invites, I recommend focusing on creating exceptional content for your own boards. The algorithm rewards quality and relevance over mass distribution tactics.

That said, there’s one exception: highly curated group boards in your specific niche with active, engaged contributors can still provide value. Just be selective.

Creating a Sustainable Pinterest Content Strategy

The death knell for many Pinterest marketing efforts is inconsistency. You need a systematic approach that keeps fresh content flowing without overwhelming you.

The Ideal Pinning Schedule

How often should you pin? This is where things get interesting.

Pinterest’s algorithm has evolved to favor quality over quantity. While conventional wisdom used to recommend 10-15 Pins per day, 3-5 high-quality Pins daily actually performs better for most brands.

The key is consistency. Pinning 5 times a day for a week and then disappearing for a month sends negative signals to the algorithm.

Here’s what works for most product marketers:

• 3-5 Pins daily (spread throughout the day).
• A mix of product Pins and inspirational/educational posts.
• Consistent activity 5-7 days a week.

Creating Multiple Pins for the Same Product

One product can and should have multiple Pins. This isn’t duplicate content if each Pin features:

• Different images or angles.
• Different text overlays highlighting various benefits.
• Seasonal contexts (the same desk in summer vs. winter styling).

Better yet, you don’t have to schedule multiple shoots to create different Pins for these products. You can just take pictures of the product from various angles and stylings in the same photoshoot.

Batching: The Secret to Consistency

Here’s my time-saving approach: batch creation of Pins.

Set aside one day a month to create and schedule all your Pins for the coming weeks. Using Pinterest’s native scheduler, you can queue them to post at optimal times.

This prevents the daily grind of “What do I post today?” and ensures you maintain the consistency the algorithm rewards.

Pinterest SEO: Getting Found in Search

Pinterest SEO is a different beast compared to other social platforms. Let’s learn about it so you can get the most out of it.

Keyword Research for Pinterest

Finding the right keywords requires a Pinterest-specific approach:

• Pinterest search bar: Start typing relevant terms and note the auto-suggestions. These are popular searches.
• Pinterest Trends: This tool shows you what’s trending in different categories and regions.
• Guided search: After you search for something, Pinterest shows related terms at the top. These are valuable secondary keywords.

Create a spreadsheet of primary keywords (like “office desk”) and long-tail variations (like “small space office desk for apartment”) to systematically incorporate into your Pins.

The Algorithm Factors You Can Control

Pinterest’s algorithm weighs several factors when deciding which Pins to show:

• Domain quality: How trustworthy is your website? Claimed domains with consistent pinning have higher domain quality.
• Pin quality: How much engagement does your Pin receive relative to impressions? High-quality images and relevant descriptions improve this.
• Pinner quality: How active and consistent are you on the platform? Regular pinning (both your content and other people’s content) helps here.
• Relevance: How well does your Pin match what the user is searching for? Keyword optimization is key.

Of these, Pin quality and relevance are most directly under your control through content creation.

The “Fresh Pins” Strategy

Pinterest has explicitly stated they favor “fresh” content. But what constitutes “fresh” is widely misunderstood.

Some marketers believe they need entirely new blog posts or products to create fresh Pins. That’s not true.

A fresh Pin is simply a new image, even if it links to the same URL. This means you can create multiple fresh Pins for a single product page by using different images, text overlays, or crops.

I’ve found that slightly altering existing Pin images (changing text, colors, or cropping) and reusing them about 3-4 months later can perform nearly as well as completely new images, despite some Pinterest experts insisting otherwise.

This can dramatically reduce your content creation burden without sacrificing performance. Just don’t do this more than once per quarter for any given image so things stay fresh.

Maximizing Video Pins for Product Showcase

Video content is exploding on Pinterest, with video Pins seeing 2-3x higher engagement rates than static images. But most marketers aren’t using them effectively for products. So, let’s go over how you can maximize video content on your Pins.

Types of Video Pins That Convert

For product marketing, these video formats work best:

• Product demos: Show your product in action, highlighting key features in 15-30 seconds.
• Before/after transformations: These are incredibly powerful for products that solve problems or create visible changes.
• How-to snippets: Brief tutorials showing one specific way to use your product.
• Unboxing experiences: Capture the excitement of opening and first using your product.

Keep videos short (15-60 seconds), add text overlays to explain what’s happening, and ensure they work without sound (though adding music can boost engagement).

Technical Specifications for Video Pins

To ensure your videos look great on Pinterest:

• Use .mp4, .mov, or .m4v format.
• Keep file size under 2GB.
• Aim for 9:16 or 2:3 aspect ratio (vertical).
• Max length: 15 minutes (but shorter is better).
• Recommended length: 15-30 seconds.

The End Screen Opportunity

One often-overlooked trick is using a strong end screen with a clear call to action. The last 1-2 seconds of your video should include:

• Your logo.
• A clear CTA (“Shop Now” or “Learn More”).
• Product name and value proposition.

This gives viewers a final push toward action while reinforcing your brand identity.

Community Engagement: The Overlooked Element

Pinterest might not be as conversation-focused as other platforms, but community engagement still matters for product marketers.

Curating Others’ Content (Not Just Your Own)

One mistake I see brands make is only pinning their own content. This looks self-serving and limits your reach.

Instead, follow a 80/20 rule:

• 80% of your pins should be your own content.
• 20% should be high-quality, relevant content from others.

By repinning content that aligns with your brand values and aesthetic, you:

1. Build goodwill in the Pinterest community.
2. Provide more value to your followers.
3. Signal to the algorithm that you’re an active, engaged user.

This strategy helps position your brand as a curator and resource, not just a promoter.

Responding to Comments and Saves

When users comment on your Pins (yes, it happens, though less frequently than on other platforms), always respond. This shows you’re attentive and builds community.

Also, pay attention to which of your Pins are being saved the most, and to which boards. This gives you invaluable insight into how people perceive your products and what problems they’re trying to solve with them.

For example, if your office desk is being saved to “Small Apartment Solutions” boards rather than “Home Office” boards, that tells you something about how customers are using your product. That’s information you can use in future Pins and product development.

Best Practices for Pinterest Product Marketing

What makes product marketing on Pinterest work? Here are some best practices I’ve picked up from the platform’s top brands.

Seasonal Planning for Long-Term Success

Pinterest users search for content months before events or holidays. They’re planners by nature. Take advantage of this by:

• Creating seasonal content 2-3 months in advance.
• Using Pinterest Trends to identify upcoming seasonal keywords.
• Building themed boards for major shopping seasons (Holiday Gifts, Summer Essentials, etc.)
• Creating multiple seasonal variations of your core products.

This advance planning ensures your content has time to gain traction before the peak buying season arrives.

The “Value First” Pin Strategy

The most successful product Pins provide value beyond just showcasing the product. For each Pin, ask yourself: “What problem does this solve for the user?”

Then, structure your Pin to:

• Identify a specific problem or desire.
• Show how your product offers a solution.
• Provide a clear way to act (purchase).

For example, instead of simply showing a desk organizer, frame it as “5 Ways This Organizer Creates More Workspace” and visually demonstrate those benefits.

Consistent Branding Without Being Boring

Users should recognize your Pins instantly, even without seeing your name. Develop a cohesive visual identity by:

• Using consistent colors (2-3 primary colors that align with your brand).
• Applying the same font family across Pins.
• Placing your logo in the same position on each Pin.
• Using similar styling for product photography.

This consistency builds brand recognition while allowing room for creativity within your established framework.

The 24-Hour Response Window

When you get comments, questions, or mentions, respond within 24 hours. The Pinterest algorithm notices active accounts that engage with their audience.

Use these interactions as opportunities to:

• Thank users for engaging.
• Answer questions thoroughly.
• Provide additional information about products.
• Invite further action (visit the website, check other products).

This responsiveness not only helps with the algorithm but creates a positive brand impression.

Cross-Platform Promotion

Your existing audience on other platforms can jump-start your Pinterest growth. Implement these cross-promotion tactics to maximize the crossover:

• Add Pinterest share buttons to all product pages.
• Include “Pin It For Later” calls to action in blog posts.
• Share your best-performing Pins on Instagram Stories with a “See More on Pinterest” message.
• Email your subscriber list about your Pinterest boards as a resource.

This cross-pollination brings ready-to-engage followers to your Pinterest presence.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid in Pinterest Marketing

You know what to do, and it’s equally important to know what not to do. Here are some common mistakes made when marketing on Pinterest:

The “One and Done” Pin Approach

Perhaps the biggest mistake I see is creating just one Pin per product and moving on. This dramatically limits your reach potential. Content creation is time-consuming, and marketers often don’t realize Pinterest’s algorithm favors fresh content. Create at least 5-7 different pin designs for each core product, emphasizing different features, benefits, and use cases. Schedule these to publish over time rather than all at once.

Ignoring Pinterest Analytics

Many marketers set up their Pinterest and post regularly but never check their analytics to see what’s working. It’s easy to get caught in creation mode and forget to analyze performance, especially when results build slowly. But marketing without measuring is like driving a car without any indicators. You won’t know if your engine needs fixing or your fuel is running out.

Schedule a monthly “Pinterest Performance Review” where you examine top-performing Pins by clicks and conversions, content themes that drive engagement, best-performing boards, and traffic quality (time on site, pages per session). Use these insights to refine your strategy for the coming month.

The “Perfect Feed” Obsession

Some brands get paralyzed trying to create a perfectly curated feed that looks like a magazine spread. The visual nature of Pinterest makes marketers hyper-focused on aesthetics, sometimes at the expense of performance. Remember that most users never see your profile grid. Instead, they encounter individual Pins in search results or their home feed. Focus on making each Pin effective on its own rather than worrying about how your overall profile looks. Performance trumps perfection.

Keyword Stuffing

In an attempt to be found in search, some marketers cram their descriptions with keywords in an unnatural way. The importance of keywords on Pinterest leads to overcompensation. Focus on writing for humans first, algorithms second. Include your primary keywords naturally in the first 1-2 sentences, then write conversationally. Pinterest’s algorithm is sophisticated enough to understand context without explicit keyword stuffing.

Neglecting Mobile Optimization

Despite knowing most Pinterest users browse on mobile, many marketers create Pins that look great on desktop but poor on phones. Creators often work on desktop computers and forget to check how their Pins appear on smaller screens. Always preview your Pins on mobile before publishing. Ensure text is large enough to read on a phone, details are visible when scaled down, and CTAs are crystal clear even on tiny screens.

Measuring Success: Beyond Vanity Metrics

How do you know if your Pinterest strategy is working? Let’s look at the metrics that actually matter for product marketing.

The KPIs That Actually Drive Sales

While followers and total impressions are nice, these metrics more directly correlate with sales:

• Outbound clicks: How many people click through to your website. This is the bridge between Pinterest and your product pages.
• Click-through rate (CTR): Outbound clicks divided by impressions. A high CTR means your Pins are compelling enough to drive action.
• Pin-to-sale conversion rate: What percentage of people who click through from Pinterest actually make a purchase? Track this with UTM parameters or Pinterest Tag.
• Revenue per Pin: Total revenue attributed to Pinterest divided by number of Pins. This helps identify your most valuable content.

Track these metrics monthly and look for trends rather than day-to-day fluctuations.

Setting Up Proper Attribution

To accurately measure Pinterest’s impact, you need proper attribution:

• UTM parameters: Add a UTM tag to your Pinterest links to signal that the people who clicked on those came from Pinterest.
• Pinterest Tag: Similar to the Facebook Pixel, this tracks user actions on your site after clicking from Pinterest.
• Google Analytics: Configure it to show traffic sources and conversion paths so you can see Pinterest’s role in the customer journey.

The most common attribution mistake I see is looking only at last-click attribution, which undervalues Pinterest’s impact. Pinterest often plants the seed early in the buying journey, with purchases happening days or weeks later, possibly through another channel.

The Analytics Dashboard: What to Look At Monthly

Schedule a monthly Pinterest performance review focusing on:

1. Top-performing Pins (by outbound clicks and conversions).
2. Trending searches related to your products.
3. Traffic quality metrics (bounce rate, time on site, pages per session).
4. Conversion metrics by Pin type and board.
5. Month-over-month growth in key KPIs.

Use these insights to inform your next month’s content strategy. Do more of what works and refine or eliminate what doesn’t.

Key Takeaways

Unlike platforms where you’re constantly fighting against algorithmic changes and declining organic reach, Pinterest rewards patience and quality. It’s one of the few platforms where organic marketing can still significantly impact your bottom line.

Let’s recap what we’ve learned:

• Why Pinterest stands apart as a search-driven discovery engine with high purchase intent rather than just another social network
• How to properly set up your Business account, claim your website, and enable Rich Pins for product marketing
• The science behind creating Pins that convert, including optimal image dimensions, text overlay strategies, and keyword optimization
• How to organize boards strategically to help users find your products based on their needs and interests

Remember, Pinterest is a marathon, not a sprint. The compound effect of consistent, quality content can drive product discovery and sales for years to come.

Not all types of products can benefit from a Pinterest presence, but if yours is a good fit, why not start today? Create a profile for your brand and start pinning!