Pinterest can be a powerful platform for driving traffic and growing your business, but it’s easy to fall into common traps that hinder your success. Let’s dive into the 10 biggest mistakes people make on Pinterest today, so you can steer clear and optimize your strategy.
1. Don’t Get Hung Up on Follower Count
On Pinterest, it’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing your follower count to others and feeling discouraged if it’s not sky-high. However, unlike platforms like Instagram where follower count directly impacts visibility, Pinterest operates differently.
Why Follower Count Isn’t Everything:
- Pinterest is a Search Engine: People primarily find content on Pinterest through search queries, not by browsing their following feed. Even if you have a small following, your pins can still reach a massive audience if they’re well-optimized and relevant to popular search terms.
- Engagement Matters More: Pinterest’s algorithm prioritizes engagement metrics like saves, clicks, and close-ups. A pin with high engagement, even from a smaller audience, will be favored over a pin with low engagement from a larger following.
- Quality Over Quantity: It’s better to have a smaller, engaged audience genuinely interested in your content than a large, passive following. Focus on attracting your ideal clients, not just anyone.
What to Focus on Instead:
- Creating High-Quality Pins: Visually appealing images, compelling titles, and informative descriptions that entice users to click and save.
- Keyword Research: Optimize your pins and boards with relevant keywords to ensure they appear in search results when people are looking for your type of content.
- Providing Value: Share content that solves problems, educates, or entertains your target audience. Valuable content is more likely to be saved and shared, expanding your reach organically.
Remember, building a successful Pinterest presence takes time and effort. Don’t get discouraged by a low follower count. Focus on creating quality content that resonates with your ideal clients, and the followers will come.
2. Being Inconsistent
Consistency is everything on Pinterest, but let’s be real – it’s also one of the hardest things to keep up with. Life gets busy, and sometimes Pinterest just isn’t at the top of the priority list. And you know what? That’s okay. If you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up. Just jump back in and start pinning again.
The trick to staying consistent is setting goals that actually fit your schedule. You don’t need to post 10 pins a day if that’s not realistic for you. Maybe it’s once a day, maybe it’s three times a week. The key is to find a rhythm that works for you and stick to it. Consistency doesn’t have to mean posting tons of content – it’s more about showing up regularly.
If you aim too high and can’t keep up, you’re just going to get frustrated. Start with something manageable, and once you’re comfortable, you can always ramp it up. A few high-quality pins posted consistently will do way more for you than a big burst of activity followed by crickets.
And if you miss a few days (or weeks), don’t stress. Pinterest is forgiving. Just get back to it when you can, and you’ll be fine. The algorithm recognizes long-term patterns, so as long as you’re pinning regularly over time, you’ll still see growth. Whether you’re posting daily or a few times a week, just stay consistent – that’s what wins on Pinterest.
The Pinterest Accelerator
If you are looking for some one to one support creating a Pinterest strategy for your business, you can find out more information on my coaching program The Pinterest Accelerator here: The Pinterest Accelerator
3. Neglecting Keyword Research
One of the biggest mistakes I see is people skipping keyword research. Pinterest isn’t just another social media platform – it’s a visual search engine. And like any search engine, keywords are super important for getting your content in front of the right people.
You’ve got to think about Pinterest like you would Google. The way you optimize your blog posts or website for search engines? You need to do the same for your Pinterest content. That means adding relevant keywords to your pin titles, descriptions, text overlays, and board descriptions so Pinterest knows what your content is about and can show it to the right audience.
Think about how people are searching on Pinterest. What words or phrases would your ideal audience type in? If you’re a food blogger, maybe it’s something like “easy weeknight dinners” or “healthy recipes for families.” Once you know what they’re searching for, sprinkle those keywords naturally into your content. That’s how you’re going to get found.
Remember, Pinterest is all about search – so if you’re not using keywords, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to get your content seen.
Don’t limit keyword research to just your pins. Make sure to optimize your entire profile by including keywords in your board titles and descriptions as well. Each board should be thematically organized around a core set of keywords relevant to the content you plan to pin to it. This helps Pinterest categorize your boards properly and increases the likelihood of your pins being shown in relevant searches.
Finally, remember that keyword research isn’t a one-time task. Trends and search behavior change over time, so it’s beneficial to revisit your keyword strategy periodically. Use Pinterest’s own search bar or tools like Pinterest Trends to uncover new or trending keywords that are relevant to your niche. By staying on top of keyword research, you’re ensuring that your content continues to reach new audiences and remains competitive in search results.
You don’t need to have any tools to find keywords on Pinterest, however there are two tools I love to use to speed up the process. The first is Pin Inspector, it is a program that will help you find keywords and their rank, which is really helpful. You don’t have to connect it to your Pinterest account, so it’s completely safe to use.
The other tool I have been loving lately is PinClicks. It is subscription-based so if you are on a tight budget the Pin Inspector may be the better option. I do like the features and the additional interest annotations it provides.
Related Post: Master Pinterest SEO: How to Conduct Effective Keyword Research on Pinterest
4. Overemphasizing Impressions
Let’s talk about impressions because this is a big one. A lot of people get caught up in that big impressions number, thinking it’s the holy grail of Pinterest success. But here’s the reality: impressions just mean that your pin appeared on someone’s screen. It doesn’t mean they clicked on it, saved it, or even gave it a second look. So yeah, impressions might look impressive (pun intended), but they’re not the metric that matters most.
What you really want to focus on are the actions that show engagement: outbound clicks, saves, and conversions. These are the things that tell you people are interested enough to do something with your content. Outbound clicks are especially important because they show that people aren’t just looking at your pin – they’re heading to your website or blog, which is the ultimate goal, right?
Impressions are nice because they tell you Pinterest is pushing your content, but don’t get stuck there. The real goal is getting people off Pinterest and onto your site, checking out your products, reading your blog, or whatever your main goal is. So track those outbound clicks, saves, and conversions. That’s what’s going to grow your business.
Bottom line? Impressions are just the start. What really counts is what people do next.
5. Skipping Call to Actions
A big mistake I see all the time is people forgetting to tell their audience what to do next. It’s such a simple thing, but it makes a massive difference. If you want someone to click through to your website, save your pin, or read your blog post, you have to ask them to do it. People are busy and distracted – they’re not always going to take action unless you spell it out for them.
This is where your Call to Action (CTA) comes in. You can place a CTA right on your pin, in the description, or even as text overlaying your image. Simple phrases like “Click to learn more,” “Save this pin for later,” or “Shop now” can give people the nudge they need to take action. Don’t assume your audience knows what you want them to do – be direct and clear.
Trust me, adding a strong CTA can boost your engagement in a big way. It makes your content more actionable and helps guide your audience to the next step, whether that’s reading your blog or buying your product.
6. Worrying About Pinning the Same URL
So many people stress about pinning the same URL more than once in a week, and honestly, it’s not something you need to lose sleep over. There’s no rule on Pinterest that says you can’t pin the same URL within seven days. As long as you’re not spamming your followers with the same pin over and over in a single day, you’re good. Spacing things out by a day or so is more than enough.
The key here is to focus on variety. Sure, you’ll pin the same link multiple times, but you also want to make sure you’re creating new pins that link to different landing pages or blog posts. The more content you have, the easier it is to spread things out and keep your feed fresh. This also gives you more opportunities to get in front of different segments of your audience. So, instead of stressing about whether you pinned a URL on Tuesday and again on Friday, focus on making sure you’re linking to different parts of your site and giving your audience a range of content to interact with.
7. Overvaluing Group Boards
Group boards – let’s be honest, they’re not what they used to be. Back in the day, they were a huge deal, but in 2024? Not so much. I know some people still recommend joining group boards or using Tailwind communities, but they just don’t have the same power anymore.
If you’re already part of a few group boards, no worries. It’s fine to stay in them, but don’t make them the cornerstone of your Pinterest strategy. Instead, focus on your own boards. You have way more control over your content, and when you post to your boards, you’re building up your own presence, not someone else’s.
Group boards aren’t the magic bullet they once were, so save your energy and put it into creating high-quality content that speaks directly to your audience. That’s what’s going to move the needle.
8. Trying to Mimic Other Social Platforms
Here’s a common mistake: trying to treat Pinterest like Instagram or TikTok. But here’s the deal – Pinterest isn’t like those platforms, and it doesn’t play by the same rules. You don’t need to spend time liking, commenting, or interacting with other people’s pins like you do on social media. Pinterest is a search engine, so the name of the game is creating valuable content that people are actually searching for.
The beauty of Pinterest is you can post your content and move on. It’s not about building relationships through interaction like you would on Instagram or Facebook. Pinterest rewards good content, not social activity. So, stop worrying about engaging with other creators’ pins and focus on creating high-quality pins with strong keywords. Let Pinterest’s search engine do the heavy lifting for you.
This is the platform where you can literally “post and ghost” and still get great results.
9. Feeling Obligated to Pin Other Creators’ Content
Another thing I hear a lot is, “Do I need to pin other people’s content to my boards?” And the answer is: nope, you don’t. You’re not on Pinterest to curate a feed of other creators’ content – you’re here to promote your brand and your business.
Now, if you see a pin that’s really useful for your audience, feel free to share it. But don’t feel obligated to pin other people’s content just for the sake of doing it. Your Pinterest account is a showcase for what you bring to the table, so keep the focus on your own content.
The only time pinning other creators’ content makes sense is if you’re just starting out and don’t have a lot of your own content yet. In that case, sure, pin a few things from others just to warm up your boards. But as soon as you’ve got enough of your own stuff, switch gears and promote you.
10. Being Impatient
Here’s the thing about Pinterest: it’s a long game, and you’ve got to have a little patience. I know you want results fast – we all do – but Pinterest doesn’t work like that. It’s not the platform to go viral overnight. You’re looking at six to nine months of consistent pinning before you’ll start seeing significant traffic, conversions, or sales.
But here’s the good news: once the ball gets rolling, it keeps rolling. Pins you create today can still be driving traffic and sales months or even years from now. So yeah, it might take a bit longer to see results, but when they come, they last.
Stick with it. Keep creating valuable content and trust the process. Pinterest is all about building a strong foundation that’s going to pay off in the long run.
To Sum it Up
By avoiding these common mistakes and sticking to a solid Pinterest strategy, you can really unlock the platform’s full potential for your business. It’s all about consistency, quality content, and a little patience. So, don’t sweat the small stuff, have fun with it, and happy pinning!
Additional Tips:
- Optimize Your Profile: Make sure your profile is polished and reflects your brand’s personality.
- Create High-Quality Pins: Use eye-catching images, clear text, and strong calls to action to grab attention.
- Track Your Analytics: Keep an eye on your Pinterest Analytics to see what’s working and where you can improve.
- Experiment and Adapt: Don’t be afraid to try new things and adjust based on what’s getting results.
Remember, Pinterest is a marathon, not a sprint. Stick with it, stay consistent, and you’ll see the results you’re looking for!
