Using Pinterest to increase traffic to your blog can seem overwhelming. However, it’s a great traffic source once you find the right way to use it.
Pinterest has 175 million users making it a great source of traffic if you use it well. I’m working to make organic search my number one traffic source but like many bloggers, Pinterest is often my number one source.
I’ve been personally using Pinterest since you had to be invited to join. It’s a platform I love as a user and one I’ve grown to love as a blogger as well.
Since Pinterest switched to a smart-feed instead of chronological, it’s a bit harder to be seen but if you pin the right things and have a good strategy you can get a lot of traffic.
Using Pinterest to Increase Blog Traffic
This isn’t a guide to starting your Pinterest page or how to start a blog. You need to have a blog and a business Pinterest account started before following these tips. Once you have gotten started these tips will help you grow.
Pinterest also involves some trial and error. These are tips for how I pin but not all tips will work for you. Try different things until you find what works for you. I’m always trying new things to make sure I’m using Pinterest in the best way possible.
Create Great Graphics
Because Pinterest is a visual platform it’s essential to make great graphics. I’m always working to improve my photography skills by practicing and learning from others.
While taking my own photos is what I prefer, I do often use stock images as well. You can find free stock photos but even on sites that say they are free to use without credit they are sometimes stolen and you can still run into issues. I’ve used these sites in the past but when I learned this I started working to replace those photos with my own or photos purchased from a reputable site.
The main place I use to buy stock photos is Bigstock. I like their photos and the prices are reasonable. You can buy credits or get a subscription. You can get a 7-day free trial. You can also get 2% cashback with Ebates.
Having text on the photo is also important on Pinterest because people rarely read the description they just look at the pin. You want the text to be very readable and large because most people view Pinterest on mobile.
I use PicMonkey to create my pins. I like to use the same three fonts and text colors to keep my pins looking similar. You can see examples of my pins on my Pinterest page.
Pinterest recommends pins be 600 x 900 pixels. For years it’s been 2:3 ratio or taller. Now they are saying up to 2:3. Longer pins aren’t shown until you click on them. I’m currently testing 735×1102 (which is 2:3) as it is a recommended pin size.
Use a Scheduling Tool
Using a scheduling tool can help you schedule your pins in advance and prevents all of your pins from going out at once which is not ideal if people are using the following feed.
I use Tailwind because it’s a great scheduler, affordable, and it’s an approved partner with Pinterest so you know it’s safe to use.
You can get a $15 free Tailwind credit and a free trial by clicking here.
Note: BoardBooster is not an approved partner and could raise your risk of having your account closed.
Use Tailwind Tribes
Another great part of Tailwind is the tribes. Tailwind Tribes are groups you join and add your pins to. You also can find other people’s content to pin in the tribes. Usually, you are required to repin one pin for every pin you add, be sure to read the rules.
I mostly pin my own content but the other content I pin comes mostly from Tailwind Tribes. It’s a really quick and easy way to quickly get my Pinterest scheduled.
I hope these tips will help you increase your blog traffic with Pinterest. Remember that Pinterest changes a lot, so keep up with the latest news. A good place to check is Best Practices for Pinterest Success.
Don’t get discouraged if something isn’t working, just try something new. Be sure to also give new things a bit of time to start working.
Most importantly, don’t just focus on Pinterest for traffic. Building up good SEO is a safer and better traffic source. It changes less often and you aren’t reliant on something that often changes algorithms.
Looking for even more ways to generate traffic? Check out 5 Ways to Generate More Blog Traffic for Free.
Want to discuss Pinterest strategy and learn more? Join the Growing Our Blogs Together Facebook group.
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