Like every social media platform, and Google, the game is always changing. And my favourite way to explain any strategy you find success in is, it only works until it doesn’t… I know, it sucks.
Whilst Pinterest doesn’t fall foul to as many algorithmic updates as Google, with masses of AI content continuing to flood the platform, it’s only a matter of time before Pinterest stamp down on it. Plus, there has been definite volatility felt across Pinterest in recent weeks and it’s more important than ever to pivot and create new strategies that actually work.
Over the last 12 months we have grown an account from 6K outbound clicks to over 100K outbound clicks per month, constantly adapting our strategy to see what works best. So, today we’re sharing 9 of our favourite Pinterest growth hacks for 2024 that really work…
9 Pinterest Growth Hacks For 2024 That Work
1. Focus On Keywords
Pinterest is a visual search engine and depends on keywords being used to find the type of content you’re looking for. So, if you’re looking for a quick win on Pinterest that actually gets your content seen, you really should be focusing on keywords and making sure your content is optimised for Pinterest.
Keywords should be used on your pin titles, pin descriptions and if you’re creating graphics, on there too.
So, how do you find the keywords? Using the right keywords for the right search intent is super important, landing in front of your audience at the exactly right time will drive impressions, but most importantly outbound clicks.
One of the easiest and free ways to do keyword research is to use the search box on Pinterest. Use your main keyword and see what auto suggested keywords come up that can be used on your title and description. Whilst Pinterest don’t give search volumes, generally speaking the top keywords that appear on the auto suggest are the most popular, so in this case, ‘living room designs’ and ‘living room’ are the searches receiving the most traffic.
These keywords are super broad though and it will be very difficult to have a chance at ranking at the top of these queries. That’s why it’s always better to niche down for a more specific topic or look at the potential keywords further down the list.
Instead of using ‘living room’, you could put a piece of content together on ‘living room tv wall ideas’. You have a better chance of ranking well by choosing this keyword, yet it probably still has a lot of monthly searches. Being able to read these keyword results and choose accordingly will massively help your strategy on Pinterest, and how quickly you grow.
Alternatively, there are also paid tools that you can use so you can also get an idea of how many monthly searches come from each keyword. This helps to get an idea of whether the topic you’re writing about actually gets searches, or if there is a less competitive keyword you could use.
We have used Keysearch for years, and it is one of the cheapest keyword tools on the market that allows you to use it for other markets too including Google and eBay.
Not only are we not taking a stab in the dark with the keywords we select now, but you can also order the keywords by competition. Green keywords will always be much easier to rank for, so looking for low competition, with high volume searches is the perfect sweet spot to look for.
2. Mix Graphics & Static Imagery
If you want to see your statistics go up across the board, the best way to do that is to mix both static imagery and graphics. Static images, for example, a photo of a living room will do a great job at driving up impressions and saves as people are generally using these images for inspiration, saving it to their board for a later date.
But, if you are solely interested in driving outbound clicks, pins that are graphics with a clear call to action will drive pinners to take a specific action and want to find out more.
Eye catching graphics with bold text that are easy to read with a clear CTA work. This pin below is one of the top pins currently on my Pinterest account, it has generated over 100,000 impressions in the last 30 days with 1.93k outbound clicks, for this pin alone!
Why has it performed so well? It gives a tease that these 2 images are not the only Earthy living room ideas I have up my sleeve, the text is large on screen yet clear to read with the contrasting colours, and the images I have used are beautiful, and inspirational. Who wouldn’t want to pin this if they’re looking for earthy living room ideas?
This blog and pin was also created off the back of seeing what was trending on Pinterest. Using these hacks in tandem with one another will help to drive exponential growth.
3. Be Consistent With Your Pins
I can’t stress it enough that consistency is one of the key elements to succeed on Pinterest. Posting a few pins and then not checking back in on the account 2 weeks later just won’t work.
It requires consistent action over time, and teamed with employing the right keywords, your Pinterest account will grow. The process works.
So, how many pins are we talking? You’ll find different information wherever you look online, but as a general rule of thumb we recommend at least 2 pins a day for a new account, and on some of our larger accounts we manage we are doing 5, 10 and 15+ pins a day to continue an upwards trajectory.
It’s important for a new account to pin regularly so Pinterest can work out what your account is about, and the type of content you post. That’s why it’s also important to only pin relevant content to your niche. If you have a homeware brand, don’t make the mistake of having a board there for your nail inspo either. Get a personal account for that!
Consistency isn’t that sexy a growth hack, but it’s a hack a lot of people don’t stick at, but momentum wins. See the below growth from an accounts impressions over a year period. This was just from increasing the amount of pins that were being shared on the account daily.
4. Plan Content 3 Months Before Key Periods – Anticipate!
Pinners are planners and they come to Pinterest to look for things months before they happen. Christmas is a great example of this, as searches for Christmas start to begin their upwards trajectory in July.
If you start pinning seasonal relevant content on the month it happens, your pins will not gain traction, they won’t rank and basically, you’ve missed the boat for another year.
As a general rule of thumb you should also be planning and sending seasonal related content out 3 months before it happens. For further reassurance I recommend using the Pinterest trends tool. Search the specific keyword and it will show you data for the last 12 months on when searches peak and drop.
Pinning in advance of the season means that by the time the peak comes, you’re already ranking near the top for the keyword. We have a perfect example to share with you on this.
Here’s one of our pins below ranking number 1 (top left) for bathroom trends 2024 which was pinned in November 2023. In a 30 day period in January 2024 it had 93.17k impressions, 107 saves and 4.17k outbound clicks. It works.
5. Use Different Keywords On Your Pin Titles & Graphics
When your pin shows up on a users feed, the first thing they see is the graphic, and this is prime PIN REAL ESTATE. If you have a pin title for ‘best places to visit Plymouth’, don’t you even think about using the exact same keyword on the graphic.
The graphic gives you another opportunity to include other keywords that a user might be searching for. This means that your pin has double the opportunities to show up for specific search terms. It’s similar to creating Youtube thumbnails, it’s always designed to get you to click through, and it doesn’t have to be clickbaity on Pinterest for it to perform well.
Most people use Pinterest to drive clicks so by creating a click worthy graphic with a specific keyword, it will create that clear call to action to help widen your reach on Pinterest.
This is one of my favourite methods on Pinterest, and it works. Take inspiration from the below pin.
6. Pin More Content That Is Performing Well
Doubling down on the stuff that is working well is a tried and tested method that works. Pinterest has really good analytic reporting that allows you to view your top pins by impressions, outbound clicks and saves.
Depending on what you’re looking to grow, choose your desired metric and set it over the last 30 days. Take note of your top 10 performing pins – is it a particular topic? Video pin? A strong CTA on the graphic?
Once you have worked out a pattern from the pins, double down and create more similar content. Or, if it’s linked to blog posts, are there other similar themes that relate to the topic?
If you’re not sure, use the handy Pinterest trends tool or auto suggest to see what other content ideas come up that people are actively searching for.
7. Pin In Real Time
There are a few different ways you can pin, and because we know consistency wins on the platform, scheduling in bulk is usually seen as the easiest thing to do. You can use scheduling tools such as Tailwind, pin in the native pin scheduler or just pin in real time.
Now, we have tried all of the above methods, and we really do see a difference between scheduling and pinning in real time.
If you have to schedule pins, I always recommend using the native Pinterest scheduler. Whilst nothing has ever been confirmed, I always noticed a drop in initial impressions when sent from a third party platform.
The jury is out on this one, but we have found pinning in real time to really help with early impressions and growth on the platform.
8. Create Content Around Trends
If you’re struggling to think of content ideas or want to start creating content that actually works, Pinterest Trends is your new best friend.
Similar to Google trends, this handy and free extension from Pinterest shows you all of the latest growing trends along with their weekly, monthly and yearly % changes. To make it specific to your niche you can select specific topics and countries to see what trends are starting to take off. Pinterest trends can easily be accessed from Pinterest business accounts by clicking on Trends underneath the Analytics column.
This tool should be used to create trending content for now, and to plan for future topics. As I mentioned earlier, you can search specific keywords here as well so you can get an idea of when searches peak for these topics. This is another way to plan around trending content.
9. Submit Your Pin To Pinterest
If you are creating Pinterest content around their specific trends, did you know you can submit your pin to Pinterest for potential inclusion in their editorial features?
If your pin was to be featured you could experience a huge influx of impressions, saves and outbound clicks as your pin is shared across their network.
This is one of the lesser known things that you can do on Pinterest and it’s also a great way to get on the radar of Pinterest if you want to be invited to their exclusive Pinterest creators community in your country. Use the below link and check back monthly to see what trends they are looking for you to create content around.
Think your pin has what it takes? You can submit it to Pinterest through their creators website.
These Pinterest hacks work, but they’re so much more powerful if you can use them all in tandem for a winning Pinterest strategy. Have any burning questions about Pinterest? Feel free to drop us an email or book in for a 1-1 Pinterest hour with Nicole.
