Pinterest Marketing Guide: How to Use Pinterest for Business

Did you know that Pinterest has more than 500 million monthly active users? Or that millions of people use the platform every day to search for products, services and inspiration before making a purchase?

That’s why Pinterest deserves far more attention than many businesses give it.

Unlike Facebook or Instagram, where posts quickly disappear down the timeline, Pinterest works much more like a search engine. A good Pin can continue driving visitors to your website for months, sometimes even years, after it’s been published.

So, if you’re wondering how to use Pinterest for business or how to do Pinterest marketing effectively, you’re in the right place.

But it’s all very well saying that Pinterest is the place to be. If you want it to become a genuine source of traffic and enquiries, you need the right strategy from the start. Let’s run through some of the best ways to make Pinterest work for your business.

What Exactly Is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a visual discovery platform that allows users to search for ideas, inspiration and solutions before saving content to themed boards.

People use Pinterest for everything from home improvements and recipes to fashion, travel, weddings and business advice. Increasingly, they’re also using it to research products and services before making a purchasing decision.

For businesses, Pinterest offers something many other social media platforms struggle to provide. Every Pin can link directly back to your website, making it an excellent platform for generating long-term traffic rather than simply collecting likes and followers.

Why Use Pinterest for Business?

Businesses of every size can benefit from Pinterest.

Whether you’re selling products online, promoting your services or simply looking to build greater brand awareness, Pinterest gives you another opportunity to put your business in front of people who are actively searching for ideas.

One of the biggest advantages is that Pinterest users often have a purpose.

They’re planning.

They’re researching.

They’re comparing.

They’re looking for inspiration before making a decision.

That’s a very different audience to someone casually scrolling through social media.

Pinterest can also support the rest of your marketing. A well-optimised Pin can continue sending visitors to your blog posts, service pages and product pages long after you’ve published it.

Create a Pinterest Business Account

If you have a business and are looking to take advantage of everything Pinterest has to offer, creating a business account is one of the first things you should do.

It can be used as a standalone platform to build brand awareness or as a valuable marketing tool that drives visitors directly back to your website.

If you already have a Pinterest account, you may decide to convert your existing profile into a business account or create a completely separate account for your business.

If your current boards are already closely related to your business, converting your account can save time. However, if it’s full of personal interests and unrelated content, creating a fresh business profile often presents a much more professional image.

Once your account is ready, spend a little time completing your profile properly.

Use your company logo as your profile picture, write a clear description explaining what your business does and make sure your website is included.

One of the biggest benefits of a Pinterest business account is access to Pinterest Analytics. You’ll be able to see which Pins perform best, how people are engaging with your content and which Pins are driving visitors back to your website.

It’s also worth claiming your website within Pinterest. This associates your content with your business and provides additional insights into how your content performs across the platform.

How to Do Pinterest Marketing Successfully

There isn’t one single formula that guarantees success on Pinterest.

However, the businesses that perform well usually have one thing in common.

They consistently create useful content that people genuinely want to save and share.

Share Your Own Content

Like Instagram, Pinterest is a highly visual platform. However, Pinterest is much more than somewhere to share attractive images.

Every Pin should encourage users to visit your website to learn more.

That could be a blog article, a service page, a product page or a useful guide.

The more valuable your content is, the more likely people are to save it to their own boards and share it with others.

Create Well Organised Boards

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is putting everything into one general board.

Instead, create several boards based on different themes that relate to your business.

For example, if you’re an interior designer, you might have separate boards for kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and home office ideas.

Organised boards make it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for and also help Pinterest understand the subjects you’re covering.

If you’re completely new to Pinterest, we’ve put together a separate guide explaining How to Create a Pinterest Board, including how to organise your boards for the best results.

Use Keywords Naturally

Pinterest has its own search engine, so keywords still play an important role.

Add relevant keywords naturally throughout your profile, board titles, board descriptions and Pin descriptions.

One of the easiest ways to find keyword ideas is simply by typing a phrase into Pinterest’s search bar and looking at the suggestions that appear.

These are often the exact words and phrases your audience is already searching for.

Just as with Google, good keyword research starts with understanding your customers rather than simply chasing the highest search volumes. If you’d like to learn more, our Keyword Research Guide explains how to identify the keywords that matter most.

Share Eye-Catching Imagery

Pinterest is a visual platform, so the quality of your images really matters.

While clean product images with a white background may work perfectly on your website, Pinterest users are often drawn to images that inspire them or teach them something.

Think about the type of content your audience would actually want to save for later.

High-quality photography, infographics, step-by-step graphics and images with clear text overlays all tend to perform well. Tools such as Canva make it easy to create professional-looking Pins, even if you’re not a graphic designer.

Above all else, make sure your branding is consistent so people begin to recognise your content as they scroll.

Build a Community

One of the best ways for businesses to get the most from Pinterest is to become an active member of the community.

Many businesses only pin their own content, but Pinterest works much better when you engage with other users too.

Follow relevant accounts, save useful content and interact with people who engage with your Pins. If customers are sharing photos of your products or services, don’t be afraid to celebrate that content as well.

User-generated content is a great way to build trust whilst also showing potential customers that real people are enjoying what you offer.

The more you engage with your audience, the more visible your content is likely to become.

Use Rich Pins

Rich Pins automatically pull additional information from your website and display it alongside your content.

Depending on the type of business you run, this could include product information, article details or recipes.

It helps users understand more about your content before they even click through to your website, making your Pins more useful and informative.

Be Consistent

One of the biggest questions businesses ask is how often they should post on Pinterest.

The honest answer is that consistency matters far more than volume.

You don’t need to pin dozens of times every day to be successful.

Instead, focus on creating high-quality content and sharing it regularly. A realistic schedule that you can stick to over the long term will almost always produce better results than posting lots of Pins one week and then disappearing for the next month.

Measure Your Pinterest Performance

One of the biggest advantages of using a Pinterest business account is access to Pinterest Analytics.

Rather than guessing what’s working, you can see exactly which Pins generate the most engagement, saves and outbound clicks.

Look for patterns.

Which topics consistently perform well?

What style of image receives the most engagement?

Which Pins are sending visitors to your website?

Once you know what’s working, create more content around those topics.

It’s also worth reviewing your website traffic in Google Analytics. Pinterest should be helping to drive visitors to your website, so don’t just measure followers or likes. Look at website traffic, enquiries and sales as well. Those are the figures that really matter.

Getting the Most From Pinterest

Pinterest is often described as a social media platform, but in reality it’s much closer to a visual search engine.

People aren’t simply scrolling for entertainment. They’re actively searching for ideas, products and inspiration, which makes Pinterest a fantastic opportunity for businesses that are willing to invest a little time into creating useful content.

If you focus on helping your audience, create boards around topics they’re interested in, optimise your Pins with relevant keywords and consistently share high-quality content, Pinterest can become an important part of your wider marketing strategy.

If you’d like help improving your overall social media strategy, take a look at our Social Media Marketing services.

And remember, Pinterest is only one part of a successful online presence. Understanding the keywords your audience is searching for and creating useful content around those topics is just as important.