The secrets of Pinterest with Sarah Burk

This week we are talking with Pinterest Expert Sarah Burk about how can you use Pinterest to improve your business.

Thank you Sarah for taking the time to answer my questions and giving such important tips and tricks!

1. Tell me more about you and how you ended up working as a Pinterest expert?

I first started my business with the intention of offering social media services, but once my first client hired me to manage her Pinterest account, I went all in. Realizing that there was an incredibly powerful platform out there to drive traffic straight to your website, without having to show your face on stories 24/7 or constantly “engage” with your audience was a game changer. I wanted to help more online business owners realize that it wasn’t just Instagram or bust.

2. How can a service or product business benefit from using the platform?

Pinterest has tons of benefits for both service and product-based businesses, but I think one of the most impactful is that you’re simply reaching a different audience. Many businesses are marketing over and over again to the same people on Instagram. When you branch out to Pinterest, you’re reaching different users. And often, those users are more ready to actually purchase.

Beyond that, Pinterest is amazing for driving traffic to your website, which can in turn lead to email list growth, leads, clients, and sales!

3. 3 tips to grow on Pinterest?

Research and use the keywords that Pinterest users are already searching for. As Pinterest is a search engine, your goal is to show up in those users’ search results with your content.

Create content that will attract your target audience. Pinterest users are primarily using the platform to look for inspiration or solutions to their problems. That means they don’t want to be directly sold to. Tip-based content and how-tos perform particularly well there. If your content isn’t getting engagements, it may be a sign that it’s not the right kind of content for the platform or your audience.

Be consistent and stick with it. It’s easy to get caught up thinking you have to have a complicated strategy to grow on Pinterest. But if you’re following the best practices and creating good content, keep pinning consistently and don’t give up. Pinterest takes time, and the creators that are willing to put in that time often succeed.

4. How often should you post on Pinterest?

I recommend posting a minimum of one fresh (new to Pinterest) pin per day. More than that is great, but once per day is important for consistency. If you’re using idea pins, I would recommend posting one idea pin per week on top of the one standard pin per day.

5. Is there a best time to post on Pinterest?

Not really! Unlike Instagram or other social media platforms, your pins don’t necessarily go out to your followers first, so what time they’re most active isn’t as relevant. If you use a third-party scheduler like Tailwind, it will automatically suggest best times for you, but it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

6. Posting directly on Pinterest or Tailwind? What is the difference? Advantages and disadvantages?

Posting directly through Pinterest, whether you’re posting in real-time or scheduling ahead, is also often called manual pinning or live pinning. The only real difference between scheduling through Pinterest and scheduling through a third-party software like Tailwind is that Pinterest limits you to how far in advance you can schedule in the future.

Currently, you can schedule up to 2 weeks in the future through Pinterest, and on Tailwind you can schedule months or even years into the future. Tailwind also has a few other Pinterest-specific features that I really love. These include interval scheduling to multiple boards and Tailwind Communities!

Tailwind Communities are reciprocal sharing groups that allow you to share other Pinterest users’ pins and submit your own pins to be shared. It’s a great way to get extra engagement on your pins.

There’s a lot of discussion on whether or not using a scheduler like Tailwind impacts your Pinterest reach, and I’m here to tell you that it’s simply not true. While posting directly to Pinterest might see impressions on pins more quickly, over time, the stats even out.

7. Are idea pins important?

Yes and no! Idea pins don’t currently have links for every user, so if driving traffic is one of your main goals from using Pinterest, you might not want to spend your energy on idea pins. Idea pins can definitely be a huge growth driver for some businesses on Pinterest, but it’s not the instant viral success as when they were first introduced.

If you have content that’s suitable for the idea pin format – repurposed Reels, easily digestible tutorials, etc. – try them out! From there, it’s up to you if you want to continue using them.

8. I don’t have a website, should I still use Pinterest?

You can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Like most things, it depends on your goal. Where are you going to be sending users if you don’t have a website?

Plus, Pinterest does prefer pins that link back to your claimed domain (your website). You might struggle to see the benefits and conversions from Pinterest if you don’t have a website.

9. Can you tell us where is best to put our keywords in Pinterest?

Short answer: everywhere! Keywords are how your content gets found on Pinterest, so it’s important to include them throughout your content and profile. Make sure to include keywords in your profile title and bio, board titles and descriptions, and pin titles and descriptions.

10. What shouldn’t you miss from your bio in Pinterest?

Your bio should describe you or your business and give users a reason to follow. Using keywords, explain what your business is all about and the kinds of content you’ll be posting. You can also include a call to action in your bio to encourage users to take that extra step and head to your website.

11. What to include in your Pinterest posts?

Every pin on Pinterest should have a graphic, title, description, and URL. Your title should be interesting and encourage users to click on the pin to learn more. It should also include your main keyword. Your pin description is exactly that; it’s a description of what content the pin is leading to. If it’s linked to a blog post, explain what the blog post is about. Be sure to include lots of keywords and point out the value to the user of leaving Pinterest to actually read the post.

12. How much time does a business need to grow on Pinterest?

3 months at a minimum, but you really start to see the results after 6 or 9 months of consistent, high-quality pinning. Pinterest isn’t a quick-fix marketing platform. The best rewards come with time. Also keep in mind that a feminine brand designer like us at CrissRosu could help you speed up your brand awareness.

Learn more about Sarah and follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thesarahburk/ or get in touch at https://sarahaburk.com/