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Last updated on November 20th, 2024
Pinterest is an untapped goldmine for bloggers and content creators, especially if you’re tired of the social media content hamster wheel.
After years of trial and error, I finally found my groove. But you don’t have years to waste—so here are 9
General Mistakes
1. Focusing on Intensity Over Consistency
This holds true across all search-based platforms like
To illustrate, here is a snapshot of my
- March: I enrolled in Pin Profit Academy and was excited to start implementing everything I learned, so I dove head first into creating as many pins as possible. As you can tell, my growth was really good.
- August: I couldn’t sustain this. Not only did I burn out, but the mere thought of writing new content felt daunting. So, I stopped posting altogether and took a much-needed mental health break.
- October: I like creating content that helps other people. I like connecting ideas together that didn’t exist before. But what I don’t like is the “constant churning” of it, producing content for the sake of publishing. So, I had to think of a new system if I wanted to start growing again and actually sustain it this time. So, I shifted to slow consistency and built a
Pinterest marketing workflow into Notion that worked.
If it weren’t for my change in focus, I wouldn’t be writing this article right now.
I know consistency over intensity is said everywhere online, and it isn’t the sexiest concept because everyone wants fast growth. But what’s the point of that growth if you can’t keep it?
So here are some quick tips to be consistent (without losing your sanity):
- Choose a posting frequency that suits YOU. Even if that’s once a week.
- Use scheduling tools like Tailwind so you can “set it and forget it.”
- Batch-create pins – Going through all the stages of content creation – research, writing, design – in a short amount of time is exhausting. It requires too many parts of your brain at once. Instead, batch similar tasks on different days to help your brain recharge and work more efficiently.
- Set up a system that supports you – I use a Notion template for my
Pinterest strategy. But if you’re not a Notion user, try tools like Airtable or ClickUp, where you can build a workflow that you can keep coming back to without needing to start from scratch every time.
2. Focusing on Volume Over Quality
Creating good-quality pins is time-consuming. Most
As AI continues to grow, more and more people want to see human-written content. Remember, humans buy from other humans. When readers can connect with your story, building a sustainable brand is easier.
For faster, high-quality pin creation, here’s a breakdown of the tools I use:
FREE TOOLS:
- Keyword Research:
Pinterest autocomplete search bar - Copywriting: ChatGPT
- Design: Canva
- Scheduling:
Pinterest ‘s native scheduler
PAID TOOLS:
- Keyword Research: Keysearch, Pin Inspector, Keywords Everywhere
- Copywriting: ChatGPT Plus (The Pin Bot)
- Design: Canva Pro
- Scheduling: Tailwind
The free tools are more than enough for new bloggers and content creators. Your focus at this stage in the game is to be consistent and get used to putting out high-quality content.
As you put in more reps, you will learn to build a workflow and toolkit that works well for you.
3. Not Adding a “Pin It” Button to Your Blog
If you’re a blogger, getting readers to share your content can be a quick way to increase your reach.
Here’s an example – earlier this year, I wrote a post that luckily lined up with an author’s new book release. I ranked on Google for this keyword and got a nice traffic boost. But, the traffic really picked up when readers started pinning the post and turning it into my most shared article on Pinterest. (Check out the share count on the post to see what I mean!)
Adding a “Pin It” button to your content is a small tweak that pays off. I recommend Hubbub Pro – after trying 6 or 7 different plugins that either didn’t work with my theme, were impossible to customize, or even introduced malware, Hubbub Pro was the best option.
Planning Mistakes
4. Having the Wrong Goals
Setting goals like “increasing monthly views by 25%” is an outcome-based goal, meaning it’s partly out of your control. Seasonal trends, your niche, and
Instead, use effort-based goals like pinning 5x/week or creating 5 pins/blog posts that are fully within your control. All you need to do is put in the daily work and the results will take care of themselves.
It can be helpful to have both, but I would caution against only using outcome-based goals.
Here’s a snapshot of my current
5. Not Doing Proper Keyword Research
Keyword research is the foundation of being found online. You could have the best content ever, but if no one searches for it, it won’t bring traffic to your website or products.
Keywords are simply the words or phrases that people type into a search bar when they’re looking for information.
Take, for instance, “vegan breakfast recipes.” This is a keyword, and the autocomplete suggestions below show other terms people are searching for (aka more keywords).
Based on the image, people want easy recipes that are healthy and packed with protein.
I store all the keywords I find in my Notion
I’ve written more in-depth about how to find keywords for free and where to place them. So you can check out those articles for more details.
Pin Design Mistakes
Pinterest is all about visuals, so your designs have a significant impact on performance. Here are 3 design mistakes you don’t want to make.
6. Not Using Pinterest -Friendly Colors
Should you stick with your brand colors, even if they don’t work on
I still struggle with this today because there is no consensus on best practices. However, what most experts seem to agree on is to test it out because results vary based on niche.
Use your brand colors for a few months, and if you’re seeing low engagement, try testing colors that perform better on
Pinterest releases a Color Palette each year, which can help guide you on popular colors.
Here are the popular colors for 2024.
You can also take a look at what’s already ranking in search to see what colors are predominantly used.
7. Using Generic Copy
The copy includes the text overlay on the pin, pin titles, and descriptions. For the purpose of design, I’m focusing on the text overlay – the words you use on the pin.
The text you place on your pin design is often the deciding factor that gets readers to click. The next time you search for something on
Here are two pins that I created recently that promote an iPhone Photography course that I took – using different messaging to target different pain points & readers.
Image 1: appeals to readers who value credibility and expertise, especially in today’s world where everyone is creating courses.
Image 2: novice photographers who are starting a travel blog, where aesthetic images play a huge role and don’t have the budget to buy expensive cameras.
If you’re not an expert copywriter (don’t worry, neither am I), use chatGPT to brainstorm titles. AI is great for getting the ball rolling but remember to still edit the words to fit your brand voice.
8. Using the Same Stock Photos Repeatedly
Since
If your budget is tight, here is a list of free stock image sites from which you can source high-quality images, but try to crop or zoom in on different parts of the image to make each pin feel fresh.
When you’re ready to step up your game, I recommend looking at Haute Stock images. It’s a paid membership with beautiful, feminine stock images that are great for female entrepreneurs. They display many collections on their blog, so you can take a look at them before purchasing.
Measuring Mistakes
9. Not Analyzing What’s Working
When I first started, I barely looked at my analytics. Now, it’s one of my go-to pages for seeing which pins drive the most traffic and engagement. This helps me focus on what works instead of constantly reinventing the wheel.
I mostly keep an eye on what designs my audience is engaging with. When I notice specific colors or layouts work, I make more of those.
If you’re just starting out, don’t check your analytics for at least 3-6 months. The same goes if you’re testing new images or running other experiments. It takes time for
Final Thoughts
I hope this list of common
I’ll leave you with this – don’t be afraid to experiment and remember that
Let me know in the comments below which mistakes resonated with you the most.
