How to Use Pinterest for Beginners – 8 Easy Actionable Steps

This article was created in partnership with Pinterest.

How to use Pinterest for success? Pinterest is still often overlooked, even though it offers huge opportunities for content creators, brands, and business owners. When I first noticed (15 years ago) that Pinterest users were saving images from my interior blog posts to their boards, my visibility skyrocketed and I saw a significant increase in website traffic.

In today’s constantly changing world of online marketing and algorithms, it can feel overwhelming for many businesses to keep up. That’s why brands are always looking for new ways to connect with their target audience and increase their online reach.

If you want to grow your brand or blog and drive more traffic to your website, Pinterest is the perfect place to start. In this article, I’ll share practical Pinterest tips for beginners so you can build a solid foundation for a long-term Pinterest strategy.

Pinterest is an inspiration platform and visual search engine. It’s the place where more than 570 million active users each month come to find ideas, plan projects, and shop. Think: home decor inspiration, easy recipes, fall decorating ideas, vacation planning, wedding mood boards, DIY projects, and much more.

Why Pinterest is a smart move for your business:

• You reach people who are actively searching (with buying intent!)
• You increase long-term online visibility (content has a much longer lifespan)
• You drive more traffic to your website or shop
• You can repurpose existing content in smart, strategic ways
• Pinners are actively searching for your products, services, and solutions.

Pinterest is all about inspiration, discovery, and long-term engagement. People come to the platform thinking about themselves and their future. They’re not looking for updates about what you did yesterday.

On platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Threads, people follow their favorite brands, celebrities, and creators. They can respond in real-time, send private messages, and stay up to date with trends and news.

Pinterest works differently. People don’t come to Pinterest to chat or stay informed about viral topics. Instead, they search for new ideas, inspiration, products, and ways to plan their next move.

In May 2010, I created my Pinterest account. Over the years, I began to focus seriously on:

• Structuring and optimizing my blog posts
• Adding Pinterest-friendly images (vertical, 2:3 ratio)
• Researching the best Pinterest keywords
• Consistently creating content for Pinterest and social media
• Sharing my knowledge and writing about my Pinterest experience

Ready to dive into Pinterest? Before we get into how to use Pinterest, here’s what you need to remember for sustainable growth:

• Be patient and persistent
• Focus on the right keywords
• Create inspiring Pins using photos and videos
• Shift to a Pinterest mindset (not an Instagram one!)

Let’s go step-by-step through how to build your Pinterest marketing foundation.

To use Pinterest for your business, start by creating a Pinterest business account. This gives you access to:

• Pinterest Analytics
• The ability to claim your website and Instagram
• Tools for scheduling Pins and measuring your content
• Access to Pinterest Ads (if desired)

Do you already have a personal account? Then you can easily convert it to a business account via your settings.

One of the first things you should do after creating a business account is claim your website. This will connect your domain to your account, give you more credibility, and give you access to analytics and your name shown on any Pins linking to your site, even if someone else saves them.

You can also claim your Instagram account. This is useful if you (or your followers) save your Instagram content to Pinterest.

Do you run an e-commerce shop? Connect your product catalog to Pinterest to display your products to a wider audience. This requires installing a Pinterest Tag and linking a data source, it’s a bit technical, but well worth it.

Pinterest functions like a search engine, which means keywords are crucial. Your visibility depends on how well you optimize your Pins.

Use these tools to discover keywords:

• Pinterest Trends
• Pinterest Predicts (for future trends)
• Pinterest search bar suggestions

Add keywords to:

• Your profile name and bio
• Board titles and descriptions
• Pin titles and descriptions
• Text overlays on images (optional)

A strong SEO strategy helps your content stay discoverable long after publishing.

When I start working with a new client, I always gather their most important product-related keywords. I also ask for search terms from Google Search Console to understand how they are currently being found and then I match that with Pinterest search data and keywords.

Your profile is your Pinterest business card. Before creating Pins (or running ads), make sure your entire account is keyword-optimized:

• Use a recognizable profile image (logo or professional photo)
• Write a clear, keyword-rich bio
• Choose a brand-consistent username
• Add your website URL

Tip: Add relevant keywords to your bio and profile name for better discoverability.

Extra tip: Let people contact you via private messages by going to Settings > Interaction permissions.

Boards are visual folders or mood boards where you organize your Pins. Create boards that match your brand and products. Your Pinterest profile should reflect what’s on your website.

Use descriptive board titles like “Pinterest Marketing Tips,” “Fall Fashion Outfits,” or “Vegetarian Recipes.” Add keyword-rich descriptions to each board to boost SEO.

For content creators or shop owners, relevant boards might include:

• Content creation tips
• Product photography inspiration
• Pinterest marketing strategies
• Seasonal gift guides
• Topics around your niche or products

Every Pin is a chance to reach and help your audience. Use your best photos and videos to link to blogs, products, or landing pages.

Make sure your Pins:

Use clear, vertical images (2:3 ratio)
Include a strong title or on-image text and a call to action
Follow your brand style (colors, fonts, logo)
Link to valuable content (blogs, product pages, lead magnets)

For creating Pins I use Canva where you can choose from thousands of templates you can quickly customize. Variation is key: create multiple Pins for one blog or product, with different visuals and texts to appeal to different audiences and expand your reach.

Read more: How to write Pinterest Pin titles and descriptions

Pinterest rewards consistency. Pin regularly and plan ahead.

I upload a few Pins directly to Pinterest. For all other Pins and my clients’ Pins that I want to schedule in advance, I primarily use Tailwind (a verified Pinterest partner).

It’s ideal for long-term scheduling and managing lots of content.

Scheduling Pins can also be done with the native Pinterest planner which allows you to:

• Scheduling Pins up to 30 days in advance
• Scheduling one Pin at a time (max. 10 scheduled Pins)

Plan seasonal content early, Pinterest users start searching 2-3 months before major events like Christmas, Easter, or Black Friday.

Read more: How to create seasonal content on Pinterest

Keep a close eye on your Pinterest Analytics to understand what’s working. Track your numbers monthly in a spreadsheet to spot growth trends and optimize your strategy.

Key engagement metrics to monitor:

• Impressions: how often your Pins are shown
• Pin clicks: how often people view the full Pin
• Outbound clicks: how many users clicked through to your website
• Saves: how often your Pin is saved by others

Pinterest uses this engagement data as a signal for distribution into search and home feed.

Read more: How to improve your Pinterest engagement

As a Pinterest marketing expert, I work daily with brands that want to grow organically. Here you will find my best tips for beginners on how to use Pinterest:

• Prioritize quality (beautiful visuals and valuable content) over quantity
• Mix evergreen and seasonal content
• Plan ahead (Pinterest has a longer content cycle)
• Optimize top-performing content
• Repurpose and refresh older popular Pins
• Use videos to tell more about your idea or solution
• Repurpose Reels and TikTok videos on Pinterest
• Follow and connect with other interesting Pinners

Pinterest is a marathon, not a sprint. But if you start now, you’ll build sustainable visibility for your business or blog that pays off for months (even years!) to come.

• Pinterest marketing 2025 strategies [blog]
• PinClicks Research and Rank Tracking Tool for Pinterest [blog]
• How to get started on Pinterest – Ask the experts [blog]
• Back-to-school marketing ideas that start before summer ends [Pinterest blog]

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