How to Make Your Pinterest Pins Look Like a Million Bucks
Designing great Pinterest pins has never been more important for bloggers! Social media algorithms and content glut are slowing traffic to websites. If your social traffic is slowing or you just want to add solid referral traffic to your blog, Pinterest is here for you!
Pinterest is a visual bookmarking tool that helps you discover and save creative ideas.
Pinterest has remained steady and solid for leading qualified traffic to websites. In fact, a pin is 100 times more spreadable than your average tweet. Wow, right?
It makes me cry little tears each time I visit an article WRITTEN ABOUT PINTEREST with no pinnable images. Did you write an article about Pinterest and learn nothing? It truly makes me shake my head. Having optimized Pinterest pin images for each article is essential. You need to make it as easy as possible for people to share your articles.
If I love an article, I first want to pin it. Many blogs haven't even added a Pin it button yet, so the next step is to go to my Chrome extension. If there are no pinnable images on the article, there's no social sharing from me. I'm assuming it is the same for many people.
You need to make your blog content socially shareable.
So, let's look at how you can make your Pinterest Pins look like a million bucks to get tons of repins.
1. Choose the right size
On Pinterest, long, tall images command the show, taking up the most visual real estate in the Pinterest feed. Pinterest's preferred image aspect ratio is 2:3 to 1:3.5.
To create pins that generate interaction, create images 1000 x 1500 pixels. While this size might not be optimal for your blog, you can create a pin on Pinterest with your custom graphic and embed your pin into your blog post. This creates an engaging invitation to repin your pinned article.
Tall, vertical Pinterest pin example. [pin it here]
2. Inspire with your image
Pinterest is the ultimate wish list. People pin and repin things they like and want. So think of your Pinterest boards as visual portfolios, and make your pins as appealing as possible.
Ensure you can use any images you find for your blog or social media posts. If you can’t afford images, you can’t afford the fines you could incur for using photos illegally. Luckily, there are many sites that you can find free images to use. Here are a few of my favorites:
Morgue File
Librestock
Resource: Oh Snap, Can I Legally Use That Photo
3. Add context to your content
Your Pinterest pin images should help tell the story of your article, recipe, or craft that you're sharing. The image is a breadcrumb leading to the main meal, and people don't want a surprise when they arrive.
4. Use subtle branding
It's great to add branding to your designs but keep it subtle. [pin it here]
5. Bring your unique voice
Finding your creative design style can take time. If you're a blogger, you should have a style guide for your blog with your brand colors, fonts, etc. Your Pinterest pins will extend your visual style, and people should recognize your work as your own.
Remember that you want to create designs that look like your brand voice and not a bad copy of someone else's brand designs. Practice will help you improve your design. I know it took me a long time but it was worth it! [pin it here]
6. Create a strong visual brand
Rebekah Radice, popular blogger, and super Pinterest pin designer says, “Providing a strong visual presence is key to domination.”
- Streamlined look and feel – Just look at Target as a prime example of a brand that’s consistent from online to offline marketing.
- Tone of voice – Whether your tone is bold, vibrant, playful, clever, cool, fun, genuine, empathetic, or authentic, it needs to humanize your brand, create a bond between you and your audience, and define your personality.
- Clear aligned message – Know your brand and have a clear image of your company’s personality, mood, and history.
- Tell a story – 92% of consumers say they want brands to create content that tells a story. However, every brand has its own story, so it’s up to you to create yours.
I hope this gives you ideas and inspires you to look seriously at how you're creating Pinterest pins.
Wow. That was one dense and informative post. I think I just spent a good 45 mins jumping from links out and coming back into this post. Pinterest is slowly emerging as the main medium through which company can promote their products.
I agree that this is a very informative post and that Pinterest is definitely a huge force, but I’m still an advocate that Instagram is a dominant social media and won’t be going anywhere for a while.