Quick answer: A Pinterest marketing strategy is a plan for using Pinterest to achieve a business goal. Start with a free business account, choose one goal, research customer searches, organise relevant boards, create Pins, plan your posting schedule and review performance monthly. Claim your website if you own an eligible site. Pinterest describes its platform as a place where people search, save and shop ideas, and says content can remain discoverable after publication.
Each step below links to Pinterest's own pages for what Pinterest says, and to our deeper guides for how to do it.
Is Pinterest Good for Small Business?
It can be, when your customers plan or shop with images. Pinterest describes itself as "a visual discovery platform where people search, save and shop ideas", and says people come to plan everyday decisions and bigger milestones. On its getting-started page, Pinterest reports that 85% of weekly US Pinners have made a purchase based on Pins from brands. This describes surveyed Pinterest users, not the results an individual business can expect.
Pinterest tends to fit businesses whose product or service can be shown: shops, makers, food, home, fashion, beauty, travel, weddings, education and bloggers in those topics. It is a slower fit when your offer has no visual idea behind it, or when nobody searches for your topic on Pinterest. Step 3 shows how to check that before you commit time.
| What to check | Positive sign | When to reconsider |
|---|---|---|
| Search demand | Pinterest search suggests relevant topics for your products or services | You cannot find relevant searches |
| Visual content | You can show your products, services or useful ideas clearly | Your offer is difficult to explain visually |
| Destination | You have relevant product, service or content pages for interested visitors | You have nowhere useful to send visitors |
| Resources | You can create and review Pins on a repeatable schedule | You cannot maintain the test |
Use these checks before investing in a Pinterest strategy. They are practical screening questions, not Pinterest eligibility rules. If your business meets most of them, start with an organic test and measure whether Pinterest supports your chosen goal.
Pinterest does not promise results, and neither do we. Treat the plan below as a way to test the channel properly.
Step 1: Set Up a Business Account and Claim Your Website
Start with a free Pinterest business account. Pinterest says business accounts add Pinterest Analytics, the Business Hub and the ability to run ads, and that ads cost money only if you choose to run them. If you already have a personal account, you can convert it and keep your Pins and followers. Our Pinterest business vs personal account guide covers both routes.
Then claim your website, if you own one. Pinterest says claiming your website connects Pins saved from your site to your Pinterest profile. Your profile picture can appear alongside those Pins, and people can visit or follow your profile. You must own and be able to edit the site, so marketplace shops such as Etsy shops usually cannot be claimed. If you blog or sell products, look at Rich Pins, which add information from your site to your Pins.
Finish your profile: a clear display name, a short bio that says what you offer, and a profile photo or logo. Our Pinterest bio generator can help you draft the bio.
Step 2: Pick One Goal and the Metric That Shows It
Decide what Pinterest is for before you make a single Pin. Most businesses pick one of these:
| Goal | Main metric to watch in Pinterest Analytics |
|---|---|
| Get discovered | Impressions |
| Build interest and recall | Saves |
| Send people to your site or shop | Outbound clicks |
One goal keeps your Pins, boards and reviews pointed the same way. If you are not sure what each metric means, read what impressions are on Pinterest and what a Pin click means.
Step 3: Find the Keywords Your Customers Search
Pinterest is a search engine for ideas, so your strategy starts with what people type. Check three places:
- Pinterest search suggestions. Type your topic into Pinterest search and note the suggested phrases.
- Pinterest Trends. Pinterest Trends shows how interest in a search term changes over time. Pinterest's getting-started page suggests using trends to create content based on what people want to try next.
- Your own analytics. Once your Pins run, see which topics earn impressions and saves.
Start with 10 to 20 relevant phrases found through Pinterest search suggestions and Pinterest Trends. Group similar phrases by topic, then prioritise topics that match your products, services or content. This is a starting exercise, not a required number of keywords. Our guides on how to find trending keywords on Pinterest and Pinterest SEO walk through the process in detail.
Step 4: Build Boards Around Those Searches
Turn your keyword list into a small set of focused boards. A board named after a real search phrase tells Pinterest and people what is inside it. Start with a manageable number of focused boards covering distinct topics. Add more when you have enough relevant content for them. Avoid creating several boards that serve the same purpose.
Give each board a clear name and a short description that uses the phrase naturally. Our Pinterest board names guide has examples, and the board name generator can suggest options.
Step 5: Make Pins That Follow Pinterest's Creative Guidance
Pinterest publishes the following creative recommendations for ads. They are useful starting points for designing organic Pins too, but Pinterest does not guarantee that following them will improve organic performance:
- Use a vertical format. Pinterest recommends a 2:3 aspect ratio, or 1000 x 1500 pixels, because most people use Pinterest on mobile. Larger ratios may get cut off in feeds. See our Pin dimensions guide.
- Show your brand. Pinterest says your logo or brand name should be clearly visible, without taking over the Pin.
- Show the real thing. Pinterest advises making your products the star and showing them in realistic settings, rather than abstract or unrelated lifestyle images.
- Keep the message short. Pinterest recommends concise messaging and a specific call to action.
Then write a title and description that use your keyword the way a person would say it. Our Pinterest character limits guide lists the field limits, and how to add keywords to Pinterest shows where keywords go.
Step 6: Post Steadily and Plan Seasons Early
Pinterest says content can remain discoverable after publication. Choose a repeatable publishing schedule that allows you to create relevant, original Pins. Pinterest does not specify a universal posting frequency that guarantees better results.
Plan seasonal content before the season. People use Pinterest to plan ahead, so holiday and seasonal Pins need to be live before the searches peak. Our guides on the best time to post on Pinterest and when to post holiday Pins cover timing in more detail.
Step 7: Review Your Analytics Every Month
Once a month, open Pinterest Analytics and check the metric you chose in Step 2. Look for:
- Pins and boards that earn the most impressions, saves or outbound clicks for your goal
- Topics that get impressions but few clicks, which may need a clearer Pin or a better landing page
- Topics that receive little engagement over the review period, which you can reassess alongside search interest, publishing history and seasonality
Use the monthly review to decide which topics to repeat, which Pins to improve and which landing pages to check. Compare similar periods where possible. Changes in results do not, by themselves, establish what caused them. Our Pinterest analytics guides explain each report. If you want to understand how Pinterest decides who sees a Pin, read how the Pinterest algorithm works.
Should You Use Pinterest Ads or Stay Organic?
You do not need ads to start. Pinterest says it is free to sign up for a business account and that, if you decide to run ads, you can set your own budget. A common approach is to build an organic base first, so you learn which topics and Pins your audience responds to, and then decide whether ads are worth testing. Pinterest says ads can run against goals from awareness to conversions.
Pinterest Strategy by Business Type
The seven steps stay the same. What changes is the goal and the content:
| Business type | Typical goal | Pin ideas | Useful next read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online shop or Etsy seller | Outbound clicks to product pages | Products in use, gift ideas, seasonal collections | How to use Pinterest for Etsy |
| Blogger or creator | Outbound clicks to articles | Step-by-step Pins, recipe and tutorial Pins | Pinterest SEO |
| Service business | Saves and site visits | Before-and-after work, tips, checklists | Pinterest Pin ideas |
| Brand building awareness | Impressions and saves | Product styling, seasonal and trend-led Pins | How to get more impressions on Pinterest |
Where PinEasy Fits
PinEasy reads organic Pin metrics from a connected Pinterest business account, so you can review the numbers from Step 7 in one place. Our Pinterest tools help with individual tasks such as board names, bios, captions and image sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Pinterest marketing strategy?
A Pinterest marketing strategy is a plan for how a business uses Pinterest: the goal, the keywords to target, the boards and Pins to create, how often to post, and how results are measured in Pinterest Analytics.
Is Pinterest good for small business?
It can be when your customers plan or shop with images. Pinterest reports that 85% of weekly US Pinners have made a purchase based on Pins from brands. This describes surveyed Pinterest users, not the results an individual business can expect. Check Pinterest search and Pinterest Trends for your topic before you commit time.
Is a Pinterest business account free?
Yes. Pinterest says it is free to sign up for a business account. Ads cost money only if you choose to run them.
What size should Pinterest Pins be?
Pinterest recommends a 2:3 aspect ratio, or 1000 x 1500 pixels. Larger aspect ratios may get cut off in people's feeds.
Do I need Pinterest ads to grow?
No. You can start with organic Pins. Pinterest says you can set your own budget if you decide to run ads.
How do I measure my Pinterest strategy?
Pick one goal and its main metric, such as impressions, saves or outbound clicks, and review it in Pinterest Analytics every month. Pinterest Analytics needs a business account.
Sources
- How Pinterest works (Pinterest Business)
- A starter guide to Pinterest for businesses (Pinterest Business)
- Get a business account (Pinterest Help)
- Creative best practices (Pinterest Business)
- Claim your website (Pinterest Help)
- Pinterest Trends