How to Start Pinterest Marketing (Even If You're a Total Newbie)

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Curious how to start Pinterest marketing even if you don’t know a single thing about Pinterest? (Except for that there are LOTS of pictures of pumpkin spice lattes.)

Worry not! Because in this super-brief, quick-hit I’ll show you how to start Pinterest marketing quicker than you can say Nonfat, Extra shot Pumpkin Spice Latte.

How to Start Pinterest Marketing (A Guide for Rank Amateurs)

1. Create a Business Account, Link Your Website, Etc.

I’m not gonna go into too much detail on this. There are LOTS of resources to walk you through how to set up your business account.

Here’s one: https://business.pinterest.com/en/creating-your-account

The important part is linking your website, if you have one, to your account. This requires a minor bit of code. Something you or your developer can do. People on Fiverr will do it for a couple bucks. Don’t stress it, just outsource it.

2. Get a Glimpse of the Big Picture

The biggest obstacle people have when starting with Pinterest marketing is understanding how the ecosystem work?

I get a lot of questions like “Does Pinterest marketing work?” And the real answer is only if you can wrap your head around the customs of Pinterest.

That’s because it’s not like Facebook or Twitter where a user cultivates a single feed by following and liking specific brands. It’s more like a YouTube user who gets to creat various visual playlists that match their interests.

In Pinterest there are:

Accounts – You, me, JoeSchmo the Guy Obsessed Vintage Movie Theatre Signs
Boards – Themed silos of content where users can fill them with…
Pins – These are vertical-scaled pictures that people share to their boards.

What’s important about the distinction is that a user can follow a brand — such as Nordstrom — or they can follow a board – such as “Nordstrom: Dresses For All Occasion.” This ability to hone in on exactly what it is people want is what gives Pinterest its power.

But it requires that you…

3. Spy on Your Tribe

“Spy” might be too strong. How about “observe?” Or “scout?”

Whatever word you use, spend significant time — maybe a week or two — just checking out what boards and users your ideal audience follow. Not sure how to find them?

Just put in search terms related to your business. Pretend like you are your user. Are you interested in “Steampunk costume ideas” or “the offices of famous writers” or “votive candle holders,” start collecting a treasure trove of boards and accounts that match your ideal customer. (Bookmark these or add them to an excel sheet.)

Time spent here is vital. It’s kind of learning how to create a Pinterest marketing plan…only while you find pictures of Eastern European haunted houses.

4. Create Themed Boards

Once you’ve seen what your tribe is interested, it’s time to create boards around these topics. Don’t get too cute with these. Keywords are important. “Steampunk costume ideas” is better than “My Costume Thang.”

5. Dip Your Toe

I recommend you spend 1-2 weeks pinning some pins, liking some posts and just generally getting to know the tool.

Have fun. Interact with folks. Make a note for WHEN you use the tool they most. (If you’re like most Pinterest users, that woold be afternoons and evenings.)

6. Create Some Pins That Market Your Stuff

This will vary widely, depending on what you’re marketing. But at the least you’ll need:

An eye-catching image (Use the Pinterest template with the free tool Canva for a shortcut)
A simple description detailing that pin is about (Use keywords…and go easy on the hashtags)
A link (Where you want to send people)

Start off by doing one of these a week. Then slowly build up until you can do 5-7 a week. You’re welcome do more, but you gotta make sure to share and pin other people’s content too. (That’s how this works.)

And congratulations you have STARTED marketing on Pinterest. (That wasn’t so hard, was it?)