Pinterest is a largely visual platform, just like Instagram. You might think, “I’m already posting pictures of myself or my products on Instagram, why should I be posting on another photo based platform?” Pinterest sets itself apart because you can add a link to every single photo, or as Pinterest calls them - pins, you post. You don’t have to drive everyone to the link in your bio like you do on Instagram. The link is right there on your pin. This is only one of the many reasons you need to be on Pinterest if you want to grow your social media channels or your business.
Visual SEO Machine
Instagram just recently added keyword search to their platform, but Pinterest has always been the queen of keyword search on social media. When users land on Pinterest, they have the option to scroll through a home feed, but often users immediately head to the search bar so they can view exactly what they’re looking for. If you optimize your captions and descriptions to match what users in your niche are searching, you will have incredible reach on Pinterest. A great way to figure out what people are searching for is to simply type in a word that is associated with your niche, and then see what searches Pinterest suggests. Those are keyword phrases that you definitely want to include in your content.
Drive Traffic to Your Instagram
As we said earlier, Pinterest is a highly searchable platform and Instagram isn't. Sure, Instagram has a keyword feature now, but it's not as sophisticated as Pinterest's search engine qualities. So how do you lasso Pinterest's power to help your Instagram grow? Post your Instagram content to Pinterest - simple as that. Make sure you pin your Instagram post to very specific board that matches the content. Title the content accurately, but try to fit in at least one keyword. When you share your Instagram content to Pinterest, you don't want to share your Instagram caption directly to Pinterest - unless it's already full of keywords. If it's not, give it a one sentence caption and then tell users to head to your Instagram for more. Then list some keywords and hashtags.
Utilize the alt text, but please for Pete's sake use the alt text the way it was intended to be used. We see so many Instagram influencers online telling people to pack their alt text section with keywords. That is not what alt text was meant for, and it's actually really hurtful to visually impaired social media users' online experience when you do that. Describe your content acurately, and toss in keywords if they're relevant. The alt text we use in the example below is "video of a blonde woman social media manager in fashionable clothes cringing at the idea of her client posting bad Instagram content". This is an accurate description of the content, but we were also able to use the words "social media manager" "fashionable clothes" and "Instagram content". Do not abuse alt text. Just don't do it.
Next, pick a few of Pinterest's approved tags for your content. Finally, add the link to your specific Instagram post in the link field. This is the part that will push people to your Instagram account when they find your content on Pinterest. Check out the infographic below showing exactly how to do this.
Great for a Business
Did you know that 87% of Pinterest users have bought a product because of Pinterest? Also, 34% of Pinterest users earn between $50,000 and $74,999 per year. If you're a small business, you need to be getting your brand in front of the buying power that exists on Pinterest. If you are trying to grow a mostly female audience or if your business sells a female centered product line, Pinterest is a must because 71% of Pinterest users are female. By pinning consistently, using keywords, and always linking to your website or Instagram - you'll be able to capture a whole section of social media that is ready to buy.
Pinterest can seem intimidating from the outside, but we promise that when you make the jump onto that platform and dedicate time to it, you'll start to see growth in your online presence.
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