Pinterest is a great business marketing tool, but pinners often make serious mistakes while using it. We are going to take a look at 13 Pinterest mistakes and the solutions to fix them so you can unlock the full potential of this site!
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13 Common Pinterest Mistakes and Solutions
1. Not Adding Fresh Content
In order to make sure that followers have new and interesting content to explore, it is important to add new pins to Pinterest on a regular basis.
The need for fresh content is not new information. Pinterest has made it widely known and reminds us constantly,, yet so many creators ignore this.
When new pins are added regularly, viewers have more of an opportunity to engage or get involved with the content being provided.
Make it a habit to add new content regularly. If you are more active on other platforms, link back to your content there with some fresh pins!
2. Not Creating Idea Pins
Lots of pinners opt out of creating Idea Pins! One of the main reasons is that Idea Pins don’t currently link to an external site the same way static pins do.
However, Idea Pins on Pinterest can quickly grow your reach and help you build connections with potential clients or visitors.
Pinterest’s algorithm rewards posts with long-term engagement and extra exposure. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to let your brand shine by creating Idea Pins.
Not only will it make your visuals engaging, but Idea Pins allow visitors to learn more about what you offer in a different way.
Don’t get us wrong – static pins are a fantastic tool to drive traffic. But it’s a smart idea to mix up your content to cater to different users.
Also!, Pinterest announced in December 2022 you will soon be able to add links to Idea Pins!
In the meantime, you can add your URL to the “Notes” section of your Idea Pin. This way you don’t have to wait to boost some traffic back to your site.
Take advantage of Idea Pins and see how they pay off!
3. Forgetting to Set Up Rich Pins
Using rich pins on Pinterest is a great way to take your pins to the next level.
Rich pins are a way to add extra information – such as pricing, availability and stock quantities – to standard pins.
Rich pins can give your pins an upgraded look and include extra useful information.
It’s important to make sure the link you use for rich pins is valid at all times. It’s best practice to double check your links often.
To get started, head over to the Pinterest Developers site to register your website and apply for rich pin approval.
With effortless design tools and detailed analytics, you can make the most out of your pinning strategy.
Rich pins are definitely worth taking the time to set up and manage!
4. Posting at the Wrong Time
If you’re looking to maximize the visibility of your posts on Pinterest, Analytics can help you determine the best time of day for evaluating success.
Analytics will suggest any specific times when users are more active than others.
Posting at the wrong time will result in low visibility and reach. Of course, you can offset this by promoting the pin later to bring more traffic, but it’s always nice to have a good number of views to start.
This brings us to our next Pinterest mistake…
5. Disregarding Analytics
If your online business is looking for a boost, you might want to take a closer look at the Analytics from your Pinterest account.
Ignoring this valuable data can cause you to miss out on insights that could significantly increase your content strategy and engagement with followers.
By taking the time to understand what type of content or topics are resonating with viewers on Pinterest, you can quickly identify new opportunities for creation and promotion.
You’ll also find out who is interacting with your content, allowing you to accurately target your audience.
This information can be used as a powerful tool to improve the performance of posts and serve more relevant content as well.
Stop overlooking your Pinterest analytics, and start utilizing them today!
You don’t need to obsess over numbers to take advantage of the Analytics data. Simply choose a day of the week to study them and move forward from there.
6. Using Free Stock Photos
Adding free stock photos for Pinterest may seem like a quick and easy way to get exposure, but it isn’t worth the risk.
Freely available photos usually come with strict usage requirements, meaning you could easily expose yourself to financial consequences if you don’t meet these demands.
Investing in professional or unique-looking images can significantly reduce the chances of copyright infringement, and also provide a more polished look for your account.
Ultimately, when trying to create a visually appealing Pinterest presence, quality is better than quantity.
If you need to use free stock images, don’t grab them directly from Google. Instead, go to a site that offers them like Shutterstock, Pixabay or Unsplash.
And read how to optimize your images for SEO here so you don’t slow down your site.
7. Pinning Mostly from Others
This is one of the most common Pinterest mistakes, especially for new Pinners, but we have some solutions!
It is perfectly fine to pin more from others in the beginning, especially if you don’t have enough pins of your own yet.
However, once you have a decent number of pins, you should be sharing those more to your relevant boards!
Pinterest boards offer a great way to organize your ideas and serve as outlets for inspiration.
It’s important, however, to fill your boards with your own content if you truly want to make the most of this great platform.
You should prioritize your own pins and adding to boards featuring your own content exclusively. After you’ve done this, you can spread some love around and share pins from other users.
8. Spamming with Duplicate Pins
Creating content on Pinterest is not just about the quality of the images, it’s also about ensuring you’re not spamming any URL or board with the same image.
Reposting the same URL or using the same images more than once might result in a negative user experience, causing followers to lose interest.
Pinterest algorithms can also ban your account from searches.
A Pinterest duplicate has the same image, with the same URL and it’s shared to the same board.
If you want to use the same URL or image more than once, consider updating it with new content or alternate between different images or boards even if they point to the same website URL.
This will create a fresh feel while keeping you within Pinterest’s guidelines and fostering greater audience engagement.
9. Not Sharing to Board Lists
Perhaps the reason you’re spamming with duplicates is because you’re having a difficult time keeping track of your pins.
You are not alone.
This is one of the Pinterest mistakes we see quite often, but some of the solutions are quite simple.
Manual pinning on Pinterest can be quite challenging.
You need to track when, where and how often to share your pins and URLs.
Setting up a manual strategy that works can be grueling and time-consuming to say the least.
You can try simplifying your pinning strategy and using spreadsheets to help you.
But there is a much better and faster solution…
Why not make the most of Pinterest by scheduling pins to different board lists with Tailwind?
Tailwind will let you set up multiple Pinterest board lists in one place and schedule your pins ahead of time.
Furthermore, Tailwind also helps you save time by suggesting optimal times for each board based on their Analytics.
No more wondering when to post!
With the best suggested times from Tailwind, you can ensure your pins will be going on the right boards and reaching their intended audience.
In other words, Tailwind makes Pinterest marketing much simpler and more successful.
You can join Tailwind by clicking our link, and believe us, you won’t look back once you see how easy Pinterest becomes with this tool!
10. Deleting Boards
There are many reasons why you might want to remove a board from Pinterest.
For instance, if it’s outdated or has lost relevance.
However, instead of deleting your board, consider hiding it from public view.
This will keep the board alive even if you haven’t updated it in a while. Hidden boards allow followers to continue referencing the content without being confused as to why they can no longer access it.
To ensure an organized catalog of boards, hiding unwanted ones is a much better option than deleting them altogether.
11. Adding Shortened Links
URL shortening is a popular way to save characters on social media platforms like Twitter, but those same URL shorteners can diminish the impact of pins on Pinterest.
URL shorteners strip away key features from your website URL, such as the parameters which allow for optimization and tracking. Shortened links take away some of the information that makes it easier to see how people are interacting with your website.
Pinterest reads these shortened links as spam so always use your full URL.
12. Not Taking Advantage of Trends
Pinterest has become a great resource for businesses looking to reach customers.
By taking advantage of trending topics, you can make sure your content stands out from the crowd.
This ultimately leads to an increase in engagement levels and followers.
Utilizing trending topics allows you to identify what content is already trending, so it goes beyond the current market trends to its customers.
You will be able to target specific audiences by sharing what’s trending on Pinterest and building relationships with users who show interest in that particular topic.
It’s important to stay up-to-date with trending topics as they come and go quickly and if you miss one there could be huge potential opportunities lost that would benefit your business greatly.
Taking advantage of trending topics on Pinterest could be a fun way to help you find success online!
13. Not Including a Call to Action
Adding a Call to Action (CTA) to the descriptions of pins can be an effective way to guide users and create more engagement.
Instead of expecting Pinterest users to figure out what steps to take next, adding a clear and concise call-to-action spells out how they can interact with your content.
Whether it’s as simple as “Click for more info” on a link or “Comment for entry in sweepstakes” on a giveaway, having a call-to-action provides the user with direction and prompts them to become more involved.
Not only does this engage the user, but it also increases the chances of them taking action, which could lead to customers for your business or blog.
Make sure that these calls to action are attention-grabbing and succinct.
And mix them up so they stand out on such a visual platform like Pinterest!
Conclusion on 13 Pinterest Mistakes and Solutions
Now that you are aware of these 13 Pinterest mistakes, you can get to work and implement our solutions to fix them!
As you see, some of these mistakes are very common, like not adding fresh content or Idea Pins. Other mistakes are so easy to make – like adding shortened links.
We hope this list helps you improve your Pinterest strategies so you can increase your awareness, traffic, and sales!
Which of these common Pinterest mistakes are you guilty of making? Comment down below!