5 Steps I Took to Grow My Pinterest Traffic

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I’ve heard so many bloggers talking about Pinterest being their number one source of traffic. But for me? Most of my traffic came from Facebook. In fact, it was beating my Pinterest traffic by...a lot!

Which was strange, because I spent WAY more time on Pinterest compared to Facebook. In fact, I was even paying for a Pinterest scheduler at the time.

My takeaway? I had two actually:

1. Even though I was spending time on Pinterest, I wasn’t spending my time wisely.
2. I needed to learn more.

So, I started experimenting. And asking for help. And learning all I could about marketing a blog on Pinterest.

Time is such a limited resource, and I didn’t want to be wasting it on something that wasn’t working. I knew there had to be a better way. And I was right!

As I implemented my new knowledge, my Pinterest traffic skyrocketed.

My impressions on Pinterest soared, but more importantly, so did my clicks and saves. Pinterest traffic is now almost triple my Facebook traffic.

Here’s a snapshot from Google Analytics a few weeks after I started making changes. Much more traffic from Pinterest!

 

 

It’s incredible! And I want to share what I did with you, so you can implement changes of your own.

But first, here’s a look at the tools and services I’ve used to gain this traction. It’s definitely been a combination of educating myself, getting help from others, and having a solid plan.

Tools and Resources I’ve Used to Help Grow My Pinterest Traffic

When what you’re doing isn’t working, it’s okay to ask for help! Even though working from home can be isolating, no one is a deserted island. Working together helps, and cuts down your learning curve.

Pinterest Ninja

I knew my pins were lacking something. I wasn’t seeing clicks and saves.

So, I decided to ask for help. I hired Megan from Love Family Health

She helped me created covers for my boards, gave me recommendations for my site and social media presence, and created a bunch of great pins for me.

Since then, I’ve utilized what I learned from her to improve the look of my pins!

I’ve also purchased her eCourse, Pinterest Ninjas. It’s full of everything you need to know about growing a presence on Pinterest. I love how often Megan updates the course, and sends out the updates to all current students.

That way I don’t have to waste time trying to research all of the changes myself. I can wait and learn it from someone who is an expert in the field, who I already trust.

Canva

You can make some pretty amazing pins in Canva. My favorite way to use this is on my smart phone. I love their app! It makes it easy for me to make pins when I’m in the waiting room or nursing the baby.

Photoshop

My husband is a photographer, so we’ve had a subscription to Photoshop for years. But I never really used it for making pins. Then I had some custom templates made for my blog, and they came in .psd format.

I have to admit, I really like updating these templates. They’re super easy to do, and I have so much control in Photoshop. When I’m working on the computer, this is my go-to!

The Steps I Took that Dramatically Improved My Pinterest Traffic

Now that you know what tools I used, it’s time to dive into the five specific changes I made that worked to increase my traffic. I’ve been seeing much more traffic ever since!

1. Experimenting with Pin Formats

All of my pins used to look the same. They were branded, and had a similar look about them.

Now?

I create a ton of different pins. I have five templates I use regularly, but I also create random ones in Canva. Sometime I get free pin templates from various bloggers and I use those.

My website still goes at the bottom of each, as kind of my “calling card.” But, I change up colors, pictures, and everything else. I’ve seen much better results when I started switching things up.

I think it’s because branded content looks similar. So when you’re quickly scrolling through Pinterest, the first thought is – I’ve already seen that. Even if it’s different wording. Because of so much information trying to be processed, the brain cuts out what it can.

2. I Pay for Photos

When I first started my blog, I was bootstrapping everything. So I used free photos.

It took me so long to find good ones. And it seemed like everyone else was using the same ones.

So earlier this year, I purchased a three-month subscription to Pixistock. Then I kept renewing it. I plan on purchasing an annual membership next time it’s due, to get the most bang for my buck.

Why do I love Pixistock?

• The terms for use are easy to understand, and very clear.
• The pictures are beautiful and most are relevant to the posts I write.
• You can sort by color, niche, or a variety of other ways. It makes finding pictures easy.
• Saves me time. No more searching for free photos and hoping I find the right one.
• My pins look SO MUCH BETTER now. They stand out from the crowd and just are more visually appealing. The picture really does matter.

3. I Created More Pins for My Content

I realized that not all of my posts have good quality pins.

I also realized that some of my pins perform better than others.

So, using data to help, I started creating new pins for my content. I used styles that resonate well with my audience and try to really focus on using language that shows WHY you should click on my pin instead of all the other ones.

I’m not spending a ton of time here, because time is limited. But, I make it a point to create five new pins each week for my old posts. It’s a manageable amount for me during this season.

Just increasing the number of pins leading to my content helped my numbers tremendously.

4. I Added Better Descriptions

Hashtags are now a thing on Pinterest. And since it’s a search engine, keywords are essential. As I create new pins, I’m taking time to add quality descriptions. I want to get those keywords in there. And a couple of hashtags.

I’m also slowly going through my old pins and updating them. This is taking a long time, but it is worth it!

To find good keywords, I use Pinterest. I describe my process in detail over on this post.

My boards also have keywords now, which is important. This was set up by Megan when I purchased her Pinterest help. Any new boards I add, I take the time to add descriptions.

5. I Participate in a Couple of Pinterest Threads in FB Groups

I joined a couple of Facebook Groups for bloggers, and participate in their Pinterest threads. The two that I like the most?

Pinterest Ninjas and Blogging with Heart.

Remember to actually participate in the groups to get the most benefit. Don’t just drop your links and run. Take time to share the work of other bloggers, and get to know them.

Relationships are key when it comes to growing as a blogger! You can’t do it alone.

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment to See What Changes Do to Your Pinterest Traffic

Sometimes, I get stuck in a rut. I just keep doing what I’ve always done, even if it isn’t necessarily working. I’ve learned with Pinterest, it’s okay to experiment.

In fact, it’s good to experiment, so you can see what works best for you.

I’ve been experimenting with my pins and designs, trying to see what my audience enjoys. Here are five things I’ve discovered:

• High quality images matter, even when only a sliver of them are showing through an overlay.
• My pins should share how the post will solve a problem or otherwise benefit the reader.
• Longer pins were out of trend for a while, but they are back! My longer pins are once again soaring.
• Pinks and purples, and even blues work a lot better than the green color my logo is in on my website.

Use a Scheduler If It Works for You – Or Just Manually Pin

I used to use BoardBooster to help minimize the time spent pinning. Since they closed, I now exclusively manually pin. (I really miss BoardBooster!)

Many bloggers swear by Tailwind.

Me?

I found it not nearly as user friendly as BoardBooster. And it costs a lot more. Bottom line? I don’t like it.

So I don’t use it.

If a scheduler works for you, go for it. If it doesn’t, don’t feel obligated because everyone else is bragging on it. No one tool works for everyone. And that’s okay!

How’s Your Pinterest Traffic?

If you’re a blogger, are you seeing the majority of your traffic come from Pinterest? Or is another source your number one referral?

Do you think any of the changes I made could help you?