7 Unexpected Ways to Use Pinterest

Think Pinterest is only for inspiration and driving blog traffic? I’ve been using Pinterest in these 7 unexpected ways for years. You’re going to love these ideas for using Pinterest in totally new ways!

In this video with Elisa Meredith and a Pinterest rep, Tailwind did a deep dive into all things NEW on Pinterest. Pinterest recently updated their Best Practices to include lots of new ways to use the platform. But there are even more ways they didn’t mention! Like these:

Use Pinterest to drive traffic to videos

You might have noticed that you can pin YouTube videos using the share function right on YouTube. But the problem is the share button pulls a rectangle shaped thumbnail of the video, which is not the optimum orientation or dimensions for Pinterest. When you pin a video using the share function, the video is playable on Pinterest. How can we get the benefit of the video on Pinterest yet have the pin be optimized for the Pinterest platform? Here are two ways:

Create a long pin image for the video

Pin images that are vertically oriented in a 2:3 ratio perform the best on the platform. Create a pin image using a graphics program like Canva. Include a screenshot from the video and an icon or graphic that helps communicate that the pin leads to video content, such as a play button or video camera icon. Here’s an example of a long pin image I created for a YouTube video:

Once the image is created, upload it to Pinterest. Paste the url of the Youtube video into Pinterest and create a keyword rich pin description with both broad and specific hashtags. Make sure that the description communicates that the pin leads to video content so that the user is not surprised, expecting a blog post instead of a video.

Want to know how to use hashtags on Pinterest like a PRO? Get this free guide!

Create a short promotional video clip

Did you know you can upload videos to Pinterest? It used to be that videos were only allowed for promoted pins but you can totally upload videos directly to Pinterest. We started doing this a few months ago. After you upload the video, Pinterest will prompt you to promote the video but you can skip this step. Save the video url and you can start repinning it to new boards over time.

Here’s how to upload video to Pinterest:

1. Create a square or vertical video.
2. Upload to Pinterest
3. Set the url to the Youtube video.
4. Add a keyword rich description with hashtags.
5. Save.

Use Pinterest to drive traffic to other social media accounts

Sites like Facebook don’t allow you to pin from their site. Luckily, there’s a work around that allows you to create pins that direct to any url!

When would you want to create a pin that directs to a social media post?

• Sponsored posts – drive traffic to your sponsored social content
• Viral posts – keep the viral going by sending traffic to it from other social networks

Here’s how to pin from other social media sites:

1. Create a pin image
2. Upload to Pinterest
3. Add the url to the specific social media post
4. Save

Ready to expand your mindset about Pinterest and get incredible results? Request an invitation to Smart Pin PRO here.

Identify Trends using Pinterest

Pinterest is all about discovery. And to help with that discovery, Pinterest has lots of tools to help you find new things to experience, including what’s trending. Pinterest sends out emails to marketers about current trends; sign up for them here. But Pinterest also shares trending topics right on their site. Click the Discovery button and browse the trending topics through a series of tiles.

Research Keywords for Free with Pinterest

Pinterest has two types of search that help you identify keywords.

Type any word into the search bar and a drop down menu will appear with suggested keyword combinations. Make a note of the keywords to use on your pins.

After clicking “enter”, Pinterest will display a page with the search results for that keyword term. Just below the search bar will be a series of bubbles with additional key word combinations in them. These “guided search” bubbles are clues to additional keyword combinations to include in your pin descriptions, text overlays, boards descriptions, and even in your blog posts.

Build Your Email List with Pinterest

Drive traffic to lead magnets and sales pages with targeted, keyword specific pins

Send traffic directly to your landing pages with your email opt-ins and lead magnets. Upload your pin images directly to Pinterest and direct them straight to your landing pages.

Want to build your email list with lead magnets? Don’t know what those are but you want them anyways! (I get it … *wink*) Sign up for the Build Your List Challenge!

Increase affiliate sales with Pinterest

Check the program terms for the affiliate program to check if it allows you to pin affiliate links. You can also use a service like ShopStyle to pin affiliate links. Create a pin graphic and upload it to Pinterest, leading to the affiliate url. Be sure to disclose the affiliate relationship in the pin description so that you are compliant with the FTC guidelines for disclosures.

Monitor your competition

My corporate clients use Pinterest for this all the time; we monitor their competitors through secret boards! We pin content we want to watch to secret boards and also watch performance of competitors over time. Pinterest is a great way to secretly keep tabs on the competition.

Want more expert methods of using Pinterest to the max? Request an invitation to Smart Pin PRO here.

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