Are you struggling to keep your online audience engaged? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. There are tons of articles and experts telling us how often we should post on social media or write our blogs. But let’s face it, the real issue isn’t knowing what to do – it’s finding the time to do it right.
Instagram verified status is on every marketer’s wishlist, but it can be so confusing to figure out how to get that little blue check for yourself! If you’ve been wondering how to get verified on Instagram, search no further. We’ve got the answers you need.
We’ve analyzed, experimented and researched the best ways to get verified on Instagram – and translated them into seven simple steps and a ton of powerhouse tips to get a blue badge on your profile.
In this article, we’re going over common questions like what Instagram verified means, why you want an Instagram verified badge, and how to apply for verification. Plus, we’ve got quick tips to improve your odds.
Ready to get that prestigious blue seal on Instagram yourself? Let’s dive in! ♀️
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You’ve seen the little blue checkmark next to some of your favorite IG account names. This blue symbol ( a seal with a check in the center) means that the account is officially verified by Instagram. People, brands, and businesses with the Instagram verified badge are authentic.
The blue badge is given to notable people and brands on Instagram. It’s really important to avoid imposter accounts and copycats!
Fake accounts, copycats and impersonators target well-known and influential accounts on social media. These imposters use their likeness to trick unwary followers. Not cool!
At best, impersonators are annoying. At worst, they negatively affect your brand and image on social media.
That’s why the Instagram verified badge was created. The handy blue badge is a certification of authenticity on Instagram. It shows followers that the person or brand behind the account is real and can be trusted.
Let’s be real. The little blue tick is important for verifying real Instagram accounts, but it’s also a status symbol. After all, if you’ve earned a blue badge on Instagram you must be somebody “notable”, right?
That’s why getting Instagram verified is a major milestone for growing accounts. However, if you’re wondering who exactly gets a verified profile on Instagram, the platform leaves the exact requirements a little vague.
The short answer is maybe. It’s easy to figure out though, anyone can apply now! Here’s why:
Instagram introduced a public verified account application in August 2018, to demystify the process and curb the secret black market for blue checks.
The application for Instagram verification is now public. Before the application went live, no one really knew what the criteria was.
Here are the updated requirements from Instagram in 2021. We’ll get into the nitty gritty details, but the basics are that you need to be authentic, unique, complete, and notable.
Never trust that friend that tells you he has another “friend” that works for Instagram and can get your badge for only a few dollars. Also, never trust those people sending you DMs saying how easy it is to get your Instagram account verified and asking you to pay them to take care of the process.
Instagram scammers know that people and businesses are feeling exaggerated about the blue check. Also, be aware that some are very effective at looking legitimate. Keep in mind that Instagram will never request or contact you for payment.
In addition, it is very important to always play the game by the rules. Ignoring Instagram’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines will suspend or delete your account, but great power comes with great responsibility. The verification process needs to be ethical and genuine.
The application process for Instagram verification is really easy. You just need to follow these steps:
1. Visit your profile and tap the Menu button in the top right corner
2. Tap the Settings icon (it looks like a little gear)
3. Tap the Account icon
4. Tap Request Verification near the bottom
5. Fill out your full name, professional name, and category
6. Upload a picture of your ID or business documents
7. Click Send when your application is complete!
Make sure to read the section where you attach your ID! You’ll need a government ID that clearly states your name and date of birth (like a driver’s license, passport or national ID), or business documents like tax filings or a utility bill if you’re requesting verification for a business or brand.
And that’s it!
Instagram will let you know once they’ve reviewed your request. My official reply came three days after I applied.
Since I’m “Authentic,” “Unique,” and have a “Complete” profile, the issue seems to be that I’m not “Notable” enough. Oh well. It was worth a try!
In fact, the “Notable” requirement is where most accounts usually don’t pass muster – yet! Don’t worry, we have some tips to help!
Here are the requirements from Instagram to get your account verified:
– To qualify, you have to be who you say you are, whether your account represents a person, a business or a brand!
Only one account per person or business can be verified (unless your account is language-specific). Fan accounts, meme accounts, and feature accounts aren’t verified.
– Since the blue badge is reserved for public figures and entities, you can’t have a private profile. Your profile must also be complete, meaning you have a bio, profile photo and at least one post in your feed.
– To grab the Instagram blue check for yourself, your account has to represent a well-known, highly searched for brand, person or business.
So, now to the million-dollar questions…
Here’s an FAQ of the questions we get asked a lot about getting Instagram verified!
The application is available to all Instagram account types. This includes Personal accounts, Creator accounts, and Business accounts.
The application for Instagram verification is free! You can find it under your Settings in your Instagram app, so there’s no need to use a third-party app or program to apply.
If you’re asked to pay for Instagram verification, it’s a scam! ♀️
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. Sadly, Instagram has never announced an official number of followers required for Instagram verification, and there is no data for the lowest followers verified Instagram account.
However, those with the most followers and greatest reach do have the most to lose, so there likely is some (unspecified) threshold of followers or reach required to be accepted.
That said, there is no harm in applying – and a lot you could gain if you’re approved. The application is quick and easy, so what do you have to lose?
The rest of us should just keep on building our followers and reach until we qualify as well!
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No, we wish we could help, but can’t get you verified. Even though Tailwind is a trusted Instagram Partner ♀️, that just means Instagram recognizes our app as being effective and helpful for growing business on Instagram. Only Instagram can verify your account.
However, we can help you grow your followers using our platform of Instagram tools. Our Create tool can help you build dozens of posts in seconds. We also have a Smart.bio tool, hashtag finder, and scheduling! All of these offer a free trial, and you can have access to all the features together with Tailwind Pro.
Is Instagram verification worth applying for? Does the coveted blue badge really mean anything besides bragging rights?
Absolutely. Getting verified on Instagram has a positive effect on your marketing efforts on Instagram. Here’s are some of the perks of having a blue check:
But wait, don’t lose hope of ever driving traffic from Instagram if you’re aren’t to 10K yet and can’t get verified.
An advanced link in bio tool like Smart.bio by Tailwind can help you drive traffic to your blog posts and products easily with a FREE customizable landing page!
Like we shared above, the actual process for Instagram to verify you is fairly short, about 2-3 weeks. However, if you need to grow your follower base and improve your notability, that can take a lot longer.
Alright, we’ve got the frequently asked questions out of the way… let’s talk about some actionable tips to help you get verified!
One of the core requirements of Instagram verification is a complete Instagram profile. Make sure your bio is completely filled out, includes a profile photo and you have at least one post on our account.
For a step-by-step peek at how to make a perfect bio, read “6 Steps to Create a Perfectly Branded Bio.” If you are running out of ideas for your Bio, check this article with 220+ Instagram Bio ideas.
The main disqualifier for people hoping to get their Instagram accounts verified is not being newsworthy. Each Instagram account is verified manually by an Instagram employee, who performs a check for multiple news sources.
Your account must represent a well-known, highly searched for person, brand or entity. We review accounts that are featured in multiple news sources, and we don’t consider paid or promotional content as sources for review.
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Work on getting your name in the news by sending out press releases, media kits and connecting with local news agencies. Once you’ve had your name in the media a few times, reach out to larger publications for more visibility!
To make your news coverage easy to find, look into keeping a press section organized on your website.
If your account is solely based on Instagram, chances are you won’t get verified. However, you can establish a notable presence and secure the Instagram blue check by making sure you dominate the search around your name!
Optimize your web page, other social media profiles to appear highly in web search. Create even more search results by guest posting on other sites and seeking mentions on similar blogs, podcasts, and video!
Implement significant optimization strategies for your social media accounts, this will have a positive impact on the credibility of your account when the verification process begins.
While there’s no required number of followers to be Instagram verified, you’ll definitely seem more notable with a higher number of followers.
To increase your odds of getting a blue checkmark next to your name, keep on building your reach and growing your engaged followers.
Tailwind for Instagram has a ton of resources to help you do just that as we mentioned. Try Tailwind for free!
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Will you request verification? Have you been verified? Let us know in the comments!
Is it your dream (or your job) to go viral on Tiktok?
You’re about to learn how to create content that absolutely explodes on TikTok. Sort of. Follow along with the real-life saga of Tiktok viral success as told by Alex McKenzie (aka @piesupplies), lowly software engineer by day, TikTok superstar by um, other times.
“It all started on a Sunday evening in July. I’m sitting back with a cool vintage Tab cola, enjoying the soothing hum of the 3D printer, and then at about midnight, the phone started blowing up.
I went from 70 followers to 3,500 overnight, and the video I had just shared already had 800K views, 106 shares, and over 700 comments.”
Alex McKenzie
Want those kinds of numbers for yourself? Stay tuned as Alex holds absolutely NOTHING back (no matter how much you might beg him to) in sharing his secrets to going viral on Tiktok.
Meanwhile, check out the video in question which is, at this writing, up to over 1 million views. If the reasons for its virality are clear to you, great. Otherwise, read on…
@piesupplies I’m about 52% sure this will work…##craftingeek ##dnd ##diy ##3dprinting ##satisfiyingvideo ##3dprinter
♬ original sound – PieSupplies
The tldr;
“Nothing gets engagement on the internet quite like tee-ing strangers up to tell you that you’re wrong.”
– Cameron Mara, Tailwind Software Engineer
So, that would be number one:
Not necessarily shocking (though that helps) or seriously divisive (we have enough of that, thank you), instead try something that people can get worked up about with very low stakes.
In this case, Alex was 3D printing a dice tower (yes, I had to look it up, too) and wanted to fill it (no, they’re not printed solid) with something OTHER than the expected sand. Still with me?
In his words, “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.” Can’t argue with that, right?
WRONG.
We’ll get to that in a minute.
So, off he goes to the Dollar Store to pick up nails and glue to weight his tower just the way he wants it.
Much outrage ensued.
![TikTok comments suggesting that Alex "Try sand" and reminding him that "you can find sand outside u know [winky smirk]"](https://twprod.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/word-image-1.jpeg)
Not understanding the lack of sand available in MANHATTAN, others had this to contribute:
Good thing he was about to become a superstar. This sand habit could break a man.
According to Alex, “3D printing is kind of a big thing.” I mean, who am I to argue?
It’s entirely possible all the ACTUALLY interesting things have been done to death on TikTok. Set the bar at “kind of” and watch your numbers soar!
There might actually be something to this. While fancy dance moves and talking dogs are show stoppers on the platform, there’s an insatiable appetite for a bit of invited voyeurism on social media.
Alex is no mere one-hit TikTok wonder. No, he saw what the world needed – more 3D printing done WRONG – and decided to give them what they wanted.
Not that he did any research, mind you. I asked him if he thought this took off because of latent demand for inept and enraging 3D printing.
“Yeah, I did. Even though ultimately the response I got was hate and I had no research to back up my assumption.” Perfect.
He says,”People assumed I put the wrong thing in the dice tower, so I thought I would show them the “wrongest” thing you could put in a 3D print. And that would be food. Thus the series was born.
I recorded it as a cooking show and topped it off with nails. I figured that would get some sort of response.”
He figured right. His next project, a 3D octopus named Carol, was dubbed a “filthtopus” because of the disgusting infill (“infilth”) he used.
I asked him about the recipe for this InfilthTM. As all good recipe bloggers know, the answer must begin at the beginning of the beginning, or earlier if possible:
“I 3D print today because my father did, his father did, and his father’s father did. So, it’s been in the family for a while. We’re not entirely sure where it started, but we think it was from the Scottish side of the family because of the green Jello. Nails were added during the Great Depression.
It’s a family tradition I cherish because it really ties me back to my roots.”
Hold on a sec while I wipe away a tear.
When asked how his father feels about his TikTok fame, Alex muses,
“My father is a simple man who lives off the land. I told him I got a lot of views on TikTok and he asked where the theater was.”
-Alex McKenzie
Ohhhkayy….
So without further ado,
Here’s what you’ll need to make InfilthTM :
Mix until smooth, adding salt to taste. It’s difficult with the nails in it. Be patient.
Do not be alarmed when the cheese disappears. It’s still there and will add a delectable ripeness to your completed filthtopus (or 3D project of your choice).
Pour into a plastic bag or piping bag and dispense into the chambers (is that what they’re called?) of your print.
“Some people noticed that I am wearing nail polish,” says Alex. “I do all my nails grey except my ring finger, the power finger – that’s a dark blue.” To recreate the look, he suggests OPI Mi Casa Es Blue Casa and Less is Norse.
People had questions.
I had to know. “Is it true that you are wearing nail polish because your nails are dirty?”
“It is. I get dirt under my nails, mostly sand. It’s just easier to paint them and hide my shame – and then crack open a bottle of fresh InfilthTM for filling my prints.”
People also had opinions.
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“It hurts to have your choices called out in public like that, but that’s the price of fame, I guess.”
Seriously though, people can be mean, and amassing a large number of views and comments is a sure-fire way to bring out the trolls. Though you might consider sticking to more nerdy topics, as the comments on Alex’s post were pretty tame and the vast majority were downright positive.
Tell me you can’t relate. You post a charming video of the creation of an iridescent filthtopus set to a stirring rendition of “Whistle While You Work,” and next thing you know – BLAMMO! You’re suspended.
Your fortune is gone. Your fans are in mourning. Your filthtopus has to pick up another side hustle.
Why was he suspended? Was it the fact that Alex made up the words to the background song when he couldn’t remember them? The fact that he used actual SAND in the printing? His nightingale voice?
We’ll never know for sure. All we care about is that he’s back – with no explanation. The weird 3D printing will continue.
Will he make any changes to his methods after this scare?
“I think the confusion is part of the intrigue maybe? My next TikTok videos are actually going to be coherent, so hopefully that doesn’t tank my engagement.”
Seems like a bold move.
Alex spent a grueling 30 seconds thinking about which hashtags might help his content reach the largest audience of the right people.
He landed on #craftingeek, #dnd, #diy, #3dprinting, #satisfyingvideo, #3dprinter.
When in doubt, you can use high-performing hashtags like:
I asked Alex what was next for him and his patented InfilthTM formula.
“Mass production. People love it (and when I say they love it, I mean they love to hate it).
People want it. I’m working with a bottling company to get it on the shelves. You can make it at home but that would be copyright infringement. Look for it in your local Kroeger.
We are buying sriracha and emptying the bottles to fill, so they’ll be easy to recognize.
You don’t need a lot to make your own filthtopus. Just get a couple dozen and maybe a dozen more to keep in the garage. The cheese will only reach maximum potency after a couple of 80-degree days anyway.
Oh, and because the original is very high in sodium, we will also offer an unsalted version.”
Could Alex be the next Ocean Spray guy? “I’m in talks with big mayo, Heinz, various 3D printer manufacturers. None of them want to sponsor me.” He’s currently waiting by the rotary phone for a call back from the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association.
TikTok has promised something like $230m over the course of the next three years to support the creators that make great content on the platform.
So, it’s no surprise that Alex got picked up right away.
“It took a couple of days for approval and. You have to have 10K followers, at least 100K views, and be over 18. You also have to verify your identity and send in a W-9 (in the US anyway). After a couple of days, I was IN!”
I asked Alex how many millions he had personally collected so far. When he sent a screenshot, I was shocked. It’s inspiring.
“I know,” says Alex – “Look at all those zeroes.”
As of this writing, he’s up to $22. He’s in the market for a TikTok house if you know of any (Googles ‘TikTok house”).
IF you needed to market InfilthTM which, now that you’ve gone viral, you really you don’t, would you use Tailwind?
“I’ll be spending a lot of time making product. I don’t have a lot of time to make content. It’s going to be hard to keep up. I think Tailwind will be really critical for getting InfilthTM to the world.
What more could we ask for, really?
The six steps to going viral on TikTok are:
And did you catch the two bonus points? Get Alex’s patented InfilthTM recipe and learn how to monetize your newfound TikTok virality!
Hopefully it’s clear that there really is no actual secret to going viral on TikTok or any other platform. BUT, if you stay true to yourself, have a little fun, and keep at it, you might just be the next Alex McKenzie.
Oh, and please follow him on TikTok and tell him if you tried his recipe. 🙂
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How does Pinterest work? So glad you asked! Pinterest is a giant Pinboard (think old-timey cork board with push pins) for all the ideas and products people like to save.
Oh, and it is a LOT of fun. Pinners spend hours looking for ideas! But, they’re not JUST hoarding those ideas. The people who use Pinterest are doers and buyers. They try new recipes, experiment with DIY projects, collect money-saving tips, and plan everything from remodels to purchases and parties.
Read on to learn all the basics of how Pinterest works. Here’s what we’ll cover:
People use Pinterest to save ideas, products, to collaborate with friends, and to bookmark things to read later. Pinning is typically a solitary activity where Pinners browse and save ideas and products that will help them improve the quality of their lives, their work, health, and even their wardrobe or hairstyle!
It’s different from truly “social” networks where people share information and images about themselves and their personal or professional lives.
Facebook and Instagram are about presenting the best version of you to the world.
Pinterest is for inspiration to transform yourself into the best version of you.
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People save and click on Pins up to 90 days before they are ready to act. What all this early planning means for marketers is that their products and services can become an option for consideration very early on in the buying process.
With 75% of all the content on Pinterest coming from brands, people are very open to branded content as long as it is useful and attractive.
Product Pins allow Pinners to see your updated product inventory right on Pinterest. Connect a Pinterest catalog that pulls from your product feed and apply for Verified Merchant Status for even better exposure for your products.
Pinterest is the number two driver of social traffic to websites. When you and others share Pins that link to your website content, you’re adding more and more opportunities for people to find you and come to your website.
There’s no reason to feel like you’re too late to the game, either. While some well-known brands are having great success with their Pinterest marketing, 97% of all searches are unbranded – meaning even a relative unknown can be discovered by new customers who are ready to buy!
A Pin is a visual representation of a product or idea which someone saves for later use on a Pinterest Board. Each Pin is composed of four elements:
When someone clicks on a Pin, it will enlarge to show the full image and description. If they click again, they will be taken to the link associated with the Pin – usually a blog post or product page with more information than can be included on the Pin. Your Pins can be saved to other Boards owned by other Pinners.
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A Pinterest Board is a collection of individual Pins. Pinterest Boards give you a way to organize ideas.
For example, you might create Boards to organize ideas about a bathroom remodeling project, a vacation or trip you are planning, books you want to read, or recipes you want to try.
Pinterest Boards are always owned by one Pinner, but they can be shared. A shared or “group” Board allows other Pinterest users to add Pins to the Board.
Shared boards are commonly called “group” Boards. They’re useful for collaborating and getting feedback from friends, business partners, clients, and family. Not sure which outfit is best for your high school reunion? Your BFF can chime in and even add her own Pins as suggestions.
Secret Boards and the Pins on them are visible only to you and anyone with whom you share the Board. They’re perfect for planning surprise parties, sharing research, or for any other “just between us” purpose!
A Pinterest Profile can hold up to 500 Boards – though it’s hard to imagine how anyone would keep track of that many Boards!
Your Pinterest Profile holds all your Boards, your Pins, and all your settings. Some of the information that appears publicly include:
When you follow a Profile or a Board on Pinterest, you’re telling Pinterest you want to see more of that. So, their Pins will start to appear in your home feed. These signals you give to Pinterest also allow it to show you “picked for you” Pins it thinks you may like.
See above. 🙂 It’s great to have followers on Pinterest – your Pins will likely get more exposure and the social proof can be powerful, but Pinterest doesn’t serve up everything that is Pinned by the people and Boards you follow in the order it was Pinned. Not anymore.
Also, your Pins may be seen by people searching – whether or not they follow you.
Followers are good – but traffic from Pinterest is better. Try not to worry too much about your follower count and make sure your Pins are optimized for search instead.
You can Pin an image from around the web, or you can “Save” an image that’s already on Pinterest to your own Boards.
If you’re using Pinterest for your business, you should have a business account. You can convert a personal profile into a Pinterest business account to get detailed analytics on the performance of your account. and to advertise on Pinterest. It’s free to have a business account and aside from enabling analytics and the ability to advertise, it functions the same as a personal account.
There are a lot of organic ways to promote your pins, like using Pinterest SEO, linking to your website, and featuring it in your email sends.
The only other way to promote your pins on Pinterest is to participate in their ad program. Here is a great guide from Pinterest itself on starting out their ad program. It can be a great option as well, considering the great metrics Pinterest is showing for conversions.
So many things! Pin regularly, have a strategy, utilize group Boards, and sign up for Tailwind Communities for greater reach! Also you’ll want to keep an eye on your analytics. If you’re a blogger, here’s how 8 successful bloggers get traffic from Pinterest.
A free trial of Tailwind for Pinterest is also a good start. [sc name=”Pinterest Signup – Text Link”]
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We know it’s hard to create new content for Pinterest, and while regularly creating new blog posts, products, and pages with great images may be the best way to grow your business on Pinterest (and elsewhere!), your time is valuable – and in short supply!
And every minute spent promoting your content is a minute you’re not developing your next new product or blog post, serving your customers, or enjoying some downtime at home.
Here are some ideas on how you can spend your time wisely to get the most out of each new piece of content without going overboard. Jeff Sieh and I discussed this live on Facebook recently.
This will help your content appear in more search results.
Making sure your content is relevant to more audiences is a win-win. To get started, identify a few specific audiences for your content. How might you do that?
Let’s say you wrote a recipe blog post for a Garden Cherry Bourbon Smash cocktail (yum). A few audiences who might be interested in your recipe are:
For each of the groups above, think about what might appeal to them. What might they search for that would be relevant to your content? Here are some examples of how to appeal to each audience:
When attempting to identify potential additional audiences or contexts, here are a few questions you can ask yourself:
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There’s no perfect Pin that appeals to everyone. Design a few specific Pins for each of your target audiences or contexts, and see what works best for each one. This is now incredibly easy with Tailwind Create.
When testing, you’ll be looking at which styles, types of images, or titles work best for an audience. It’s very important to do this in moderation and to ensure each Pin Design is distinctly unique.
Publishing many similar Pins for the same piece of content (with only slight differences or tweaks) creates a poor experience for Pinterest users who end up seeing the same idea over and over again. It’s also not likely to help you actually learn what works for a given audience.
You may be investing more time for only marginally-better results. Eventually, Pinners may begin to ignore your content, unfollow your boards, or even block your account.
Be specific. Try to present each Pin in its own unique way with:
Pin each design to the most relevant Board first. When sharing one Pin design to multiple relevant Boards, make sure to space them out using a generous interval (try at least 7-10 days) to avoid creating a poor, repetitive experience for Pinners.
Because you are targeting more than one audience and using different keywords, you can share the first designs for your bourbon drinkers, holiday party hosts, and couples planning a wedding on the same day if you’d like. If you created additional Pin designs for testing with those audiences, give each design a chance to pick up steam for a week or more before sharing your next design.
If those intervals are longer than you’re used to, you may want to consider moving your content calendar up by a few weeks to make sure your designs get out in time for plan-ahead Pinterest users!
Measure your engagement, impressions, and traffic using Tailwind’s Top Pins Report, Pin Inspector, and Tribes. You can also use Pinterest’s analytics and Google analytics to see which Pins are driving traffic to your site. If you see an idea or design style that works well for a particular audience, create more content and Pins in a similar mold to reach them again with new content in the future.
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Thinking of ways to give your existing content new life on Pinterest? First, ask yourself:
Creating new ideas for existing content helps your content be found in new searches and is less likely to appear repetitive to Pinterest users.
But, sometimes your great ideas may fall flat or lose steam over time. You may want to create new Pin designs for your content:
Test a couple of new Pin designs (don’t overdo it!)
If you like an “add this to that and get something amazing” kind of formula, well, you’re in luck. Our “Everything You Need to Know to Succeed on Pinterest” webinar is new, free, and comes with a printable formula to help you reach new people with your content. Check it out!
Here’s a sneak peek:
But if you want the handy list of everyday interests, seasonal moments, life events along with inspiring examples, grab the pdf along with the webinar now.
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When you unlock new audiences and new keyword searches for your content, your distribution and traffic can skyrocket. It’s simple when you:
Have you tried this method? What surprising audiences have engaged with your content? Tell us all about it in the comments.
Pinterest’s user base has grown to over 475 million monthly active users. Gen Z and Millennial Pinners are joining in record numbers, effectively changing the makeup of the audience. And Pinners have spoken! They want to engage with video and explore content right on Pinterest.
So, today, Pinterest introduces Idea Pins – their multi-page format (formerly called Story Pins)! Now anyone with a business account* can create inspiring content and interact with their audiences, building more engaged communities right on Pinterest.
Idea Pins and new tools for their creation make it easy to publish professional-looking, saveable, engaging content directly on Pinterest.
Welcome news to anyone who may have spent more time than they’d like to admit in creating these super-engaging Pins! Been there.
The new tools make it so much easier.
“We believe the best inspiration comes from people who are fueled by their passions and want to bring positivity and creativity into the world. On Pinterest, anyone can inspire. From creators to hobbyists to publishers, Pinterest is a place where anyone can publish great ideas and discover inspiring content.
We have creators with extraordinary ideas on Pinterest, and with Idea Pins, creators are empowered to share their passions and inspire their audiences. By helping people on Pinterest spark creativity, try new things, build confidence, and be themselves, we believe creators are truly helping with our mission of bringing inspiration to create a life you love.”
– Evan Sharp, Co-Founder, Chief Design and Creative Officer, Pinterest
Behind every good idea, there is a story – only, in this case, it’s Story Pins! In September 2020, Pinterest launched Story Pins with a small group of creators.
Creators and Pinners alike helped evolve the format to include new features and functionality to make it what it is today.
Your Ideas and inspiration make Pinterest special. Now, because Idea Pins are shared in more places on Pinterest, creators can easily build an audience right on Pinterest.
Starting today, Pinners in several markets will see Idea Pins from creators they follow at the top of their home feeds.
Idea Pins also appear in search, the Today Tab.
Idea Pins include everything a Pinner might need to act on your idea right on Pinterest – whether that’s trying a new recipe, craft, hairstyle, workout, or, well, anything else!
Because Idea Pins are so engaging and actionable, Pinners are indeed engaging! Pinterest found that in the past month, Idea Pins averaged 9x the comment rate of standard Pins**.
Here at Tailwind, we found that Idea Pins averaged 41x the saves of a standard Pin***. Clearly, they are a hit!
And why not? There’s nothing quite as inspiring as watching a great idea take shape right in front of you.
All of this becomes easier with brand new publishing tools including, video-first features, fresh editing tools and updates to make creating Idea Pins easier and more creative.
Idea Pin creation now includes:
“As a Creator, Idea Pins give me a way to truly share the message of the content that I create with the world. It invites and encourages personality and creativity to transform a static Pin into something that captures the audience.
In the end, Idea Pins allow creators to shine and connect with their audience on a level never seen on Pinterest before.” –
Domonique Panton, Pinterest Creator and elite track and field athlete
In addition to the new Creator Code and moderation features and the content claiming portal Pinterest announced last month, you’ve likely noticed Idea Pins and other created content appearing front and center on Creator profiles.
Keep an eye out for analytics updates that will help creators learn more about what content engages their audience.
A new Followers and Profile Visits number will show how Idea Pins are deepening engagement on your account.
It’s also easier to see engagement metrics such as Saves, comments, and reactions, which can impact the distribution of your content.
Because Pinterest is crucial to the business success of many creators, and because typically that has resulted from Pinterest sending traffic to a creator’s website or blog, Pinterest is testing adding monetization options to Idea Pins.
Pinterest introduced their first-ever Creator Fund last month and have begun testing creator and brand collaborations with a few creators including Domonique Panton, Peter Som, and GrossyPelosi.
They’re also testing product tagging within Idea Pins so creators can make their content shoppable. Meaningful and scalable monetization is the goal, and we’ll learn more about the details in the upcoming months.
Get expert tips on building your audience from fashion editor Caroline Vazzana and pro athlete Domonique Panton at Pinterest’s Creator Workshop on May 27th. You’ll also get updates, including announcements directly from Pinterest. See you there?
You won’t want to miss Pinterest’s 3-day virtual event May 24-26th. Drop into live-streamed, studio-style sessions directly on Pinterest with a Creator where you can make or do something alongside your favorite creators!
The schedule of events will appear in the Pinterest app in the “Live” tab, here. Pinners can ask questions in the Comments section of the app, which the host and participants will answer live.
You can also check out this Pinterest-curated Board with great Pins to inspire your own Idea Pins.
Register for the workshop, but don’t put off Idea Pins another day. New formats mean less competition, which means more distribution and audience growth for you now. Idea Pins live forever, so the work you do today can pay off for months and years to come.
Have you created Idea Pins? Share a link to yours in the comments!
*Idea Pins are available to all creators in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
** Pinterest Internal Data, Global, April 2021
**20m Pins by paid Tailwind members in March-April 2021
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As you well know, Pinterest is constantly improving and updating their analytics data. What can we learn from them and how will they inform our Pinterest strategy?
Let’s have a look, shall we? We’ll start off with some of the basics and then move into using analytics to inform our strategy.
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What are impressions on Pinterest you ask? Pinterest impressions refer to the amount of times your Pins were seen on any given screen. Impressions are a good indicator of how often your pin topics are being searched, and if your Pins are anywhere within scrolling distance.
Engagements numbers tell you how many times your Pin was clicked or saved. This can also help you see how often your topics are searched and whether or not your pin drew enough interest for a click or a save.
Tailwind Tip: Use engagement data with your total audience data to get understand your content’s engagement rate.
Saves indicate how often a user saved your Pin to one of their boards. This is likely a higher intent metric, as it’s something the user wants to remember (and possibly buy). It will also come up again and again for them when they go to those boards!
This metric is easily confused with impressions, but it measures how many unique views your Pin had. That means that it is measuring exactly how many people saw your Pin (not necessarily how many times they saw it).
While impressions can have one user multiple times, total audience tracks the user only once.
This one is self-explanatory, and an excellent indicator of audience intent. Outbound clicks refers to the amount of visits to the linked URL in your Pins (from the Pins themselves of course).
This is a very important metric in determining how successful your Pins are in your overall sales strategy.
There is lots more insight to gain from Pinterest analytics, but hopefully these basic definitions can help you as you review your performance metrics.
The first thing you’ll notice is the design – clean and simple. It’s a huge improvement over the old dashboard.
By default you’ll see Impressions from all content types during the last 30 days:
Whew!
Now comes the fun part – filtering the data! You can change your date range to show up to 90 days of information.
The first drop-down menu allows you a quick look at trends in:
Customize your chart view by using “Split by” to visualize trends broken out by:
Here are some of the important marketing questions you can answer with the new Pinterest analytics.
We’ll hop down to “Top Pins” below the graph at the top and change the drop-down menu to “Link clicks.”
Then, set your filters to:
Voila! You’ll see the Pins which are sending the most traffic to your site.
Are they mostly Pins you saved or are they “Not from you” (change the “Split by” dropdown to filter)?
Why does this matter? Understanding what types of content, which image styles, and what subject matter sends the most traffic to your site is crucial in planning your content strategy and informing the design of your Pins.
Related Reading : Pinterest Site Verification – A Step by Step Guide
Just switch the Top Pins drop down to “engagements.”
You can change the filters on the left to limit results to your own URL and to Pins you saved (“From you”) as well.
Why does this matter? When Pinterest shows your content to your followers first, they’re looking for a reaction. More engagement from your followers = more distribution for your Pin!
Taking a look at what Pinners find engaging can help you determine which topics and even which Pin designs/text on Pin work best for your audience.
Tailwind Tip: Looking at engagement for Pins NOT from your website gives you a look at what is working for your competitors, which might work for you, too! To view those Pins, just change your “Claimed sites” option to “Other Pins.”
If you spend hours and hours designing countless pins, Tailwind Create for Pinterest is for you. It automates the work of creating pins, giving you more time to guide the strategy of your Pinterest channel.
If you’ve ever tried a new Pinning strategy and wondered – “How much is this really working?” now you can know for sure!
Set your date range for just before you started making the changes.
(Note: it can take a while to see an impact, give it at least a couple weeks before you check!)
Then set your filters like this :
Because you want to see all the impact on your traffic you’re looking at Pins you saved (“From you”) and Pins from others (“Not from you”) you’ve selected Source “All.”
But because it’s helpful to see just how much impact your activity has as opposed to that of others, set your “Split by” to “Source.”
Why does this matter? Any strategy you implement is worth measuring!
Do recall though, that Pinterest activity is very seasonal, so compare your overall traffic this period with that last year as opposed to traffic last month or a few months ago.
You’ll need to do that year-over-year traffic comparison in Google analytics for now – the more granular analytics are only available for the past 90 days at this time.
Just go to Acquisition > Social > Network Referrals > Traffic.
Change the drop-down menu to “Engagement Rate” or “Link Click Rate” (depending on what you want to track) and Split by “Device”.
Set the filter for Claimed accounts and select your website URL.
Why does this matter? Knowing where your traffic comes from can help you make Pin designs that convert even better.
If most of your engagement is from mobile (as will likely be the case), you know you need to prioritize the legibility of the text on your Pin image and make sure that your landing pages are optimized for mobile viewers.
Have you claimed your accounts in your profile? When you do, Pinterest learns that you are the creator for the content on those sites, and includes stats on Pins from all those platforms in your analytics.
It can also help you get more followers on Pinterest and those claimed accounts. But, is anyone really seeing that content? Does it make sense to cross post from Instagram to Pinterest?
Now you can easily find out!
Just change your “Claimed accounts” filter option to Instagram and your drop-down menu to whichever metric matters to you!
Why does this matter? Sharing new, fresh content to Pinterest is a great way to increase your exposure and for Pinterest to see you as an active creator.
But you don’t want to be Pinning content that isn’t engaging. Check to see if:
Ready for Deeper Insights?
Tailwindapp’s Pinterest Analytics Tools takes your data (and sales to new heights). Tailwind can divide up your data so you can see how each board, keyword, hashtag and source URL performs.
You can also implement heatmaps, see how your engagement levels progress over time, and even get insight into when your audience is most active.
Ready for that deeper strategy? Give Tailwind’s Pinterest Analytics a try. We’re so sure you’ll love it that we’ve offered the trial for free!
Now that we can split out activity from paid and organic, Pins we saved versus Pins others saved, and on and on, we can learn so much which will let us make our Pinterest strategies stronger and more effective over time.
Which burning Pinterest marketing questions will you answer with the new analytics?
Let us know if we missed yours!
Was this helpful to you? Please Pin it for later!
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If you’ve ever asked yourself, “can I sell things on Pinterest?” the answer is a resounding YES. In fact, you can multiply your traffic and sales by attracting perfect-fit customers with Pinterest!
And you’re in luck, because Pinterest and online shopping are a match made in Ecommerce heaven.
With 200 million monthly active users, Pinterest is a place where people go to be inspired, to learn about new ideas and products, to plan their best life.
It’s not a social network where users curate a vision of how they want to be seen. It’s a discovery destination that helps people curate ideas to support their own vision of their best possible selves.
All of that inspiration and planning – along with Pinterest’s beautiful images, leads to sales.
In fact, 72% of Pinners say that Pinterest has introduced them to a new product or service and that Pinterest has inspired them to shop when they weren’t actually looking for anything!
Among those using Pinterest weekly, the numbers are even more compelling. Ninety percent of weekly Pinners use Pinterest to make purchase decisions.
And as for traffic, well, Pinterest drives 33% more referral traffic to shopping sites than does Facebook, 71% more than Snapchat, and 200% more than Twitter! Clearly, the potential for YOUR online store on Pinterest is huge.
Then there’s the overall makeup of the typical Pinner. Seven in ten moms are on Pinterest – and we all know who makes most of the purchasing decisions at home!
If you feel like a bit of an underdog on other networks, Pinterest is for you! Ninety-seven percent of searches are unbranded, meaning Pinners are open-minded and eager to discover something new.
It also means you have an opportunity to reach people much earlier in their decision-making process.
Understanding this important difference in the way people search on Pinterest compared to say, Google or Amazon, is key to getting your products discovered and increasing your sales.
The investment you make today in great images, compelling descriptions, and high-converting landing pages can pay off for months and years to come.
In fact, while most of your reach on social networks occurs in 24 hours of posting, on Pinterest “half of site visits take place 3.5 months after the first pinning, while half of orders take place 2.5 months after the pinning,” says Pinterest.
This also means that when you decide to use Pinterest to sell more, you should be patient, realizing that, as in life, overnight success on Pinterest is the exception rather than the rule – but with consistency, sales and success WILL come.
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When people search on Pinterest (and there are 200 BILLION searches per month), they’re not usually looking for something specific. In one recent Pinterest webinar, the presenter said, “I don’t go to Pinterest to find Nike shoes. I go to Pinterest because I don’t know how to dress myself!”
So, if you are using the same keyword list for Pinterest that you use for Google, it’s time to branch out.
“Getting your business to show up online in unexpected, yet still relevant places, can increase the likelihood of people saving your Pin or clicking on your ad,” suggests Pinterest.
While you should certainly use your product keywords, you’ll find some less direct keywords will also be very helpful. Start with your typical words and work your way out. Need an example?
Let’s start with the example of Nursery Bedding. What’s one step beyond a search for “nursery bedding”? You could look at it from a couple of different perspectives:
Pinterest gives us a great tool in its guided search bar, which can help you expand your keyword ideas. Just enter a keyword, like “nursery ideas” into the search bar and hit enter.
Clicking on any of the relevant tiles will likely give you even more options. These are words that Pinterest says people search in connection to your original search term. Use this method to build out your Pinterest-specific keyword lists.
While more action happens in search than anywhere else, that’s no reason to neglect your profile. Especially if you are linking to your profile from your site, in email newsletters, and elsewhere, you’ll want it to look good.
Use your keywords when choosing your username. Remembering that 97% of searches are unbranded, unless you’re an unmistakably famous brand, consider leading with keywords. For example, rather than just “My Brand Name,” try “Home Furnishings | Nursery Bedding | Decor – My Brand Name.”
Use your keywords in your profile description as well. Write in natural language, not attempting to “keyword stuff.” Read more about the new Pinterest business profile, including how to set up your cover photo here.
There are a couple of simple, but important technical steps you can take to give your products and content a better chance of appearing in relevant search.
Forget the “80/20” or “20/80” rule. There may be, in theory, no reason you have to Pin anyone else’s content to your Pinterest account. “Sacrilege!” you say? It’s true. Sarah Hoople Shere, Head of Product Marketing at Pinterest, confirmed this for us.
You can and should Pin your content to more than one Board. It’s good practice to have one Board that contains all of your blog and catalog content and nothing else. You’ll likely find that Board, being a unique resource in the Pinterest universe, performs well in terms of engagement and traffic.
Let’s say you sell and/or blog about vintage women’s clothing, accessories, jewelry, and home decor. You might have the following Boards (among others):
When you add a new necklace to your site, you’ll share it to the most relevant Board first to give Pinterest the most specific signal about what your content is so that they can display it in the most relevant searches and feeds. So, in order, share it to:
To avoid giving Pinterest mixed signals (which could hurt your distribution and search placement), do NOT Pin your new listing to the irrelevant Vintage Home Decor Board.
Each time you create new content – whether product listing or blog post – make sure it has several relevant, specifically-named “Homes” on your profile. If you need to create new Boards along the way, go for it!
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This one is so important, and it’s worth repeating: Share new content immediately and to the most relevant Board first, then schedule it to go to the other relevant Boards over time. Ideally, for an SEO boost, you’ll change the description each time you share your Pin. Try to make it tightly relevant to the Board title.
You’ll want to make sure you schedule your new content to all relevant Boards right away so you don’t forget! Grab a [sc name=”free trial of Tailwind for Pinterest”] now and get your new content out and scheduled with Board lists and interval Pinning so it gets on to every relevant Board with natural spacing and at the best times for engagement.
Have you ever searched Pinterest for a Board? If you try it, you might notice, as I have, that the first results are often Boards with no description at all. So, then, are they really important?
Yes! You see, Pinterest looks at several signals to determine where your content should show up in search and other feeds.
One of those is your Board description. Creating keyword-rich Board descriptions will help surface your Pins in applicable searches and feeds. So spend some time on them!
Pinterest favors content by Pinners they call ‘Active Creators.’ Aim to create new content weekly. Pin consistently – daily.
There is no maximum number of acceptable Pins per day, but aim to share quality content that will engage your audience, rather than aiming for an arbitrary number of Pins per day.
On the other hand, don’t let your Pinterest account become inactive because you’re on vacation – use a Pinterest-approved scheduler, like Tailwind!
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Pinterest recently shared their findings from research looking into what works in Pin creatives by your objective.
They shared how Pins for awareness should be different from Pins designed to generate email signups, online sales, or offline sales. Really interesting stuff!
There are some Pin design tips that work well for all objectives:
When creating pins, automate your Pinterest strategy to save time and create the perfect pins to advertise your products. Try using Pinterest templates to quickly create beautiful and personalized pins.
Since we’re interested in selling more on Pinterest, these tips will be especially helpful:
Did you create a great Pinnable image for your newest product or blog post using some of the tips above? Fantastic! But, why stop with one?
Creating multiple images is a great way to increase the distribution of your content on Pinterest in a way that appeals to a wide variety of your followers and other Pinners.
Try with text overlay and without. Specifically, try a direct call to action in your text, such as, “discover,” “find yours,” “start now.”
Create a collage of products in a category. Share a lifestyle image with product images beneath (lifestyle images often convert better than a straight product shot). Turn user-generated images into stunning Pins that inspire!
When you save a new Pin or reshare one you’ve shared before, try switching up your description to target a new group of keywords for Pinterest SEO.
This will enable your images to appear in more search results!
Tailwind Communities are groups of like-minded business owners – usually made up of those who blog about a certain niche topic.
If you have a blog, you can use Tailwind Communities to add in your best content, which your Community Members can then share out – potentially expanding your reach and growing your traffic.
If you’re not a blogger, you might use Communities to find quality content to share to your own account to keep your account active during times when you’re unable to create your own fresh content.
You may also find valuable partners for potential content collaborations in your Community.
Sounds a little contradictory, doesn’t it? But, if you want to reach more than just those who follow you, you need to make sure what you’re saving to Pinterest engages your followers. Why is that?
Pinterest serves up your Pins to your followers first. Their engagement – or lack thereof, tells Pinterest how fast and far to distribute your Pin – or not!
If your followers don’t engage, there’s a good chance your Pins won’t appear high in search and in other feeds.
If, on the other hand, it really resonates with your followers, Pinterest gets the signal that this is something worth spreading!
So, how can you engage your followers? Look at what you’ve Pinned that has already proved to be engaging.
In Tailwind’s Pin inspector, you can see which Pins generate the most Repins. In Pinterest analytics, look for the Pins which generate the most clicks.
Whether those Pins are for your own site or they link to other people’s content, you can learn something from each one! Look at the Pin image. Is there something about it that makes it especially appealing?
What about the Pin description? Do keywords or style of writing stand out to you? Maybe it’s a particular topic or trending style that you see over and over in your top Pins. Let that inform your content AND Pinning strategy.
Another key to engaging your followers is to Pin when your followers are most likely to be on Pinterest and engaging.
How do you figure that out? Let Tailwind do it for you! The SmartSchedule analyzes your content and the activity of your followers to generate suggested timeslots for your schedule. Try it out for free!
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In a hurry to get started? Pinterest Promoted Pins can help you get in front of a larger audience, fast. Targeting options such as keywords, interests, audiences, locations, gender, and more enable you to pay to reach your best potential customers right away.
Key to your success in Pinterest advertising will be installing your conversion tag so you can target website visitors, enabling tracking so you can tell how ads are impacting sales, figuring out how much to bid, and knowing how to interpret results in the dashboard.
The potential of Pinterest to help you sell more with your ecommerce business is enormous – and exciting!
The long-term success of your Pinterest marketing depends on consistent, quality Pinning which engages your followers. Beautiful and inspiring images, effective use of keywords, and niche Boards which showcase your Pins will help your content go far beyond your followers.
Prefer to learn in a webinar? We’ve got you covered. This one-hour, on-demand webinar will walk you through everything you need to know to sell more with Pinterest.
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Has your Pinterest account ever been suspended for “spam”? Have you ever received an email from Pinterest regarding a Pin that’s been removed due to a copyright infringement allegation – and you had no idea why?
Pinterest discourages spammy behavior on the platform to create a better experience for all – after all, what people love about the platform is how easy it is to discover relevant, unique content. But some well-intentioned content creators and Pinners now wonder – how can I avoid being reported for accidental Spam on Pinterest?
To understand what’s happening – and how you can stay out of trouble – it’s important to clarify what exactly is considered spammy behavior on Pinterest and how you can avoid it or even the appearance of it.
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Spam and spammy behavior on Pinterest is primarily seen in five different kinds of actions.
Let’s look at each one in detail and see how we can avoid accidentally being caught up in the clean up!
If you’ve ever clicked on a Pin only to be taken, not to a blog post about “easy family dinners,” but instead to a shady, spammy, or pornograhic site, you are not alone! Pinterest works hard to prevent this type of issue, which is really two fold:
When you use Pinterest on mobile, you might have seen the message, “Did you find what you were looking for?” after a page loads. This is one way Pinterest is trying to ensure a good Pin-to-site experience. By all means, click the applicable button if you can. 
A.B.C. – Always be checking. Links, that is! When you save a Pin from Pinterest, take a moment to click through and make sure the Pin goes where you think it will.
Using Tailwind Communities to find great content to share to Pinterest can be a good way to save time on link checking. If you know the members of your Community are trustworthy, schedule away! The best ways to have a Community like this are to start one yourself and add your peers or to join niche Tailwind Communities that include high-quality, relevant content.
If you have a large Community or are in one where you don’t know all the Community Members, it’s a good idea to check the links before you share.
If you see Spam or find that someone has stolen your images, by all means, report it. Just click for a close up of the Pin and click on the three vertical dots and choose report. The brand new options look like this:
If the stolen content is yours, choose “My intellectual property” and follow the instructions (learn how to avoid accidentally removing ALL instances of the Pin here). If the content is NOT yours, choose the top option, “Spam.”
Choose whichever option is most applicable.
Who among us HASN’T gone on a Pinning binge from time to time? When you’re collecting ideas for project or event, that is perfectly natural and is not anything to worry about. So, feel free to get back to your “hygge inspiration” Board. 😉
What CAN cause a problem, however, is action that gets flagged as looking like an attempt to game the system. 😉
For example:
If you’re blocked for any of these behaviors (or a combination thereof), not to worry, you should regain access within 30 minutes to 24 hours (pinterest).
If you’d rather avoid being blocked and reduce the risk of suspension (hello!), Tailwind SmartGuide has you covered. Our SpamGuard keeps an eye on your queue to make sure you’re not Pinning too much. If you are, you’ll be alerted, and Pins will be moved to the end of your schedule. Read more.
When a Pinner sees your image of a gorgeous apple pie, they expect to click on it and arrive on a page that tells them more about the apple pie. Using something popular on Pinterest, like images of irresistible desserts to get someone to a site about something totally unrelated provides a less-than-ideal experience for everyone.
Make sure that, even if your page doesn’t contain the EXACT image you Pin, that there is consistency between Pin and page. This is especially important when you are repinning from Pinterest. Remember – A.B.C. Always be checking your links!
Let’s keep Pinterest family friendly, shall we? Pinterest is NOT the place for nudity, violence, self-harm messages, hate speech, disinformation campaigns, promotion of controlled substances, or harassment. Read all the community guidelines here.
This one is pretty straightforward and easy to avoid accidental infringement. However, you DO want to check links on anything you repin to ensure it doesn’t lead to that kind of disallowed material.
Have you seen the new options for reporting Pins on Pinterest?
The options are much more specific than before, and there is now an option for reporting “repetitive” posts. This has lead many content creators and marketers to ask – how repetitive is too repetitive and how can I maximize content distribution and not be flagged for spam?
While Pinterest is not going to give us exact numbers, there are some common-sense concepts that will help.
Pin your new content to each relevant Board. Because of the way the algorithm works, Pinterest will naturally continue surfacing your content over time.
For some of your best content, there are healthy ways to reshare them at relevant times during the year – as with Tailwind Smartloop Seasonal Loops! Sharing fresh content will get you the best results, and for your existing content that can mean refreshing your image and description while also Pinning to new, relevant Boards.
Note that the “same Pin” means the same image with the same link. Saving an image you’ve saved before but changing the description or hashtags, while this was once recommended as a way to help increase distribution, it is still considered saving the same Pin.
That makes sense, as the thing most people notice about a Pin is the visual, so not changing the image will make it seem like the same Pin to Pinners even if the descriptions are different.
Adding UTM codes or other meaningless extensions to the URL also won’t make it a “new Pin;” Pinterest will look at the canonical URL for the page.
There’s no need to remove old Pins. If you’ve perhaps fallen afoul of this guidance by saving the same Pin to the same Board in rapid succession in the past, you do not need to go back and delete old Pins. Adjust your habits going forward. Read more about resharing on Pinterest.
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Create multiple images for each piece of content. While you can still share each version to any relevant Boards, content has a natural lifespan; there comes a point when continuing to save the same image repeatedly will become less and less effective. So, spend as much time as you can on making brand new content, but don’t feel pressured to create many pieces of new content per day to Pin. If you only have time for one new Pin per week, just keep it consistent.
Refresh your existing content with new images and new descriptions to appeal to a new audience and to make it relevant to different Boards.
No. We’ve worked closely with Pinterest to establish suggestions and limits on SmartLoop and to update these in partnership with them. Over time, we plan to continue adjusting these limits as needed to ensure Tailwind members stay compliant with the latest guidelines provided to us.
SmartLoop also includes recommendations from SmartGuide, a Tailwind feature aimed at helping you avoid unnecessary risk to your account. It suggests reasonable intervals to help you make sure you are resharing, but not too often. Learn more.
Tailwind Communities can help you easily find quality content from people you know and trust, making authentic and safe content curation much faster and easier.
There’s always a possibility that a devious marketer tries to use a good platform to do bad, though, so we’re also working with Pinterest to figure out ways we can continue to keep people who would abuse Communities or Pinterest off of the Tailwind Communities platform. And we suggest you always check the links on content added by people you don’t yet know.
What if, despite following all the rules, your account is suspended anyway? Pinterest has a clear and open channel for reaching out if your account is mistakenly flagged as spam. You can start the process here.
Many report that they first get a “we are not restoring your account” form letter, but that if they persist politely and consistently, their accounts are eventually restored.
Most of the guidelines come down to common sense:
If your goal is in line with Pinterest’s goal – creating a fresh, dynamic platform for search and discovery, you’re well on your way to sustainable, progressive growth with your Pinterest marketing. Tailwind can help with that – making it easier to Pin in a way that leads to long-term growth with Smartschedule for optimal posting times, Tailwind Communities for quality content to save, and SmartLoop for safe resharing.
Tailwind is a Pinterest partner tool, meaning we work with Pinterest to enable best practices and help you grow your business through Pinterest.
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Pin it for later:
Finding what works on Pinterest can feel like chasing a moving target. What we need more than anything else right now is data – and oh, do we have data!
Let’s have a look at what is increasing saves on Pins today.
We looked at all Pins Saved or Created on Pinterest in January 2021 and identified several hundred with over 5,000 saves (formerly called repins). This included Pins our members shared via Tailwind, directly on Pinterest, and by any other method. In these studies, we report on saves rather than impressions or clicks.
Make note of any action items that you can implement today!
A note about the terminology: “Create” = the first time you share an image on Pinterest (formerly, Pin). “Save” = any time an image is saved again (formerly, repin). In most cases below, “engagement” = saves – an indication that people are engaging with and helping increase the distribution of your content.
Accounts averaging 20 saves or more per Pin are Pinning more original content (creates) than saves (repins). Of the January 2021 Pins we looked at with over 5,000 saves, only 18% were saves themselves.
In a November 2020 study of over 160K Pins across 1,500 accounts over 16 weeks, we found that original creates (that FIRST TIME an image goes out) account for the vast majority of the saves you’ll get on your Pins.
For all new Pins published via Tailwind in January 2021, new Pin Creates received 3.6x as many repins as Saves of existing Pins.
The BEST thing you can do is to create the most inspirational, engaging new content you’ve ever made for your blog, site, or store, and Pin that. Creating a few images for that fabulous new content will help you get that content to a broader audience.
The SECOND BEST thing you can do is to create new images for your existing content. In another study we ran of Pins published in July through October of 2020, we found that Pin engagement starts to drop off about 60 days after publish.
Why not create new, seasonal, timely images for your still-relevant content. Make sure your images look fresh and new. Beyond that, could you reach an entirely new audience with a subtle shift in your content focus? Learn more about getting more from your content here (hint: it’s a simple formula with lots of options for everyone).
PRO TIP!!! For Pins saved via Tailwind in January 2021, making and sharing Pins with Tailwind Create resulted in 373% more saves than did resharing existing content.
Here at Tailwind, we’re taking our own advice! We have professional designers who create beautiful images for our content, but lately, the Pins bringing in the most engagement are the ones I made in Tailwind Create in just a few minutes! Here’s one that does very well for us:
We looked at several million Pins saved in January 2021 and pulled out those with over 5,000 shares (formerly called repins). We found that of the several hundred we’ve analyzed so far, 30% are video Pins.
What the vast majority have in common is that they show the viewer how to do something, usually in a step-by-step or demonstration format.
Many are TikTok videos, perfectly sized for repurposing on Pinterest. Fitness and Craft videos dominated the top spots.
Try video Pins! Check out a recent Facebook Live where Kate of Wave.video showed us how to make some very simple videos. Record your own step-by-step videos and make them truly useful. They do NOT have to be expertly produced to succeed.
Of January 2021 Pins earning over 5,000 saves, 89% of them had some combination of reactions (Stories and videos only), comments, and photos. Are they getting more reactions, comments, and photos because they have been saved so many times? Or are those other signals helping increase distributions and therefore, saves?
It’s not totally clear which comes first here. Though Pinterest does take engagement signals (especially from your followers) into account when determining distribution, so it seems likely that engagements like this create a positive feedback loop – boosting your distribution and saves.
This video has a combination of reactions, comments, and photos – all strong signals to Pinterest that this is quality content that should be distributed.
Make your Pins worth reacting to – or worth a comment or photo! The Pins we’re seeing with this kind of engagement are for the most part how-to videos or beautiful travel and fashion photos. Show your product in use in unconventional ways and invite people to try it and share their results.
The #1 most-shared Pin is a how-to craft video with 20,000 reactions, 25 photos, and 45 comments! Not every industry can expect comments and photo uploads on their Pins. Recipes, fashion, and beauty images are the most prevalent in this group.
Try sharing your Pinterest content with your engaged email audience. Suggest they try out your ideas and leave a comment or photo if they do.
Our study of 2 million accounts receiving higher than average numbers of saves per Pin suggests that follower count does matter. In fact, in the group that consistently enjoyed higher than average engagement, the average follower count was over 50K. Those moving from lower than average engagement in November to higher than average in January averaged 4.3K.
Could this be because these accounts have been on Pinterest longer and have perhaps amassed some level of trust in the algorithm? Maybe. Could these larger accounts be utilizing Pinterest ads to expand their reach? Maybe. Whatever the reason, higher follower count often correlates to more saves.
Pro Tip: Pinterest has signaled that they are looking to connect users to people who inspire them. This means community and followers will likely become more and more important to your success on Pinterest over time.
Encourage your existing blog, email, and social audiences to follow you. They already love your content, so are likely to engage and save when they see it on Pinterest – further increasing your reach. We like the WordPress plugin MiloTree for this. But you can also share a “What we’re Pinning” mention in your emails or embed Pins or Boards on your site.
Also, CLAIM YOUR WEBSITE. : ) See below.
Not claiming your website could result in your Pin creates being registered as Pin saves – and we already learned that Pin creates generate 71% of the engagement you can expect from your content.
In a February 2021 study of over 2m accounts Pinning in November and January, fully 80% of those consistently enjoying higher than average engagement rates had claimed their domains on Pinterest. Compare this with under 3% of the consistent under performers.
When you claim your website, you let Pinterest know you are the source of everything saved from your site. You’ll have access to powerful analytics, your content will feature prominently in your profile on the “Created” tab, and everything anyone ever saves from your site will feature YOU as the creator – with a big “follow” button next to your image and profile name. If you don’t claim your site, the person saving a Pin that links to your site gets that follow button instead. Not cool.
Check out this example. Lili may have saved it, but the content creator, Sweet Cs, gets the credit, which will help grow an engaged following.
Claim your site 🙂 Simply click on your photo in the top-right corner of the page and select “settings” and go to Claim. The process is pretty simple, but you can learn more here.
Pinterest prefers consistency in sharing. If you like to batch create content and Pins, that means you’ll want a scheduler to space them out for you!
We looked at all Pins published via Tailwind, manually, or scheduled on Pinterest during July 2020 – January 2021 and found no difference in Pin engagement (saves). When comparing engagement on saves, we actually saw slightly higher performance for the Tailwind-published saves versus the Pinterest saves. This held true for saves and creates in January 2021 alone as well.
The best way to use Tailwind today is to create beautiful branded images in a snap with Tailwind Create (our members average 1.8 minutes per Tailwind Create design compared with 15 minutes for popular drag-and-drop editors) and schedule them with SmartSchedule – at the best times for engagement.
Numbers don’t lie. Make these insights part of your Pinterest by making them a part of your strategy today! Remember to:
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