Pinterest is powerful. But not just the kind of power that brings you the best interior decorating inspiration or the next best Paleo-Keto-or-whatever-the-fad-is-right-now recipe…Pinterest has become a marketing force for business. For quite a while now, I’ve been hearing how powerful Pinterest can be. I’ve heard big numbers and enticing success stories. But to be honest, for a long time it just seemed like one. more. thing. to keep up with. But thanks to Pinterest geniuses like my friends Megan Martin and Vanessa Kynes, I’ve finally taken the plunge and it’s time you did too!

If you don’t know her already, Vanessa Kynes over at vanessakynes.com is a Pinterest marketing strategist for creative small businesses and she’s dropping some Pinterest gold today on the blog! Vanessa helps creative entrepreneurs craft traffic-generating Pinterest marketing strategies so that they can spend more time on their unique creative work. And she’s a total sweetheart. So listen up, friend (and follow her over on the gram!!)! It’s time you gave your Pinterest profile some attention! 😉 

If you haven’t heard by now, Pinterest isn’t about connecting socially. It’s about purpose and planning, and after many visits to Pinterest headquarters, it’s clear that they want to be known as a visual search discovery, a place where you can find content that inspires you AND encourages you to take action. But, where is the first place to start when you want to use Pinterest? It’s all about the Pinterest profile!

Taking the time to craft a keyword-rich and strategic Pinterest profile is a good exercise in helping you understand how Pinterest operates and functions. A good Pinterest profile is visual, but also keyworded. It’s organized, but also inspiring. It shows, but also tells.

Let’s talk about the big action items you need to take to get that Pinterest profile working for you!

1) Convert your existing account to a business account.

If you are using Pinterest in any business capacity, you must have a business profile. It’s in the TOS (terms of service). Luckily, it’s super easy to do. Just head on over to settings (top right) and make the big leap.

Converting to a business account will give you access to Pinterest analytics and also start sending messages to the Pinterest platform what your content is all about to get found in search.

2) Choose a profile picture that matches your other social media accounts.

I love cross-pollinating my marketing efforts. On average, it takes 7 marketing touches to convert a visitor to a customer! By having a profile image (face is preferred on Pinterest) that matches your other social accounts, followers can become fast fans when they start to recognize your brand on Pinterest.

3) Choose Keywords to use in your Pinterest Profile.

Keywords are very important on Pinterest! Without them, you are leaving Pinterest with only half the clues it needs to rank your content in the search results (visual search is one component). Keywording is easy on Pinterest, but for your profile, focus on the MAIN keywords that describe what you do. Are you a wedding photographer? Great, make sure you list the location in both the location section, but also in your Pinterest profile description. Don’t forget to describe what you do. Often, I see something like. “Lover of coffee, cats, and color”. I’m a huge fan of those things too, but they don’t send any signals to Pinterest about what you do and who you speak to! Here’s an example of mine: 

See those keywords? I’m targeting people who want to learn how to use Pinterest, so I’ve got them peppered all over my profile’s description. Want to learn more about keywording in detail? Read my blog over here.

4) Confirm your Domain.

Merely converting to a business account doesn’t confirm your domain (nor does it activate rich pins which I will address below). Make sure you head over to settings, and follow the directions on how to confirm your domain with Pinterest. It often requires a touch of code to pop into your header space. Confirming your domain is very important! It gives Pinterest a lot of data about how your content performs and what users do when they land on your website.

5) Enable Rich Pins.

Rich pins are a powerful tool for providing meta data about your recipe, product, or article. You can learn how to enable Rich pins here. Typically, when activating accounts, I grab the latest blog post and run it through the rich pin validator here. Once it’s confirmed, you are done!

6) Add a CTA (or call to action) to your Pinterest Profile Description.

Last, but not least, if you have an opt-in or lead generator, be sure to add a short link to your freebie in your profile description. I’d encourage you to use a link shortener, because you only get a limited amount of characters in the profile! This is an easy way to attract audiences to grow your email list! For example, I give them an opportunity to grab my Free Pinterest Start-Up Guide. If you are service based business, lead them to your contact page!

Following these steps will get you started using Pinterest to grow your creative business! If you are looking for more Pinterest marketing strategies, be sure to subscribe to my email list where you can get my Free Pinterest Start-Up Guide or check out the blog at vanessakynes.com!