How to Grow a Following on Pinterest

Thinking of Pinterest as just another social media app is the first mistake. Pinterest is a visual discovery engine - a place where millions of people go to find ideas, plan purchases, and get inspired. This guide will give you a complete, actionable strategy for growing an engaged following on the platform, focusing on the tactics that work right now.

Set Up Your Profile for Success

Your Pinterest profile is your digital storefront. Before you start sharing Pins, you need to make sure your shop is in order. A polished, professional profile builds trust and makes it easier for your target audience to find and follow you.

Convert to a Business Account

If you haven't already, switch your personal account to a free business account. This unlocks critical features you can't live without, including:

• Pinterest Analytics: You'll see which Pins are performing best, what your audience is interested in, and how much traffic you're driving to your website. This data is the foundation of a smart content strategy.
• Rich Pins: These automatically pull extra information from your website onto your Pins, making them more useful and clickable. For example, recipe Pins will show ingredients and cooking times, and product Pins will display current pricing and availability.
• Ad Manager: Even if you don't plan to run ads right away, having access to the ad tools is great for future growth.

This is a quick, non-negotiable first step. Just go to your account settings and you'll find the option to convert.

Optimize Your Profile with Keywords

Discovery on Pinterest is driven by keywords. Think like your ideal follower: what terms are they searching for? Integrate these keywords naturally into your profile in a few key places:

• Your Name: Don't just put your name. Use your name or brand name, followed by a keyword or two that describes what you do. For example, instead of just "Jane Smith," use "Jane Smith | Plant-Based Recipes & Meal Prep."
• Your Bio: You have a bit more space here. Clearly state who you are, who you help, and what kind of value you provide. Weave in your main keywords naturally. Let people know exactly what kind of content they can expect if they follow you.

Claim Your Website

Claiming your website, Instagram, and Etsy shop is another important step. It tells Pinterest that you're the official owner of that content, adds your logo to any Pins saved from your site, and gives you access to analytics for the content saved from your platforms. This adds a layer of authority and brand recognition to your content across the entire platform.

Master Pinterest SEO like a Pro

At its heart, Pinterest is a search engine. People don’t scroll mindlessly, they search with intent. If you want to grow a following, your content needs to show up when they search. That’s where Pinterest Search Engine Optimization (SEO) comes in.

Conduct Keyword Research (the Pinterest Way)

Forget complex SEO tools. Your best friend here is the Pinterest search bar itself. Here's how to find the keywords your audience is using:

1. Type a broad keyword related to your niche into the search bar (e.g., "living room decor").
2. Look at the colorful bubbles that appear just below the search bar. These are additional keywords that Pinterest suggests because people frequently search for them. In this case, you might see "ideas," "boho," "modern farmhouse inspiration," or "grey couch ideas". These are pure gold.
3. Click on one of those bubbles. Pinterest will now show you another set of related keyword bubbles.
4. Keep going! This process helps you uncover long-tail keywords - more specific phrases that are often less competitive and highly relevant.

Keep a simple list of these keywords. You'll use them everywhere: in board titles, board descriptions, Pin titles, and Pin descriptions.

Optimize Your Boards

Think of your Pinterest boards as the categories of your blog or the aisles of your store. Each one should be focused on a specific sub-topic within your niche. For every board you create, follow these rules:

• Use a Keyword-Rich Title: Give your board a clear, descriptive, searchable name. Skip cute or clever names no one is looking for. Instead of "Things I Love", use "Modern Farmhouse Living Room Ideas."
• Write a Detailed Description: Every board has a description box. Use it! Write a few sentences describing what the board is about, and naturally include several of your related keywords. This helps Pinterest understand the context of your board and the Pins within it.
• Pick a Relevant Category: When you edit a board, you can assign it a category (e.g., "Home Decor," "DIY & Crafts"). This is another small signal that helps Pinterest categorize your content.

Craft the Perfect Pin Description

Every Pin you post needs a title and a description. Don't leave them blank. The same SEO principles apply here. Be descriptive, helpful, and incorporate keywords. Describe what's in the Pin, what problem it solves, or what idea it offers. A good description doesn't just use keywords, it uses them in compelling sentences that encourage someone to click or save the Pin.

Create Content People Can't Help but Save

Great SEO gets your Pins seen, but great content gets them saved. Saves are a huge signal to the Pinterest algorithm that your content is valuable, which tells it to show your Pins to more people. This is how you really build momentum.

Think Vertically

Pinterest is a mobile-first platform. Always create your graphics and videos in a vertical aspect ratio. The ideal Pin size is a 2:3 ratio (e.g., 1000 x 1500 pixels). Taller Pins take up more screen real estate, grabbing more attention as people scroll.

Add Text Overlays

So many creators miss this part. A simple image is fine, but an image with a clear, concise text overlay is infinitely more powerful. Your headline should tell people exactly what they are going to get if they engage with your Pin. The text should be bold and easy to read on a small phone screen.

For example, instead of just a photo of a smoothie, a much better Pin would have the headline: "5-Minute High-Protein Banana Smoothie" right on the image.

Embrace Different Pin Formats

Pinterest offers a few different formats for your content. Use a mix of them to keep your profile fresh and appeal to different user behaviors.

• Static Image Pins: The classic, perfect for showcasing a single idea with a strong visual and headline. Great for blog posts, product photos, or inspiring quotes.
• Video Pins: Short, eye-catching videos (typically 15-60 seconds) are fantastic for showing a process, a mini-tutorial, a quick DIY, or bringing a product to life. They autoplay in the feed, making them great at capturing attention.
• Idea Pins: These are multi-page Pins that combine video, images, and text, making them ideal for step-by-step tutorials, recipes, or lists. The goal is to provide complete value directly within the Pin so the viewer doesn't need to click away. For creators already producing content for platforms like Instagram Stories or TikTok, Idea Pins are a quick way to repurpose that content for additional reach.

Provide Tangible Value

Ultimately, a follower is someone who is saying, "I trust you to keep giving me valuable ideas." Every Pin you post should offer value. A good Pin is typically:

• Educational: Teaches someone how to do something (e.g., "How to Propagate a Pothos Plant").
• Inspirational: Gives someone an idea or a spark of creativity (e.g., "Cozy Scandi-Style Bedroom Decor").
• Helpful: Solves a problem or makes life easier (e.g., "Free Weekly Meal Plan Printable").

Focus on creating content that your target audience will genuinely want to save to their own boards for later.

Be Consistent and Patient

Growing on Pinterest is a marathon, not a sprint. The algorithm rewards consistency. You don't need to post 20 new Pins a day, but aim for a steady rhythm - whether that's one new, high-quality Pin a day or a few per week. The best way to manage this is through batch-creating and scheduling your content ahead of time.

Use Analytics to Refine Your Strategy

Check your Pinterest Analytics at least once a month. Don't get lost in vanity metrics. Focus on the numbers that matter:

• Saves: Which Pins are being saved the most? This tells you what content resonates with your audience. Make more of that!
• Outbound Clicks: For those of you driving traffic to your blog or website, which Pins are actually sending people to your site? This is an important way to check if your calls-to-action are appealing and working.

Use what you learn to double down on what works and to test more of your better-working ideas.

Final Thoughts

Growing a following on Pinterest comes down to a clear formula: treat the platform like a search engine, create visually compelling content that provides real value, and show up consistently for your audience. By implementing smart SEO practices and focusing on what users want to see, you'll be able to build a thriving presence.

From firsthand experience, I know that staying consistent with highly visual content can be a major challenge. We designed our platform with an intuitive, visual layout modeled after platforms like Pinterest. Its ability to schedule Pins months in advance on a simple calendar helps you stay organized and on strategy. Visualizing your entire content plan makes it easy to spot gaps and work more effectively. That's why we at Postbase built our software to help you manage posts across all your brands with just a few clicks.