How to Sell Templates on Pinterest

Selling your digital templates on Pinterest can completely transform your online business, turning a visual discovery platform into a powerful sales engine. This guide breaks down exactly how to set up your profile, design pins that convert, and build a strategy that drives consistent traffic to your template shop. We’ll cover everything from profile optimization and board strategy to the anatomy of a pin that actually sells.

Why Pinterest is a Goldmine for Template Sellers

Unlike other social media platforms where content has a lifespan of hours, Pinterest is a visual search engine. Users, or "Pinners," come to the platform actively searching for solutions, inspiration, and products to buy. This search-driven behavior makes them high-intent buyers. When someone types in "Instagram story templates" or "editable resume templates," they aren't just browsing - they're looking to take action.

Your content on Pinterest is evergreen. A well-designed pin can continue to drive traffic and sales for months, or even years, after you originally post it. This makes it an incredible asset for solopreneurs and small business owners who create digital products like templates. You create the pin once, and it works for you long-term, attracting new customers organically without you having to be constantly active.

Step 1: Set Up Your Pinterest Profile to Attract Buyers

Before you start pinning, you need a professional foundation. Your profile is the virtual storefront for your template business, and optimizing it signals to both Pinterest and potential customers that you’re a credible seller.

Switch to a Pinterest Business Account

If you’re still using a personal account, the first step is to switch to a free Business account. This gives you access to a suite of essential tools, including:

• Pinterest Analytics: You can see which pins and boards are performing best, what your audience is interested in, and how much traffic you’re driving to your website. This data is invaluable for refining your strategy.
• Rich Pins: These automatically sync information from your website to your pins, adding extra context like product prices and descriptions directly on the pin itself.
• Advertising Tools: If you ever decide to run ads, you'll need a Business account to access Promoted Pins.

Optimize Your Profile for Keywords

Your profile needs to tell people exactly what you offer at a glance. Think about the keywords your ideal customer would use to find your products. Sprinkle these naturally throughout your profile:

• Profile Name: Don’t just use your name. Add a keyword-rich descriptor. For example, instead of "Jane Doe," use "Jane Doe | Canva Templates & Branding Kits."
• Bio: You have 160 characters to explain who you are and what you do. Be clear and direct. For example: "Helping small businesses shine with easy-to-use Canva templates for social media, marketing, and more. Shop our collection of templates today!"

Claim Your Website or Shop

Claiming your website (like your Shopify store, blog, or standalone sales page) is a step that validates your authenticity to Pinterest. It adds your profile picture to any pins created from your site and gives you access to web analytics, showing you exactly what content people are saving from your domain. You can claim websites and stores from platforms like Etsy, Shopify, and Squarespace.

Step 2: Create a Strategic Board Structure

Pinterest boards are how you organize your content. Think of them like aisles in a store. Randomly pinning templates everywhere is messy and confusing for users. A well-organized board structure helps Pinners find what they're looking for and encourages them to follow you for more.

Create Hyper-Specific, Keyword-Rich Boards

Don't create a single board called "My Templates." Get specific. If you sell a variety of templates, create a board for each category. Your board names should be based on what people are actually searching for.

• Good Board Name: "Modern Resume Templates for Creatives"
• Bad Board Name: "Work Stuff"
• Good Board Name: "Instagram Story Canva Templates"
• Bad Board Name: "Social Graphics"

Don’t forget to write a keyword-rich description for each board! Repeat the main keywords from the board title and add other related terms to help Pinterest understand the context of your content.

Mix Your Content

Your Pinterest account shouldn't be 100% self-promotion. Aim for a mix of your own content (your template pins) and relevant third-party content that your ideal customer would find valuable. For example, on your "Social Media Canva Templates" board, you could also pin articles about "Instagram caption ideas" or "how to grow your brand on social media." This positions you as a helpful resource, not just a seller.

Step 3: Design Pins That Actually Sell Your Templates

On a visual platform, the design of your pin is everything. Your template could be amazing, but if the pin promoting it is sloppy or unclear, no one will ever click on it. Your goal is to stop the scroll.

Anatomy of a High-Converting Pin

• Use a 2:3 Vertical Ratio: The ideal pin size is 1000 x 1500 pixels. Vertical images take up more screen real estate on mobile feeds, making them more eye-catching.
• Add Clear Text Overlay: Your pin graphic needs to explicitly state what the template is. Don't assume people will read the tiny description. Use big, bold, easy-to-read text like "10 Editable Podcast Promo Templates" or "Minimalist Business Card Template."
• Showcase the Template in a Mockup: Help people visualize how they can use your product. If you're selling Instagram post templates, show them arranged in a pretty grid mockup. If it's a resume template, show it on a laptop screen with a coffee mug next to it. Mockups make your digital product feel tangible and more valuable.
• Incorporate Strong Branding: Use your brand's colors, fonts, and logo on every pin. This builds brand recognition over time. When someone sees one of your pins, they should instantly recognize it's from you.
• Use High-Quality Images and Graphics: Blurry images or pixelated icons scream unprofessional. You are selling a design product, so your marketing materials must reflect high design quality.

Embrace Video Pins and Idea Pins

Static images are great, but video can be even better for showing off templates.

• Video Pins: Create a short, 15-30 second video showing a screen recording of your template in action. For a Canva template, you could show how easy it is to change the colors, text, and photos. This builds confidence in potential buyers by demonstrating the product's value and ease of use.
• Idea Pins (Pinterest's version of Stories): Use Idea Pins to create a multi-page guide or tutorial related to your template. For example, if you sell planner templates, you could create an Idea Pin titled "5 Steps to Plan Your Perfect Week" and feature your product on the final slide with a call to action.

Step 4: Master Pinterest SEO for Your Pins

Remember, Pinterest is a search engine. To get your templates discovered, you need to use the right keywords in the right places.

How to Find Keywords on Pinterest

The easiest way to find keywords is to use the Pinterest search bar itself. Type in a broad term related to your template, like "social media templates." Pinterest will suggest a list of popular, related searches, like "social media templates for realtors" or "social media templates minimalist." These search bubbles are a fantastic source of long-tail keywords that actual users are looking for.

Where to Place Your Keywords

Once you have a list of keywords, integrate them into:

• Pin Title: Be direct and use your primary keyword here. Your title is one of the most important pieces of data Pinterest uses to categorize your content.
• Pin Description: Write a few sentences that naturally include your primary and secondary keywords. Describe the template, who it's for, and the benefit it provides. End with a strong call-to-action (CTA) like, "Click the link to download your editable resume template now!"
• Alt Text: Describe what's in the pin image for visual accessibility and for the search algorithm.
• The Destination URL: The link you add to the pin matters too! Pinterest's algorithm looks at the linked page to understand context, so make sure your product page is also well-optimized.

Step 5: Develop a Consistent Pinning Strategy

Consistency is more important than volume. Pinterest rewards creators who are active on the platform, but this doesn't mean you need to pin 50 times a day. Aim to pin a few new, original pins each day. Planning your content ahead of time with a content calendar is the best way to stay on track.

Regularly check your Pinterest Analytics to see which of your pins are getting the most impressions, saves, and outbound clicks. Find your top-performing pins and create more designs like them. If a particular template category is driving a lot of traffic, that’s a signal to create more products and pins for that niche.

Final Thoughts

Selling templates on Pinterest is a long-term strategy that pays off by creating a sustainable source of organic traffic and sales. By treating it like the powerful visual search engine it is, you can connect with customers who are actively looking for the exact solutions you provide and build a thriving digital product business.

Staying consistent is what separates template sellers who succeed from those who fade. At Postbase, we built our platform to help creators and small businesses manage all their social media, including Pinterest, from one simple calendar. By planning and scheduling your pins weeks in advance, you can focus on creating great templates while we make sure your content goes live exactly when it should - no more last-minute scrambles to get a pin out. Try using a clean, visual planner like Postbase to streamline your workflow and keep your template sales engine running smoothly.