How to Start a Podcast on Pinterest for Free

You can turn Pinterest into one of your most powerful, free marketing engines for your podcast. While you can't host audio files directly on the platform, you can use its unique visual search features to drive a consistent stream of new listeners to your show. This guide covers the exact strategy for promoting and growing your podcast on Pinterest from scratch, without spending a dime.

Why Pinterest is an Untapped Goldmine for Podcasters

First, it's important to stop thinking of Pinterest as just another social media platform. It's a visual search engine. Users don't come to Pinterest to see what their friends are up to, they come to find ideas, learn new skills, and solve problems. This user intent is completely different from that of Instagram or TikTok, and it’s a perfect match for podcasters.

Here's why it works so well:

• Long-Term Discovery: A post on Instagram has a lifespan of about 24-48 hours. A tweet might last a few minutes. A Pin, however, can continue to drive traffic and listeners for months or even years after you’ve published it. Because it’s search-based, great content gets rediscovered over and over again.
• Audience Intent: People on Pinterest are actively searching for solutions. If your podcast on frugal living has an episode about "5 Ways to Save on Groceries," you can create a Pin for it. When a user searches "how to save money on groceries," your episode Pin can appear as a direct answer to their question.
• Traffic-Driving Power: Unlike platforms that prefer to keep users within their app, Pinterest is designed to send people off-platform. Every single Pin can - and should - link directly to your podcast episode on platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your own website. Driving traffic is its primary function.

Setting Up Your Pinterest Profile for Podcast Success

Before you start creating content, you need to lay the right foundation. It takes about 15 minutes but makes a huge difference in your discoverability and credibility. A well-optimized profile tells both users and the Pinterest algorithm exactly what you're about.

Step 1: Create or Convert to a Business Account

If you have a personal Pinterest account, you need to switch it to a free Business account. This is non-negotiable. A Business account unlocks essential features like Pinterest Analytics, which shows you what’s working, and Rich Pins, which pull extra data from your website to make your Pins more informative.

To convert your account, go to your settings and look for the "Account Management" option. You’ll see a choice to "Convert to a business account." It's free and immediate.

Step 2: Optimize Your Profile Bio and Name

Your profile is valuable SEO real estate. Think about what your potential listeners are searching for.

• Display Name: Don't just put your podcast's name. Include keywords. For example, instead of just "The Morning Brew," use "The Morning Brew | Daily Marketing Podcast." This helps you appear in searches for "marketing podcast."
• Bio: Clearly state who your podcast is for and what you talk about. Use your 160 characters wisely. Include a direct call-to-action (CTA), like "Listen to our weekly episodes for tips on sustainable living 🌱."
• Profile Photo: Use your podcast cover art so it's instantly recognizable to existing listeners and visually consistent.

Step 3: Claim Your Website

This is a critical step that many people skip. Claiming your website (the site where you host your show notes or have a landing page for your podcast) officially links it to your Pinterest account. It adds a small globe icon checkmark to your profile, building trust and unlocking better analytics. Most importantly, it's essential for enabling Rich Pins, which add extra context from your site to your Pins automatically.

You can do this by adding a meta tag to your website's HTML or by uploading a file to your website's root directory. Pinterest provides step-by-step instructions for popular platforms like Squarespace, WordPress, and Shopify.

Creating Pins That Attract Listeners (The Core Strategy)

Your goal is to turn moments from your audio content into compelling, scroll-stopping visuals. People won't listen to your podcast because you tell them to, they'll listen because you gave them a valuable teaser or an interesting idea that makes them want to hear more.

What to Pin: Turning Audio into Visuals

You need to create a variety of Pins for each episode to see what resonates. Here are five powerful formats that work exceptionally well for podcasters:

1. Quote Cards: The simplest but most effective format. Pull a powerful, intriguing, or controversial quote from your latest episode. Place it on a visually appealing, branded template. These are highly shareable and quick to create.
2. Audiogram Video Pins: These are gold for podcasters. An audiogram is a short (30-60 second) video clip that combines an audio snippet from your podcast with a static background image and an animated soundwave. Always include captions, as most users watch videos without sound. Tools like Headliner or Descript can help you create these for free.
3. Tip List & Infographic Pins: Did your episode cover "3 Steps to Launch Your Freelance Career"? Turn those three steps into a simple, vertical list-style graphic. Long, infographic-style Pins perform exceptionally well on Pinterest because they stand out in the feed and offer tons of value at a glance.
4. Behind-the-Scenes Pins: Build a personal connection with your audience by sharing photos or short videos of your recording setup, a sneak peek of your notes for an upcoming episode, or a shot of you with a guest. Show the human behind the microphone.
5. Guest Feature Pins: If you have a guest on your show, create a Pin that features their photo, name, and a compelling quote from their interview. It’s a great way to introduce their expertise and you can tag them if they have a Pinterest presence, encouraging them to share it with their audience too.

The Anatomy of a Perfect Podcast Pin

Regardless of the format you choose, every successful Pin shares a few key elements:

• It's Vertical: Pinterest is a vertical platform. Always create your Pins in a 2:3 aspect ratio. A resolution of 1000px by 1500px is the standard and looks best on mobile devices.
• A Clear Headline Overlay: Do not rely on the Pin description alone. Your Pin's image needs to have text baked into it. Use a bold, easy-to-read font with a headline that sparks curiosity or promises a clear benefit. For instance, "Episode 15 with Jane Doe" is weak. "How to Triple Your Productivity (feat. Jane Doe)" is strong.
• Subtle Branding: Include your podcast logo or website URL at the top or bottom of every Pin. It builds brand recognition as users see your content repeatedly over time.
• A Strong Call-to-Action: Your Pin text overlay should hint at what to do next. Simple phrases like "Listen to the Full Episode" or "Tap to Learn More" can significantly increase outbound clicks.

Writing SEO-Friendly Titles & Descriptions

The image gets the user's attention, the Pin's text (title and description) gets the algorithm's attention. Think like a listener. What words would they use to find content like yours?

To find the best keywords, use the Pinterest search bar. Start typing a broad topic like "small business marketing" and look at the bubbles of suggested keywords that appear below (e.g., "...for beginners," "...on a budget," "...strategy"). Those are the exact phrases people are searching for. Weave these into your Pin title and description naturally.

Example Pin Description:

"Struggling with content overload? In this episode of The Founder's Playbook, we chat with marketing strategist Sarah Chen about her best productivity tips for solo entrepreneurs. Learn a simple content creation framework to organize your week and stop feeling overwhelmed. Tap to listen to the full episode for free small business marketing advice that works on a budget."

This description naturally includes keywords like "productivity tips," "content creation framework," "solo entrepreneurs," "small business marketing," and "on a budget."

Your Free Pinterest Podcast Marketing Workflow

Consistency is everything on Pinterest. The algorithm rewards users who are active. You don't need to Pin every day, but having a simple, repeatable process is essential.

Step 1: Create Pin Templates

Don't reinvent the wheel every time. Open a free tool like Canva and create 3-5 branded templates: one for quotes, one for audiograms, one for listicles, etc. This will reduce your content creation time for each episode from hours to minutes.

Step 2: Batch Create Your Pins

As part of your episode publishing process, set aside just 30 minutes to do your Pinterest marketing. Pull 3-4 key quotes, one great audio clip for an audiogram, and outline one "how-to" infographic based on the episode's content. Create 5-10 unique Pins for that single episode by dropping this content into your templates.

Step 3: Strategic Pinning and Board Management

How you organize your Pins is just as important as the Pins themselves. Don't just dump everything onto one board called "My Podcast Episodes." Create various topical boards that relate to your podcast's niche.

For a podcast on personal finance, you could have boards like:

• Budgeting for Beginners
• How to Invest
• Saving Money Tips
• Paying Off Debt

When you publish an episode Pin about budgeting, pin it to your "Budgeting for Beginners" board first. A week later, you can share it again to your more general "Saving Money Tips" board. This strategy helps your content get discovered by different segments of your target audience who are searching for related topics.

Measuring Your Success (For Free)

Thanks to your free Business account, you can access Pinterest Analytics. Don't get bogged down by vanity metrics. Focus on the two numbers that matter most for podcasters:

• Outbound Clicks: This tells you how many people are actually clicking through the link on your Pin to listen to your episode. This is your most important metric.
• Saves: This shows you how many people are saving your Pin to their own boards. It’s a powerful indicator that your content is valuable and serves as a signal to the algorithm to show your Pin to more people.

Pay attention to which Pins are driving the most outbound clicks and saves. Is it your audiograms? Your listicles? Double down on what's working and create more of that style of Pin for future episodes.

Final Thoughts

Growing a podcast is a marathon, not a sprint. By treating Pinterest as a visual search engine instead of a social network, you can build a sustainable, long-term traffic source. Turning great moments from your show into valuable, evergreen Pins gives every episode a chance to find new listeners for months and even years to come.

Creating all these Pins, on top of managing Reels for Instagram and Shorts for YouTube, can feel like a lot to juggle. At Postbase, we built our platform to tackle this modern content chaos. We let you visually plan all your content - from Pinterest Pins to TikTok videos - in one simple calendar and schedule everything reliably across your platforms. It helps you stay consistent without feeling overwhelmed, giving you more time to focus on what really matters: creating a great podcast.