Pinterest Tips for Photographers
Hi new photographers friends! Yes, I’m counting you as a friend because you’re taking the time to read my blog and also, I have always been super jealous of your creatives. Don’t get me wrong, I have my own creative expression but the art of photography is something I deeply covet.
But that’s not why you are here! You are looking for some tips on marketing yourself on Pinterest. so, let’s get into it!
First, let me preface with saying there are plenty of simple back-end steps you need to take on Pinterest. This is merely a list of tips to help get you started on Pinterest and hopefully you already have your business account set up and running. If not, you should take a look at my VIP Pinterest Intensive. This covers all your set up needs, content creation, Tailwind set-up, and more. Basically a personalize 1:1 Pinterest Coaching Session.
But, for the purposes of this blog, I’ll be covering the top tips I have for photographers. Not the nitty gritty details.
Watermark Your Images! This seems obvious but I see so many breathtaking images on Pinterest (and many that are on my personal boards) that do not give credit where credit is due! Just do this. Do it. Do it. Do it.
Do Not Post Your Images in Any Old Format - wherever you create your graphics, use their template for Pinterest. Canva is super simple and free. Make sure to set the image size to 1000x1500. I’m not sure exactly why graphics perform better that size, but they just do!
Stick to the 70/30 Rule - about 70% of what you post should be other peoples content, and 30% should be your own content. This means that you should be repinning other peoples content to relevant boards about 70% of the time. This comes from trial and error on my part, suggestions from my business mentors, and seeing what the current algorithm prefers. Tailwind is an excellent option to help make this happen and automates this step for you!
Board Descriptions Should Use Keywords - keywords to Pinterest are what hashtags are to Instagram. It’s a way to get more eyes on your boards by using the words your target customer is using to search for your type of content. Not sure what your keywords are? Let’s connect!
Direct Them Where to Go - each pin of your own content should send your potential customer to a particular blog post or gallery related to the image they clicked on. Don’t just send them to your general website.
Create Boards That Your Client Likes - do you mainly work with brides in a local area? Create boards related to wedding information/venues/bachelorette party ideas for that area. Are you the expert newborn photographer? Create boards such as “Newborn Photography Prop Ideas” and pin items that you use or would like to use with your clients. Sharing content that isn’t yours but is something your client will be search for is another point of contact. You should aim to have at least 10 boards with unique board descriptions.
Clean Up & Optimize Your Boards - if you’ve been using Pinterest mostly for the recipes and vision board options, now is the time to clean all that up! If you are super attached to your personal content thats been saved, I suggest you make it a secret board. You can also look to see which boards have done well. What content of your own has already attracted traffic and start building your new pins from there. You will need to go into your analytics to see what has been popular.
Pinning Your Content Only Once - big no-no
Your content will have a much longer shelf life on Pinterest compared to all other social platforms BUT this doesn’t mean you post your content once. Create new visuals for one piece of content and pin that new piece once a month and to multiple boards. Take this blog post for instance: I created 6 images with different headings (but all very similar) in canva and have them scheduled out for the next several months. They will be pinned to my “pinterest for photographers” board, my “social media tips for entrepreneurs” board, and a few others. Any board that relates. Not everyone will follow me on Pinterest. They may only follow one of my boards. So the more points of possible contact, the better.
Now obviously there are many more steps to take to harness the magnitude of Pinterest and it is my hope that I have given you a taste of my style and strategy. I offer Pinterest Management to Photographers and would love to offer a 1:1 consultation call if you are looking to outsource this valuable marketing strategy.
