Making the Most of Pinterest for your Business | Etsy Shop Tips

Over the past few years, Pinterest has become increasingly more important in the running of my small business (AllyBeth Design Co) and this little blog. As primarily and Etsy shop owner, generating traffic to my standalone website, to my Etsy shop and blog has been a challenge, but I’ve learned a lot over the past few years that has really made a difference for me.  

I know I write about Pinterest fairly often, but it’s only because I’m trying to convince you to make it part of your marketing strategy. I’m also trying to simplify each article to give you straight-to-the-point information, while still giving you enough of an introduction in case you’re a Pinterest newbie! As always, if there is anything you have a question about feel free to send an email or also leave a comment!

Here are the most important ways you can make the most out of Pinterest for your Etsy shop in a simple bulleted list!

1. Pin Your Products Regularly
   I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again Pinterest is a search engine and it’s up to us to make sure our products have been added to it! Make sure you are pinning your products from your website or Etsy shop regularly, and especially whenever you add new products. When pinning your items, link directly to each individual product to make it as easy as possible for potential shoppers to find what they’re looking for. You don’t want people clicking a link on Pinterest just to have to sort through all of your products to find the one they want!
2. Use the Pinterest Extension
   Make pinning worlds easier by making sure you have the Pinterest Extension installed on your desktop computer (it’s free). This will allow you to pin your items and other items you love easily, right from your browser. Once installed, click the Pinterest button to pin whatever is currently on your browser – it’s that easy! The button will automatically generate a pin description, but just make sure it’s accurate and SEO friendly before you hit post! Use those keywords baby.
3. Use a Pinterest Scheduler
   Top experts recommend pinning approximately 20-25 times per day – and that can take a lot of time! I am constantly recommending Tailwind to everyone I talk shop to, solely because it has completely changed the way I look at Pinterest and how it has helped my business. Essentially, Tailwind allows you to schedule months in advance so you don’t need to log in to Pinterest every day. What used to take me 30 minutes every day now takes me 1-2 hours at the beginning of the month. It’s a set it and forget it system!

   It is a paid subscription ($15 per month), but if you sign up using the link above, you can give it a try for free for a month to see if it’s for you. If you do give it a try, make sure you check out their Tailwind Video Guides, Pinterest Video Courses, and their Tailwind Tribes (explained more below). 

4. Join Group Boards and Tailwind Tribes 
   One of the biggest challenges in pinning so much per day is finding suitable content that is on brand with your shop and your interests. Experts recommend pinning 75% new or other people’s content, and 25% your own content – but where do you find new content? Enter Pinterest Group Boards and Tailwind Tribes – both of which are an excellent pool of pins just waiting to be shared! Conveniently enough, they also serve as a great place to share your own pins to as well. Depending on your current Pinterest strategy, I would recommend Tailwind Tribes if you are using Tailwind or Pinterest Group Boards if you aren’t (group boards are free).
   
   Want to join my Tailwind Tribes so we can support each other? Click on over here to get a list of the Tailwind Tribes I use every month to expand my reach to 630,000 views a month! 
   
   
5. Join Affiliate Programs for Products You Pin
   Another great way to generate new pins and earn a little extra money is to utilize affiliate pins as part of your Pinterest strategy. I currently use Awin and Shareasale as my affiliate managers and have been very happy with the companies and brands they have to choose from. I simply browse the brands website, find things I love, pin them using the Pinterest Extension or the Tailwind Extension, and adjust the links to include your affiliate link. Both affiliate managers have a tool where you paste in the original link, and it will generate an affiliate link for you.

   It does take a bit more time, and you won’t see results immediately (Pins take time to circulate), but over time you should receive a payout each month. The better eye you have for trends and keywords, the more you will make from affiliate commissions. 

6. Pay Attention to Your Pinterest Stats 
   Pinterest wants you to be successful. I mean, if you are pinning quality content, and it’s getting repinned, they want you to keep pinning! Make sure to check your Pinterest stats every month or so to see which of your boards are getting the most engagement. For example, my Gardening Love board was consistently getting the most engagement, which was great butttttt it didn’t include ANY of my products. So what did I do? I created new products that fit in with this theme. Signs with succulents on them totally DO fit in with the gardening crowd – and this move has worked out really well for me.

   Remember, Pinterest stats tell you what people are most interested in. People that are in your demographic, that are already on your boards, and are already loving your aesthetic and what you are choosing to pin. That information is GOLD. Use it as a guide for your business, and also a guide on where to put your energy when looking for ideas on what to pin. If you are doing affiliate pins, it also gives you an idea of what types of brands to partner with that your followers might love. 

That’s it, that’s all I have for today! I hope this little post has been helpful and gave you a few tidbits that you might not have already heard. Keep checking back as I hope to always be adding more resources for fellow Etsy makers + small business owners!

This article is a part of our Etsy Shop Tips Series.
Want to see all of our Etsy Shop Tips articles? Click here to read more!

This Post is Sponsored by AllyBeth Design Co
Quality Wooden Decor for the Modern Home

AllyBeth Design Co is our handmade company – located right here in British Columbia, Canada! We design and create modern decor in all sizes, but our small hanging signs and desk blocks are our top sellers! They make excellent souvenirs, gifts and encouraging reminders for your own beautiful home.

Take a peek at our online shop, Etsy shop or instagram to see more. In the area and want to buy in person? Click here for a list of our stockists!