Many small business owners are aware of Pinterest but aren’t sure how to use it. This is understandable because its interface doesn’t feel as familiar as many other social media platforms. While there can be a slight learning curve, Pinterest is well worth it for many types of businesses! In this post, you will learn how to set up your Pinterest business account and create pins to drive traffic to your website.

Why Should Small Business Owners Consider Pinterest?

You may be wondering why you should consider yet another social media channel when you are already busy trying to run your business. Good question! Here are some statistics you might be interested in:

• Pinterest is currently the second largest driver of website traffic behind only Facebook (Shareaholic)
• Pinterest has more than 322 million monthly active users around the world, with a third of those being in the U.S. (Pinterest)
• 47% of Pinterest users go there specifically to shop (a rate four times higher than other social platforms) (Statista)
• 73% of women in the U.S. ages 25-54 use Pinterest (Pinterest)
• 95% of Pinterest images were either pinned or re-pinned from the web, which means Pinners are promoting brands without even knowing it (a.k.a lots of user-generated content) (HubSpot)
• 89% of pinners in the U.S. use Pinterest for ideas before making a purchase (Pinterest)
• 52% of U.S. millennials use Pinterest monthly (Pinterest)

Unlike many other social media platforms where users go to interact with others, Pinners search Pinterest to get ideas on food, crafts, décor, and more that they can then purchase or try. Users find educational content especially useful, making it a great platform for food bloggers, craft businesses, interior designers, and other niche businesses. Pins that get traction on Pinterest can generate traffic back to your business website for months (or longer)!

How to Set Up Your Pinterest Business Account

So now that we’ve covered the “why,” it’s time to look at the “how.” Setting up a Pinterest business account is easy and will take you less than five minutes. Check out the step-by-step instructions below to set up your business account.

*Note: If you already have a personal account and would like to add a business profile, or would like to convert your personal account to a business account, click here for instructions.

1. Click here to start.
2. Fill out the email and password fields. Then click the Create Account button.  
3. You will see a window where you can pick your language/country. English/United States are the default. Click the Next button.
4. Follow the prompts to enter your business name and indicate your business type. Then click the Next button.
5. Enter your website URL and click Next. If you don’t have a website yet, you can click on the Later button.
6. On the next screen, you have the option to claim your Instagram, Etsy, and YouTube accounts so that Pinterest can attribute Pins from your claimed accounts to you. Click Next once you have claimed your accounts or click Later to skip the step.
7. In the next prompt, you will be asked if you are interested in running ads on Pinterest. Make your selection and click Next.
8. On the final prompt, you have the option to get the Pinterest browser button so you can quickly save ideas from around the web. You can click Get It Now to get the button or Skip it.

That’s it! Now that your account is set up, you will be prompted to take an action by creating a pin, an ad, or building your profile. We recommend building your profile first so users can get to know your brand. To do this, click the Showcase Your Brand option.

You will be prompted to edit your profile by adding a photo (minimum of 180x180 pixels), a username, and basic information about your business. Complete the profile and click Done when finished.

Once you’ve finished filling out your profile information, go to your profile by clicking the dropdown arrow in the top right and clicking on the Profile button.

Creating Your First Pin on Pinterest

Easy right? So now what? You can start by creating a pin. To do this, click on the red plus button in the top right corner of your screen. Then choose the Create Pin option. If this is your first pin, you will have the option to see a tutorial. You can take the Pinterest tour or click on the “X” to close the window.

Here are the steps to set up your pin:

1. Add your title (30 characters or less).
2. Add a brief description on what your pin is about.
3. Add your image or video in the indicated box. (You can also choose to save an image from your site.)
4. Add a destination link (likely to your website).
5. Choose to publish immediately or publish at a later date.
6. Lastly, click the red Publish button in the top right. You will be prompted to choose a board or create a board to add your pin to. Choose the Create Board option and give your board a name. Tip: Boards are typically broader topics. You add pins to boards as a way of organizing them for your benefit and the benefit of those who find you on Pinterest. For example, since OpenVine develops websites, helps clients write content, manages social media, and provides SEO services, we might create separate boards for social media, web design, content creation, and SEO. As we add pins, we would choose the board that is most relevant to the pin we are adding.

Once you have created or chosen a board, your pin will be published (unless you have scheduled it for later). You can view it by clicking on your profile in the top right of your screen. You can also edit your pins and create/edit your boards from your profile screen.

Pinterest Analytics

One great Pinterest feature is its analytics. After you have started pinning, you can click the Analytics tab in the top left of your screen, then click Overview from the options to see data on impressions, audience, engagements, and more! You will probably notice that unlike many other social media channels, your pins will grow in popularity over time as Pinners pin and share them.

So now it’s time to start pinning regularly! Stay active on Pinterest for best results. In our next post, we will cover several ways you can use Pinterest to benefit your business.

Need help with internet marketing? OpenVine specializes in helping small businesses grow and succeed through social media, SEO, blogging, and other internet marketing tactics. Get in touch with us today to find out how we can put the internet to work for you!