Here’s What You’re Going to Learn:

• The secret recipe to creating eye-catching Pinterest Pins in Canva
• Tips for creating catching headlines
• Super sneaky stock photo secrets
• Graphic design rules and principles for creating Pinterest pins
• A simple technique that can increase your clickthrough rates by up to 80%!

By the end of this article, I know that you are going to be so inspired to jump into Canva and start creating your next or first set of Pinterest Pins!

Not a Designer? No Problem!

When you’re not a trained graphic designer, the thought of designing Pinterest Pins that actually look good can be pretty overwhelming! Oftentimes, you’re stuck in Canva, moving things around, trying to get your images to look just right, which can be incredibly time-consuming! You and I both know that you have zero time to waste, so let’s figure out a way to streamline the process!

Three Things You Need Before You Begin

Content

The first thing that you are going to need is content. Every pin image that you create needs to have a URL that you are sending your traffic to. I would assume if you’re reading this article, you already have some amazing content that you are ready to get eyes on.

Headlines

I recommend having three to five different headline options that you are ready to add to your pin images. It’s best to come up with these beforehand so you know what you’re working with. This will also help when it comes to finding images to use on your pins.

Design software

I love, use, and 100% recommend Canva! The free version is going to be just fine, especially if you’re just getting started. But eventually, I can almost guarantee that you’re going to be ready to up-level to the pro version of Canva and unlock all of their fancy design tools.

Try Canva Pro FREE for 30 days!

Anatomy of a Pinterest Pin

Designing graphcis doesn’t have to be complicated, so I’m to simplify the whole entire pin design process for you. Most Pinterest Pins are made up of four design elements. pretty simple, right? Each one of these elements has its own set of rules to follow and things that you’re going to want to implement design and marketing-wise to ensure that your pins are optimized and designed to convert:

• Stock Photo or Image
• Text headline
• Call to Action
• Logo or Text URL

Let’s Start Designing!

Once you have your content ready to go, a handful of juicy headlines, and your Canva account, it’s time to start designing! Open up Canva. To create a document, click the purple create a design button in the upper right corner.

Type in “Pinterest” and you’ll see some options to choose from. You’ll choose the first option, which is 1,000 pixels wide by 1,500 pixels tall. This isn’t just a random size! The 2:3 ratio is very close to the golden ratio, which has been known for being the most beautiful and aesthetically pleasing shape for centuries. #mindblown!

Considering Pinterest is a visual platform, this is no surprise!

Start with a Template

Once your canvas is open, you’ll see a bunch of pre-designed templates in the left panel.

I highly recommend using templates when you’re getting started. It’s going to save you tons and tons of time. Most of these templates are free to use for all Canva users, so keep in mind that they’re often pretty generic and can get overused. There’s also not a ton of consistency in these templates. All of the design styles are different. If you decide to use any of the templates, look for ones that are similar in style so your pins have some consistency.

Templates Outside of Canva

If you want to ensure that your pins look unique enough to stand out in the Pinterest feed, there are tons of templates you can find outside of Canva! This is a great investment for your business because you can reuse them over and over and over. When you purchase Canva templates outside of the program, you’re given a link that will automatically upload them straight into your own Canva account. It’s super simple.

Here are a few templates from my go-to bundle of Pinterest templates:

As you can see, they all look unique but still have a similar style to them. There are stock photos already in place, so I can get a good idea of what types of images might work well for any given template. There are a ton of different layout options to choose from! These types of template bundles can make creating pins super simple while ensuring you look professional on Pinterest.

Once you have some templates that you feel are going to work well with your specific content and the headlines that you came up with, it’s time to go on a stock photo hunt.

Find some Stock Photos

Your stock photos have a lot to do with the end result of your pin image, so it’s important that you choose them wisely. Canva has an extensive stock photo library, but keep in mind that all of the Canva users have access to the same library. Oftentimes, some of these images are a bit overused. (Just like their templates!) If you want to create unique pin images that fit your own brand, I highly recommend that you pop off of Canva and explore some stock photo websites. There are plenty of free and paid options to choose from.

Some of my favorites are:

Pixabay (free)
Unsplash (free)
Depositphotos (keep your eye out for their AppSumo deal!)
IvoryMix (Grab 550+ free styled stock photos here!)
PixiStock
Styled Stock House

Investing in a set of stock photos that fit your overall vibe and tone is going to be incredibly valuable and 100% worth it. And, they’re going to make your pins look crazy professional. When you’re looking for images, It’s really important to consider how you’re going to integrate text into them. Look for images that have a natural white space, which is a perfect canvas for adding text, and think about the different design techniques that you can apply to the stock photo to ensure that your text is readable on the pin.

A few things to avoid:

1. Stock photos that have a lot going on or are super busy. This is going to detract from any text that you put on the pin image.
2. Stock photos that are overused or look too generic. To ensure your pins images look unique and different than what’s already been done, do a deeper search or try out some not-so-obvious search terms.

Keep your stock photos organized!

One big part of designing efficiently is keeping all of your assets and elements organized. I recommend that you create a folder inside of Canva where you can keep all of your stock photo options handy. This way, when it comes to integrating them into your layout, you have them all in one place, and you can see exactly what you have to work with.

Once you’re happy with your stock photo options, you can start testing them out to see how they work in each layout.

Add your Text Headline

The next step is to add your text headline to your pin images.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind as you work with text:

You want to use your own brand fonts if you’ve got them. This is going to help create that visual consistency and help your viewers recognize and start remembering your Pinterest content. Combine two fonts to create a more interesting look, and don’t use more than three fonts on your pin image.

You want to make sure that you include keywords into your headlines and that your keywords stand out from the other text on your pin. This is a way to get into your viewers’ heads. Think about what kind of search terms they might be typing into that search bar and use those exact keywords or phrases in your pin headline text. You can to draw attention to these words by making the text larger. Maybe you use a different font or put a block of color behind the word. Whatever you do, you want to make sure that these words are literally jumping off of your pin.

Make sure that your headline is readable.  Many pinners are using Pinterest from their smartphone, (like me when I’m hiding in the closet from my kids. Ha, ha!) so you want to make sure that your text is not too small. Avoid highly decorative fonts and make sure that any elements on your pin can be seen even at this small size.

Add some Buzzwords and/or Flavor Text

You can add even more pizazz to your headlines by adding in a buzzword or some flavor text!

Buzzwords are going to be different depending on what niche you’re in, but they are catchy little words or phrases that help evoke some feelings and emotions in your viewers. These will vary depending on what niche or market you are in. Think about your audience’s pain points and what makes them tick.

Here are a few examples:

• Super simple
• Stress-free
• Low budget
• Keto-friendly

Flavor text is additional text that can be added to your pin to support the headline. Your audience wants to know what is in it for them when they’re looking for a solution to their problem. The more information that you can provide on your pin image without overwhelming them, the better.

Add your Logo or text URL

If your logo works with your pin image, you can use it, but oftentimes, logos can be hard to see at this small size. Adding a simple text-based URL is another option. This is not intended to be part of the design, but more of a branding element that is going to help your viewers start to recognize you and your amazing content on Pinterest.

Add a Call To Action to Increase Click-throughs

If you are super serious about increasing your website traffic, growing your email list, or selling more digital products or courses, (which I bet you are!) then you’re not going to want to miss this important element!

Here’s the thing – your audience doesn’t know exactly what you want them to do when they interact with your content. You actually have to tell them what you want them to do! This can be done by incorporating a call to action on your pin images.

A call to action is a short phrase that gets your viewers to engage with your content and take action. This is where the real traffic comes from because they are so powerful when it comes to click-through rates.

Depending on your business goals, your call to action may be a variety of phrases:

• Read the full blog post
• Download the free guide
• See the full list
• Get started
• Register today
• Take the challenge
• Join the Facebook group
• Watch the free video training
• Listen to the podcast

These short phrases can really encourage your viewers to click into your content. You can keep it simple and add a text-based call to action to your Pinterest Pins, but my favorite way to encourage clicks is to include some type of digital mock-up. (Tablet, computer screen, .pdf, etc.)

Even if you don’t have any digital products or haven’t started your email list yet, you don’t want to skip this step! At a minimum, you can encourage them to learn more or read the full article. Simple phrases like “You won’t believe #7!” can also encourage clicks.

Where to put your Call to Action?

Since your call to action is usually one of the last things that your viewers see, it’s a good idea to include it in the lower third of your pin image.

Graphic Design Rules to Follow when Designing Pinterest Pins

Now that we’ve covered all of the essential elements that go into creating the perfect Pinterest Pin, let’s touch on a few graphic design housekeeping rules. There are many graphic design rules and principles to follow, here are three that I believe are going to make the most impact on your pin images:

Alignment of text and elements

I see this mistake all the time! When you are creating Pinterest Pins in Canva, or any graphic for that matter, you want to make sure that all of your text is properly aligned. When you’re just getting started, using center alignment is going to be the easiest and it’s probably going to result in better are looking Pinterest Pins. But, you can also align text to the left or to the right if you’re feeling confident, or find an image where it’s necessary.

Canva makes this super easy to do! Simply hold down the shift key and select all textboxes or elements you want to align. Click the position tool, then click center, right, or left.  This is a really simple way to tidy up your pin images before you export them.

Spacing of elements on your pin

Pay attention to the spacing of your elements. You don’t want things to be too close to the edge, or too close to each other in a way that causes your viewer to be a little bit agitated or confused about your message. If elements are related to each other, keep them close in proximity. If elements are not related, make sure there’s enough space between them that your viewer understands your message.

Images that are used as a background can span off the edges of your pin without issue.

Use contrast to make your pins readable!

You want to make sure that the text on your pin and the information that you are including is very, very readable. If you are using a dark background, make that you use a lighter text. If you’re using a light background, go for darker text. You can even use contrast to help those keywords pop off of your headline.

You may need to use a color overlay or drop the transparency of a background image to make sure that there’s enough contrast from your text and the background that your viewer is going to be able to read your headline.

If your viewer can’t read your pin or your layout is confusing, they’re just going to keep on scrolling.

Export your Pinterest Pin Images

Once you’re happy with how your pin images look, click the Download button in the upper right corner, then select either JPEG or PNG. Upload those pin images directly to your Pinterest account or embed them onto any webpage or blog article on your website.

Designing Pinterest Pins in Canva Doesn’t Have to Be Time Consuming or Overwhelming!

If you really want to take a shortcut and start creating amazing Pinterest Pins, then the Pin Design Toolkit has your name written all over it!
The toolkit includes over 100 designer level pin templates, a catchy headline generator, so you’re not going to be stuck creating headlines, a copy and paste call to action content blocks, and tons of other video training and design resources that are going to help you create some amazing pins without wasting hours in Canva!

If you like this article and you want more branding and design tips, there are a few ways we can connect!

Grab one of my awesome freebies
 Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Follow me on Instagram

I can’t wait to see what you create!

XO Kristin

Liked this post? Share the love and pin your favorite image for later!

The post 📌Create Pinterest Pins in Canva that GET CLICKED: Step-by-step Tutorial appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

The answer is a big fat, no questions asked, “YES!”

Why You Should Brand Your Pinterest Pins

As I already mentioned, Pinterest is NOT just another social media platform. Pinterest is a content-sharing platform, where your pins can live forever. It’s not like other social media sites where you post your content and it gets lost in the feed within a few hours. Pinterest is a long-term strategy that can provide your blog or business a flow of traffic for years to come.

According to Pinterest, “Unlike social networks, where most of your reach happens in the first 24 hours, your Pinterest content keeps growing in reach over time. As more people discover and save your Pins, you’ll see traffic continue to go up.”

How cool is that?

Branding your blog or business is an absolute must if you want to be seen as a trusted source in your niche. I know many people just getting started online shy away from the term “branding” or think they don’t deserve it, or aren’t “big enough” yet… But none of that is true.

There is no better time than NOW to start branding your business, and Pinterest is a fantastic place to get started.

Amplify your know-like-trust factor

I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before. Your know-like-trust factor is the journey that someone takes when getting to know your brand. Step one is simply knowing about you. Step two is getting them to like your brand. Only when they know you and like you, will they begin to trust you.

If your goal is to build a connection with your audience (who doesn’t want to do that?), your visual branding is the first step when building that relationship. If you’re not showing up consistently with the same visual aesthetic, your viewers are going to have a hard time getting to know you and building that connection.

On the flip side, when you show up visually consistent in their Pinterest feed or search results, they will begin to recognize you as the expert in your niche. You’ll grow those connections MUCH faster when you brand your Pinterest pins.

If you’ve got a lot of great content, your viewers will be more inclined to check out more and more of your pins, immediately being drawn to them because they all look consistent.

I’m sure you know what I mean… When you see a pin pop up in the feed from somebody you’ve already enjoyed running into before, you NOTICE IT.

Save yourself TONS of time!

Raise your hand if it takes you WAY too long to create just a single pin. #guilty!

If time is something you’re constantly searching for more of, branding your Pinterest pins can cut your design time in half. Why? because you’re not on the constant search for new fonts, colors, and images. When you have a solid visual brand, you’ll always know what colors and fonts to use, along with the style of image that sets the vibe of your brand.

Free Pin Design Workshop

If you’re a visual learner, you’ll want to register for my free on-demand Pin Design Workshop, where I have an entire lesson on increasing your visibility on Pinterest through visual branding!

If you’re ready to go from pin design shame to pin design gain, this training is going to teach you all about visual branding on Pinterest – along with a lesson on unique design techniques that will help you stand out in the feed, and one of my BIGGEST time-saving hacks that I used to hate to admit.

Click right here to save your seat, and I’ll send you over the on-demand workshop right away! (On-demand means no waiting for a specific time to watch that you can’t even commit to!) 

How to Brand Your Pinterest Pins

Now that you know what visual branding is, and why it’s important to brand your pins, you’re probably wondering HOW to brand your Pinterest pins?

Don’t let the term “branding” scare you away. Since Pinterest is a visual platform, we’re really only going to focus on the visual aspect of branding.

And the good news is, is that once I break it down for you, you’re going to realize that it doesn’t have to be time-consuming, hard, or overwhelming. You can create a consistent visual brand for your pins with a little creativity and a few hours of time. (I promise, it will pay off!)

In a nutshell, there are a few elements that will make up a visual brand for your Pinterest pins. Read on (or register for the workshop) to stop banging your head against the wall worried that you’re showing up inconsistently.

Fonts

When creating pins – or any graphics for your blog or business – it is important that you stick to 2-3 fonts for everything that you create. Using the same fonts will help your viewers start to recognize your pins in their feed. A good rule of thumb is to pick one very easy-to-read font (they say that Pinterest can actually read your pins – crazy, huh!?) paired with an accent font that you can use for some brand personality.

The easiest fonts to read on a digital device are called sans-serif fonts. They are fonts that don’t have those little feet on the ends of the letter strokes. This font that I am typing in right now is a sans-serif font.

Choosing an accent font is where the real fun begins! Your accent font is one thing that will help set your brand apart visually on Pinterest. Think about the words you might use to describe your blog or business. Are you sassy? Friendly? Down to earth? Luxurious? I can promise you that there are plenty of fonts out there that exude whatever descriptive words you choose. When choosing an accent font, you’ll want to make sure that it’s readable, and that it pairs nicely with your other font.

Colors

Let’s add in another very important element of your visual brand (on and off Pinterest). Your colors! The colors you choose should support the tone and vibe of your brand, and how you want your viewers to feel when they interact with you.

When choosing colors for your pins and other graphics, you’ll want to shoot for 3-4 colors. I find that one dark color, one light color, and an accent color to use for buttons and call to actions will do the trick. You can always use black and white, too. I like to consider those two freebies.

The colors you choose for your visual brand will help your viewers connect with you, and recognize you among other pins. it’s a constant that you can easily inject into your pins to ensure that you’re looking consistent any time somebody stumbles upon your pin.

When choosing colors, make sure the psychology behind them lines up with your own unique brand. For example, using a green color palette would relate to things like fresh, organic, and money. Orange is playful and exciting, while blue is trustworthy and solid.

Photos

In case you forgot, I’ll remind you that Pinterest is a visual search engine, so your image choice is very important. When choosing images for your pins think about what kind of emotions they will create for your viewer. Find a set or two of stock photo bundles that mesh well with your chosen colors and fonts. If styled stock isn’t the look you’re going for, try to use images that are similar in style and composition.

You also want to avoid over-used images that are already being used all over Pinterest. When searching for images, don’t go with the first one that catches your eye. Try to think outside of the box and get creative with your image choices!

If you’re struggling to find images that are “on brand”, don’t worry too much, you can always use some simple design techniques, such as a color overlay to create some consistency across your pins.

Logo or text URL

Every single pin you ever create should have your logo, or at minimum a text URL. I recommend keeping it in the same location for the sake of consistency. You always want any piece of content you create to be able to be traced back to your website, and Pinterest pins are no different.

Adding your logo or URL on your pins also deters others from stealing your pins and pointing them to their own content. If it does happen, you still get credit and the user could still find your website if they choose to do that.

Branding Your Pins is a Good Idea

Showing up consistently on Pinterest will help you stand out on a crowded platform, and it doesn’t have to be overwhelming or hard. You can brand your Pinterest pins with a little bit of creativity and guidance from someone who is totally obsessed with designing pins! (that’s me!) Not only will you amplify your visibility and recognition by branding your pins, but you’ll also save a TON of time during the pin creation process, something we could all use a little more of!

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post Should You Brand Your Pinterest Pins (And how to do it!) appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

Pinterest can be a bit frustrating. It can start to be pretty overwhelming when you are trying to keep up with all of the fresh pins you need to create and sift through tons of information about keywords. You know people have to be seeing your pins…. But why aren’t they clicking into your content?

The reason usually boils down to one thing – you aren’t using headlines that attract your customer. The words on the pin and in the title have to grab your viewer’s attention, get them to actually read your pin, and finally, make them click.  

That’s a lot of pressure we’re putting on a handful of words! But don’t worry, I have some Pinterest headline tips to help you connect with your reader and get those link clicks you’ve been missing.

Where does your headline go?

First things first – let’s take a moment to understand what we mean by a headline, and where it goes.

There are two places you can use a headline. The first one is on the pin itself – Pinterest can understand words on a pin so it knows what the pin says. And particularly on mobile, people see the image more than anything so those words are super important.

The other place is the pin title. This is a bit newer but also really important. It’s the bit that appears at the top of the pin information section and sometimes under the pin on the Home Feed.

Does your headline need to match your blog post?

You’ve worked hard to craft the perfect headline for your blog post, right? And you should definitely use it on your first pin to get the most out of it. But not every pin to a post needs to have the same headline or title.

It’s actually a good idea to vary these. And to take it one step further – your headline on the pin and your Pin title doesn’t need to be the same either! You can use one headline on the pin and another on the title as long as both are accurate and relate to what’s in the post. #mindblown!

I share a TON of Pinterest headline tips (and so many more pin design tips!) in my free on-demand Pin Design Workshop!

If you want to really up-level your Pinterest strategy, this training is going to put you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert.

And you can watch it right now! (No waiting for a specific time that you can’t commit to.) 

6 of the BEST Pinterest headline tips

Now that you know where the headline goes and a few basics on using them, let’s dive into some Pinterest headline tips to help you create better headlines for your pins.

Make the headline clear and readable

This one relates to the headline you add on the pin itself. One of the biggest mistakes I see is that people include words but you can’t read them. A few reasons for this might be:

• The font color is too similar to the background color
• The words can’t stand out against the background image
• The font is too small
• The font is a script font that’s hard to read

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good script font. But you need to be very picky about the fonts and color combinations that you use when you create headlines on your pins.  

Not only does there need to be a clear contrast but you also want to avoid those color combinations where the words become a bit weird and blurry. This happens when the colors aren’t different enough.

Include keywords and buzzwords

There are two types of words that you need in any headline, whether that’s on a pin, a title, or a blog post. One is keywords and the other is buzzwords.

Keywords are the signposts that Pinterest and search engines use to understand what your content is about. You’ll do your keyword research on Pinterest before you write your post so you’ll know what they are.  Don’t be afraid to use different versions of the keyword in headlines on pins and in the title.

Buzzwords are words that grab people’s attention and increase click-throughs. We do see them in clickbait-style headlines but these can work – remember, it is only clickbait if the article doesn’t deliver on the promise of the headline. If you promise ‘10 amazing tips’ and have at least that many, you are okay.

A few simple examples of buzzwords can be:

• Free
• Easy
• Proven
• Secret
• Imagine

Don’t go nuts with them but if you can incorporate these and other buzzwords, your headline will be more attention-grabbing.

Add value with a subheading

On your pin, there’s nothing that says you have to stick to just the headline – you can also add a subheading too.

Subheadings can be short sentences or even a series of words that sit under the main headline. They will be smaller in size than the headline so they don’t overwhelm it.  But they add information to the pin or can be a call to action (CTA) that urges people to click.

Incorporate visual hierarchy

We’ve mentioned a little about using different size fonts for headlines and subheadings. But you should also use it for your headline itself. 

Every headline will have a word or two that’s more important than the others. But if the whole headline is the same size and color, it’s harder to spot what they are.  Highlighting the most important words with different colors and sizes is what’s known as a visual hierarchy.  The eye sees them first and that’s important.

Even using the same font but making the most important words bigger can be perfect. Or if you have a script font that’s easy to read, use it for one of the focus words.  Make sure it is nice and large!

Tell your viewer what is in it for THEM (it’s not about you!)

We’re all very busy and that means we only click things that have some benefit to us. That’s why your headline needs to be about them, the reader, not you.  

Sometimes it is as simple as using ‘you’ and ‘your’ in the headline. Or you can call out the person who should read the post – the struggling mom, the new business owner, the experienced blogger. By seeing themselves in the headline, your reader will instantly relate to it.

Lead to helpful, interesting, or informational content

The last point about the headline is that it needs to lead to content that’s interesting, informative, or helpful. People need to feel like they got something from your post, whether that’s a solution to a problem or just something that makes them smile.

It isn’t about the length of content but the quality of what you include. A recipe post can be informative even if it’s short because it gives the reader everything they need to make that dish.  And the content should always deliver on what your headline promises.

If you loved these tips, you don’t wanna miss my free on-demand Pin Design Workshop, where’ you’ll learn:

• The basics of Pinterest pin design
• How to increase your recognition and visibility
• Designing the PERFECT Pinterest pin (Lots of headline tips in here!)
• Tips for standing out and looking unique in the feed
• How to save massive time creating pins

Save your seat right here! Oh, and you can watch it right now! (No waiting for a specific time that you can’t commit to.) 

Creating the best Pinterest headlines

If you make use of these tips, you’ll quickly be creating Pinterest headlines that will grab your audience’s attention and get them to click. So not only will your gorgeous pins get noticed but your blog will get traffic!

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post 6 Pinterest Headline Tips For Pins That Stop The Scroll appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

If you’re a blogger or online business owner, Pinterest has the potential to get you TONS of traffic. But there’s more to it than just popping up a few photos on your website, linking to your content, and seeing a flow of website traffic roll in. The key to success is to have a well-oiled Pinterest strategy that brings you the traffic you need!

Now don’t shy away at the mention of a strategy – it’s not that scary! You can reduce all of the different ideas and tips down into four main elements. Add these together and you’ll have the basis for a crazy successful Pinterest strategy. Let’s jump in!

[disclosure]

Account set up and optimization

Before you start pinning, there are a few account set up and optimization tasks you need to do. Most of these will be one-time jobs but don’t skip over them.

Bio and profile

Your bio and profile need to feature keywords relating to your business. You can use your business name or your own for the account name then try to add one short-tail keyword. In the bio, try to add a few more than helps Pinterest understand what you are about.

Here are 5 things you don’t want to miss when setting up your Pinterest profile.

Having the right boards

You don’t need a huge amount of boards but you do need to have the right ones. The categories of your blog are one great example of ideas for your first boards. Aim for titles that are 2-3 words long (for example, you can get more descriptive with a longer and more specific keyword like “Pinterest Pin Design” as opposed to just “Design”). Then add a 2-3 sentence description with more related keywords in it.

Claiming your website

Finally, make sure you have claimed your website. This just needs a little bit of code added to the header of your website and then it is done. Doing this makes it possible for you to add Rich Pins and also get much better analytics within Pinterest that relates to your website.

Pinning strategy

A basic pinning strategy isn’t a one-time job but one that evolves as you get data and see how your audience reacts to your pins. You can start pinning as soon as you have optimized your profile.

Start slow, 3-5 fresh pins a week. Fresh pins are a new pin image for a piece of content. This is opposed to repins which are pins already on Pinterest that you save to a board (yours or other people’s). You can also pin other people’s content to help make your boards interesting but there’s no set ratio.

To get an understanding of how to ensure you’re creating fresh pins, watch me create five fresh pins with a single stock photo!

Add each pin to the most relevant keyworded board. You can add them to more than one if you want but if you are just starting out, adding to the most relevant board is the best way to get started. 

Make sure to space your pins out. You don’t want to pin all of the pins at once. Spread them out across the week using the Pinterest scheduler or Tailwind. If you have been getting traffic from elsewhere, use Google Analytics to see the best day and hour of the week and try slotting pins in at these times.

Pin Design

We’ve made it to my most favorite part of the whole Pinterest strategy! The visual aesthetic of your pin images!

I love this element of any Pinterest strategy SO MUCH, that I’ve created a free on-demand Pin Design Workshop just for you! If you want to really up-level your Pinterest strategy, this training is going to put you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert.

And you can watch it right now! (No waiting for a specific time that you can’t commit to.) 

In a nutshell, here are some of my favorite pin design rules to keep in mind:

Create branded pins that have a similar look and feel to them

It’s tempting to go a bit wild with pin design but in the beginning, stick with branded pins that have a similar look and feel to them. As you start to add more pins for existing posts, you can experiment a little more.

Make sure you use the right ratio

Pinterest recommends a 2:3 ratio pin size for the majority of your pins. That might be something like 1000 x 1500 pixels. You can test other sizes such as taller or square images but always start with the right ratio.

Use great quality images, yours or stock photos

Photos are important to help your audience visualize what your content is about. You can use your own photos or stock photos but make sure they are great quality, clear, and easy to see. 

If you are using stock photos, be sure they are relevant to what your post is about – so no cute dog photos on a post about best ceiling paint (unless the dog’s doing the painting!)

Have a clear benefit-driven headline

Your headline is the chance to tell people what’s in it for them when they click your pin. Featuring a strong headline on your pins is a great way to connect with your audience. Use your headline to quickly tell them what’s in it for them, and why they should read your content. 

Make the most important words stand out

Once you have a catchy headline, make the most important words in it stand out. In graphic design talk, this is called “Visual Hierarchy”. There’s a handful of ways to use visual hierarchy to make certain words stand out in your headline. Use a different color, a different font, or just make them larger. That way people’s eyes are drawn to the most important parts of the headline.

Analyzing data to see what’s working

The final part of the best Pinterest strategy is the one people often overlook. You need to monitor your data and see what’s working. Try to wait until at least 30 days after you start pinning to look at stats too much as it takes time for things to start to work.

Use Pinterest analytics to see what pins and boards are getting link clicks

Pinterest analytics isn’t the best tool but it is good for finding out which pins and which boards are getting impressions, saves, and link clicks. The last is the most important but all are relevant. 

Use Google Analytics to see what traffic you are getting

Google Analytics is a much better tool (and it’s free) to see how your Pinterest marketing is working. You can check reports such as Acquisition > Social > Network Referrals to see how much traffic you are getting from Pinterest.

Check out The Pinterest Dashboard + Analytics Masterclass

My biz friend Kristie Hill from kristiehill.com has a free Pinterest Dashboard that is so helpful for analyzing your Pinterest data to see what’s working best.

This dashboard is the easiest way to monitor your growth on Pinterest. There’s even a masterclass included that guides you through the process. It’s perfect for bloggers, online business owners, VAs, and even social media managers.

Have you heard the phrase that 20% of your effort makes 80% of the results? Well, that’s why it’s crucial to see what’s performing well and what isn’t!

You can click on ‘Pinterest’ in this report and see which posts or pages are getting traffic. And go one step further by clicking the post to see which pins are sending people to your website. If it just shows ‘Pinterest’ this is usually from mobile. But if you see a number after /pin/ then you can copy this, paste it into a browser and see which pin it is.

Build your crazy successful Pinterest strategy

Building your crazy successful Pinterest strategy rarely happens overnight. You need to get the elements together and then look at your analytics to see what’s working. By building on what works, you can refine the strategy and continue to grow your Pinterest traffic.

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post 4 Not So Obvious Elements of a Successful Pinterest Strategy appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

Increase Your Visibility with Pinterest Video Pins

Pinterest video pins have been around for some time now, but just recently, I began experimenting with them and seeing how I could use them in addition to my normal Pinterest marketing strategy. Believe me when I tell you – the results have been pretty impressive! So impressive, that I really want to share with you exactly how to do make them using Canva, a simple design software.

You’ll be amazed at how simple it is to create a video pin – yet how powerful they’ll be for your account.

What to Expect With Pinterest Video Pins

Video pins are often shown at the top of the feed before regular pins. It’s like Pinterest is rewarding those pins more than others. This means that your content will be seen FIRST, before all of the other pins in the feed.

They’re WAY more eye-catching than static images. This means it’s easier for you to catch the attention of your dream viewers who are browsing Pinterest.

They stand out from traditional pin images. There are over 200 billion pins and your viewers are being bombarded with all kinds of images. But a video pin… those are different. You can expect more engagement, clicks, and traffic to your website when you start creating and pinning video pins.

Pinterest video pins give you the opportunity to share and connect more with your viewers! If you can show a process or a step by step system in a video on your Pinterest pin, this is pure GOLD!

So my question is… How can you pass up on this opportunity to stand out more on Pinterest?

While we’re on the topic of standing out on Pinterest, and before you go ANY further you’re going to want to sign up for my brand new (and totally free!) on-demand workshop, The 5-Part Pinterest Pin Design Formula

You’re going to learn SO MUCH, includeing:

• The basics of Pinterest pin design
• How to increase your recognition and visibility
• Designing the PERFECT Pinterest pin
• Tips for standing out and looking unique in the feed
• How to save massive time creating pins

It’s going to will you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert into real website traffic. And the BEST part is, is that you can watch it right now! (No waiting for a specific time that you can’t commit to.) 

Alright, back to the video pins!

How to Create a Pinterest Video Pin

You’ll be amazed at how surprisingly simple it is you create a video pin, especially if you have a go-to set of pin templates that you can start with. Adding a video is just like adding an image to a pin, but you’ll just have to export it as a video instead of a .png or .jpg to make sure the movement is there.

First, you’ll need to have a Canva account. You can go for the free one, but I really find the pro version of Canva to be incredibly worth the cost.

Next, you’ll need some content to promote. This could be your latest blog post, an old blog post that needs some new pins, or a pin that leads directly to a landing page to collect email addresses.

And, you’ll, of course, need some video footage.

Canva has some free video footage that is already available in their video library, but there are multiple other ways to get your video into Canva and onto your Pinterest pin.

Watch the Video to See How to Create Pinterest Video Pins

As I showed you in the video, Canva has tons of videos available on their platform, but you can also upload your own, snag them from Facebook, or even YouTube. It’s up to you!

Pinterest Video Pin Specs

• Pinterest video pins can be anywhere from 4 seconds to 15 minutes. I personally recommend using videos that are around 1-2 minutes, so the viewer clicks your pin and visits your website to see the full video.
• You’ll want to export your video pins as .mp4s (as shown in the video) and Canva makes that a one-click option.
• I create video pins at the standard Pinterest pin size, 600 x 900 px.
• A video pin you export out of Canva may include sound, but when it is uploaded to Pinterest, no sound will be present.

As you can see, they are not much different than a pin with a static image. You’ll still want to follow all of the basic pin design rules, avoid the common pin design mistakes.

Don’t forget to infuse your pins with your visual branding, (fonts, colors, images, styles etc.) include a catchy headline as an overlay or complimentary to your image and make sure it’s clear and readable.

How to Upload your Video Pin to Pinterest

This process is much like uploading a normal pin, but there is an approval process that your video pin will have to go through.

All you have to do is upload your pin directly to Pinterest and viola! Your video pin will be out into the world before you know it. You can also upload video pins to your website and then pin them to your account from there.

If you’re using Tailwind to schedule your pins, upload the video pin as you would a normal pin. Tailwind makes scheduling Pinterest pins super easy and it can really save you time if you are serious about using Pinterest to market your online business and pinning lots of those fresh pins that Pinterest loves!

Video Pins are a Must Try!

If you want to increase your visibility on Pinterest and ultimately, the amount of traffic to your website using a fun and simple technique, Pinterest video pins are definitely something you’re going to want to try out!

They don’t have to be overcomplicated and you don’t have to be a tech or design whiz to create some really cool video pins!

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post How to Create Pinterest Video Pins appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

More traffic… more email subscribers… more engaging followers… more sales…

If I think back to a few years ago when I first started my online business, I was SO confused with all of the things.

How do I get traffic? How do I grow my email list? How will I market myself… WHERE will I market myself?

I Knew Pinterest Was The Answer

As an avid Pinterest user, I knew that Pinterest was the platform that I was going to start with.

Within a few months, I took my brand new business to seen and heard. I was generating income, I was fully booked with clients and my email list grew from 100 to over 1500 subscribers.

But how did this all happen?

As a graphic designer, creating pins came naturally to me. It was fun. It was easy. It was something I really enjoyed doing.

And I totally believe that most of my success is direly related to how I visually represented myself and showed up consistently on Pinterest!

But if you’re not a designer, have zero “eye for design” and haven’t a clue what looks good, creating pins that stop.the.scroll can be frustrating, time-consuming, and may even be a roadblock for your business growth.

There’s a Method to Creating Pins that Drive Traffic

I am OBSESSED with designing optimized pins that convert. Pinterest has been the number one traffic driver for my business, even when I had NO solid pinning strategy or any idea what I was doing.

If you’re ready to up-level your Pinterest strategy, my free on-demand workshop, The 5-Part Pinterest Pin Design Formula will put you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert.

And the BEST part is, is that you can watch it right now! (No waiting for a specific time that you can’t commit to.) 

That’s why I’m giving you the cliff notes of the exact elements that make up all of the pins I’ve ever created. There’s a method to it and once you understand the components, designing pins that actually work FOR YOU becomes fun and easy!

Stick to Your Branding

Sticking to the same style may seem a little boring, but this will do wonders for your visibility and recognition on Pinterest!‍ When you use the same fonts, colors, styles, and design elements across all of your pins, you’ll be creating more consistent pins. Something that many people with!

With important visual design decisions already made, you will be saving SO much time creating pins for your content. We could all just a little extra time, right?

You’ll also want to make sure you include your logo, business name or URL on all of your pins!

Your Headline

Successful pins have one thing in common: an irresistible headline!

First, you want your headline to be intriguing, clear, and concise so your viewer knows exactly what they are going to get out of your content.

Second, you want to make sure that your headline text is readable and there is some visual hierarchy in place to help your viewer quickly understand your message. The average pinner sees 30 pins a second and your headline is the secret sauce that is going to get them to stop, read, and click.

Your Image Choice

Your image can make or break the success of your pin. If you choose an image that your viewers don’t relate to, you risk losing them. You also must take into consideration how you will incorporate the text with the image you choose.

Unfortunately, you can waste a lot of time trying to get your text to look just right with your image. When you’re looking for an image to use, you always want to think about how you will incorporate the text.

Your Call to Action

Like all marketing images, your pin image should have a GOAL. What do you want your viewers to do once they read your pin? You likely want them to click, but think deeper than that!

To get your Pinterest audience to take action, you need to tell them to do so!

Want them to download your free resource? Include a mock-up of it and tell them to download it!
Want them to join your Facebook community? Say so!

There is a lot more that goes into crafting a visually perfect call to action, but you’re leaving money on the table if you don’t include this must-have element every chance you get!

Unique Design Styles

What is going to make your pins unique? How will you get them to stand out in the feed so they don’t look like every other pin out there? (I’m talking to you, overused Canva templates!) 

Create a design style that is unique to YOU! This might be adding in hand-drawn elements, or using a playful design technique to create contrast. This is the part of pin design that can really set your brand apart.

Maybe you always use a light color of text over an image with a dark color overlay. Or, maybe you use blocks of color behind text, or maybe your text is always left-aligned.

I hope these tips were helpful and give you some inspiration and confidence to create your next batch of fresh pins. What I’ve outlined in these cliff notes is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to creating pins that look professional and get your business the attention and success it deserves.

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post 5 Secrets of Pinterest Pins That Drive Traffic appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

I promise that you’ll be SO glad you stumbled across this post because I can almost guarantee the method something you would have NEVER thought of yourself.

As if increasing your Pinterest Traffic isn’t enough, this same method will also help you increase your visibility and quickly gain trust among your dream viewers.

Increase Your Pinterest Traffic with This Fun Technique!

so what is this fun technique I speak of?

Adding photos of you (yes, you!) right on your pins!

Before I go any further, let me tell you a little story…

Last fall, I took a leap in my business and got real brand photos taken… Of myself! It was like a senior picture session for an adult. It was fun and awkward all at the same time, but I’m so glad I had it done.

Once I started using the images on my website and in my marketing graphics… It was like a fire was lit inside of me. It totally transformed the way I look at my business. It’s ALL ME! And I love it.

Then I Met Jennifer…

So when my biz friend, Jennifer introduced me to her method called “Create Photos of You – Stand Out on Social Media!” I knew I had to give it a shot.

(Photos of you?!! Yes you! You are an amazing person that your audience can’t wait to connect with!)

Because I want you and your business to experience the same Pinterest success that I have, (I’ve grown my entire online business primarily using Pinterest alone!) I knew that I couldn’t keep this POWERFUL pin design technique with you!

I spent all morning creating some new pins using this method and I am loving the result!

Check out these pins I’ve created with the Photos of You method:

I literally squealed. eeeeek!

While we’re on the subject of Pinterest Pin design…

If you’re ready to up-level your Pinterest strategy, my free on-demand workshop, The 5-Part Pinterest Pin Design Formula will put you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert. Yes, it’s FREE and you can watch it immediately!

I share a TON of Pinterest headline tips (and so many more pin design tips!) in my free on-demand Pin Design Workshop!

And you can watch it right now! (No waiting for a specific time that you can’t commit to.) 

Okay – back to the photos of you method!

Using photos of yourself will give your brand that know-like-trust factor that any online business needs to succeed, along with TONS of click to your website from Pinterest! It’s fun to see the person behind the pin and this is a brand new technique that not many people are using.

Any pin that has a photo of me gets at least double the clicks than my pins that don’t have a photo of me. People are visually connecting with me on my pins and automatically begin to feel like they know me. Even if it’s just a little, it definitely helps with increasing traffic!

Check out Jennifer’s stats on her pins when she implemented this method:

How to Add Photos of You to Your Pinterest Pins

Here’s what’s you’ll need:

• Natural light. You can find an area in your home situated in front of a window
• Your Phone
• A useful app that is only $2.99
• A shirt or top in one of your brand colors.
• The Create Photos of You Guide for only $7.
• A good hair day

Increase Your Pinterest Traffic with Photos of You Tutorial

Increasing Pinterest Traffic can be FUN!

Pinterest has SO much potential for creators like you and me – you’re downright silly if you don’t try everything in your power to grow your traffic from the platform. There are many things that make up a winning Pinterest strategy, but it’s up to you and your creativity to see what your audience responds to, and photos of you just may be the ticket to increased Pinterest traffic!

Let me know in the comments if you found this tutorial helpful, if you love the idea, or just want to say “hi!”

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post Increase Pinterest Traffic to Your Website with Photos of YOU! appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

If you are using Pinterest as a marketing platform for your business, branding your Pinterest business profile should be one of the very first tasks you complete before you dive into creating click-worthy pins that attract your dream customers and pinning them to your perfectly keyworded boards.

Why is Branding Your Pinterest Business Profile so important?

Pinterest is a visual search engine with over 320 million active users at the time of writing this article. This means that there’s a big chance that your customers are using the Pinterest platform looking for exactly what you have to offer! So, when they find one of your pins circulating in their feed or search results, you want to make the absolute best first impression you possibly can.

Suck them in with your great pin design, then once you have their attention, you can draw them directly to your Pinterest profile so they can find more of your content and see if you are someone they want to follow or learn more from.

Once they click into your Pinterest Profile, you want to provide them with a quick and visual glance at your brand, who you are, and how you can help them.

Branding your Pinterest for Business profile will also improve your visibility, recognition, and consistency, especially when it is in line with your website and all of your other social media profiles.

Remember, consistency is key when you’re running an online business!

All Online Business Owners Should Brand Their Pinterest for Business Profile

It doesn’t matter if you are a Blogger, Digital Product Creator, Service Provider, Course Creator, Coach or Virtual Assistant… you can follow the steps outlined below and have your Pinterest for Business Profile 100% in line with your branding, all while growing your business with qualified traffic and leads!

If your Pinterest profile isn’t set up as a Business profile, you are going to want to do that before moving on. This will give you access to some more robust features like analytics, rich pins, and advertising opportunities. Here’s a helpful tutorial.

If you have a personal Pinterest profile with pins you’ve collected over the years, you can convert your personal account into a business account. If you go this route, you will want to make sure any boards that are irrelevant to your business are set to secret. For example, I share branding and graphic design tips, so my board “Healthy Dinners” is set to secret. 

But before we go any deeper into branding your Pinterest profile, and while we’re on the topic of the pin images themselves, there’s something I want you to know.

I am OBSESSED with designing Pinterest pins. So much that, after designing over 4,000 pins for myself and my clients, I’ve created a free on-demand Pin Design Workshop just for you. Click that link to register – you can watch it right now!

If you want to really up-level your Pinterest strategy, this training is going to put you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert. Because your Pinterest profile can be on-point, but if your pins themselves are lackluster, you’re going to have a hard time standing out and gaining traction.

5 Things Not to Miss When Branding your Pinterest for Business Profile

To edit your Pinterest for Business profile, simply visit your profile and then click the little arrow in the top right corner of your screen. Then, click Settings.

Your Profile Picture

Your profile picture on your Pinterest for Business profile should be one of two things: a recognizable headshot of yourself, or the logo or icon of your business. I recommend using a headshot of yourself since people will connect more with your face than a logo. Online business depends A LOT on personal connections and your face is the key to getting personal with your clients!

You wouldn’t run a brick and mortar business with a paper bag over your head, would you?

If you’re nervous about putting your face out there to represent your business, it’s time to let that fear and stop hiding behind your logo. I’ve experienced this transformation first hand and it is an amazing feeling! Okay, back to the goods…

So first things first, your profile image is pretty small. It’s only 140 x 140 px and appears in a small circle on the left side of your profile.

Make sure your headshot looks relateable and you are looking at the camera. You make eye contact when you are meeting someone for the first time, right? Your profile image should also be high quality and preferably, not a selfie. If you don’t have a great picture of yourself you can find some natural light in your home with a nice/plain background, prop your phone up and say CHEESE! Don’t forget to wear your brand colors!

Check out this helpful guide on taking professional photos of yourself on a DIY budget!

Make sure your profile picture is consistent with the rest of your social media accounts. The goal is to make people feel like they’re running into a friend when they run into you anywhere you hang out online.

Name and Keywords

When someone visits your Pinterest profile, they’ll first see your Display Name in a large, bold font right next to your profile picture. It’s bold because it’s important for anyone viewing your profile to quickly find out who you are.

I recommend using both your full name and your business name here. The character limit for your display name is 65 characters, so you will likely be able to add some additional words. This is the perfect place to weave in some keywords that tell your viewers (and the Pinterest algorithm!) more about you and your business. You should add any other information here that tells more about you.

For example, I can fit “DIY Graphic Design Resources” next to my full name and business name.

You can fill in the blanks to help you come up with a great Display Name:

My name is [ YOUR NAME ] from [ YOUR BUSINESS NAME ] and I teach / am a / provide [ MORE DETAILS ].

Here are a few examples of some well-done Pinterest profiles:

Your Bio

This section is called “About your profile” when you are filling it out in your Pinterest profile settings. Use this space to tell your viewers exactly what you do, who you help/work with, and HOW YOU WILL HELP THEM! You will want to naturally add a few keywords into your bio if possible.

This space on your profile allows for 160 characters, so you might have to get creative with exactly what you want to include.

Your bio is also a perfect spot to add a call to action, which is telling your ideal customer exactly what you want them to do. Believe it or not, most people do not know what step to take next unless you tell them to. This is where you’ll want to tell them to download your free guide or eBook, join your Facebook group or tune into your latest webinar.

If you have a long URL you’d like to include in your bio, you can use a URL shortener like bit.ly to shorten the link to your offer. I got fancy with my bio and even added a little emoji! Do whatever feels right for you!

Your Pinterest Pins

Quite possibly one of THE MOST IMPORTANT aspects of your entire Pinterest strategy is the visual aesthetic of your pins themselves! The pins you create are what will magnetically attract people into your content, so you want to nail this. Pinterest pin design is an entire topic itself (that’s why I have an ENTIRE course that teaches how to design pins that generate traffic, leads, and income) but in a very small nutshell, here are a few tips for designing Pinterest pins:

1. Make sure your pins are branded and are consistent with all of your other visual content. (Website images, other social media images, etc.) This way, pinners will recognize you and be more likely to click your pins when they see them in their feed or search results.
2. Use high-quality stock images. My favorite images for creating pins are styled stock photos, as I find them pretty perfect for designing pins. You can join stock photo membership sites like IvoryMix or Pixistock (two of my favorites!) and find tons of images with different styles and colors that will match your branding.
3. Include a text overlay. Pins that have a text overlay get more action than pins that are just images. Pinners like to know what the content is about before clicking into a pin or article. Make sure your text is readable and you use only 2-3 of your brand fonts.

I recommend you get up to speed with designing pins and learn all you can. There are tons of pin design mistakes you’ll want to avoid, and the last thing you want to do is risk harming your brand with unprofessional pins!

I have an entire lesson on how to make your pins look more professional in my free on-demand Pin design training – The 5-Part Pin Design Formula – save your seat right now!

Your Board Covers

When someone visits your Pinterest profile, the last thing you want to do is scare them off with your hot mess, unorganized profile. For a more impressive presentation to your content, you can create on-brand board covers using images, fonts, and colors that are in line with your visual branding.

You can create board covers that all look the same, or are slightly different – it’s up to you! I like to have a few different layouts to choose from so it’s not the same image over and over with different text, especially if you’re like me and have TONS of Pinterest boards.

Here’s an example of some board cover templates I’ve created, along with a quick video tutorial of how you’d go about editing them and even getting them uploaded into your Pinterest account!

Branding Your Pinterest for Business Profile is a Must!

So there you have it – five things you MUST do to your Pinterest for Business Profile to have it in tip-top shape and 100% aligned with your branding and business goals. I have used Pinterest to build my online business and having a perfectly branded profile is one component that helped me get there. It can do the same thing for you!

I challenge you to take a few minutes to spruce up your own Pinterest profile with these tips and let me know if you have any questions in the comments!

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post Branding Your Pinterest Business Profile : 5 Things Not to Miss appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

In this post, you’re going to learn why Pinterest loves fresh, how to quickly make fresh pins for your content and at the end of the post, I’ll let you watch over my shoulder as I design five fresh pins for a single piece of content.

The Importance of Fresh Pins

When I first started using Pinterest to drive traffic to my website, I had tons of questions….

How often should I pin?

What should I create pins for? (the answer to that is here: 8 Things to Design Pinterest Pins for that Aren’t Your Latest Blog Post)

How much of my own content vs. other’s content should I pin?

How many boards should I have?

Should I join group boards?

And I swear to you that each time I searched for these answers, I somehow managed to get more and more confused.

It was frustrating.

And that is why I am SO excited to share with you some gushy details about how you can best utilize Pinterest to drive that traffic to your website.

The best part?!

All of this information came straight from Pinterest. You can find more Pinterest tips over at the Pinterest Blog. How nice of them to share with their users what they deem the best practices for using their platform!

But before we go any deeper into creating fresh pins, there is A LOT to know about Pinterest pin design before you get started. 

Designing pins is a passion of mine! After designing over 4,000 pins for myself and my clients, I’ve created a free on-demand Pin Design Workshop just for you. Click that link to register – you can watch it right now!

If you want to really up-level your Pinterest strategy, this training is going to put you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert.

You’re going to learn SO many things… including:

• The basics of Pinterest pin design
• How to increase your recognition and visibility
• How to design the PERFECT Pinterest pin
• Tips for standing out and looking unique in the feed
• How to save massive time creating pins

Pinterest shares the BIG THING you should be focusing on to increase your traffic:

Create! Create new blog posts, new products, new pages, and most importantly…

Create New Pinterest Images!

It makes total sense… Pinterest wants to keep the platform fresh and exciting for its users. So pinners that create and publish fresh content will get some extra love from Pinterest.

Yep, I know you’re already wondering…

“What Qualifies as “Fresh Content” on Pinterest?

Simply put, fresh content is a new image. It can link to any new or old content on your website, but as long as it is a new image, it’s considered fresh.

To ensure that Pinterest sees your pin as a fresh pin, you have to change it up. You can’t just move the image a little bit or crop it down a smidge. Pinterest is smarter than that.

You need to mix in different backgrounds, different headlines, and make it look like a new pin. If you question if it looks different enough, it probably doesn’t.

Here’s an example of one piece of content shown 5 different ways:

It took me less than 20 minutes to create all five of these pins and that was without any kind of template. I just switched the image around, moved the text a bit and viola – five unique pins for a single piece of content.

If you’re ready to start creating pins now, here are 50+ Pin Design Tips and Tricks for Content Creators.

Watch me Create Five Fresh Pins

I hope this video helps you realize that this is not rocket science! Creating fresh pins for your content does not have to be time-consuming, hard or frustrating. Don’t overcomplicate it.

For a peek into my super simple and straightforward Pinterest pin design process, download my free Pin Design Roadmap.

I think that if you create five pins at once, it is more efficient than creating one now, one next week, one the following week, and so on.

Find yourself an awesome image that you can flip, rotate, crop, zoom in, etc. and you’ll quickly be able to create a set of pins that will drive traffic to your blog posts, or any other content you want to market.

Here are 11 design hacks to help you make the most of a single stock photo.

Check out these Five Pinterest Pin Layouts that you can reference as you create your fresh pins.

If found this information and video helpful and want more design tips to propel your business, pin this for later and follow me on Instagram.

I can’t wait to see what you create!

The post How to Create Five Fresh Pins for One Piece of Content + Video Tutorial appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.

Is your Pinterest pin design less than amazing?

Are you beginning to worry that the Pinterest images you create might actually be hurting your Pinterest success?

Are you kinda freaking out at the latest update from Pinterest themselves: “We (Pinterest) want fresh content from creators.” (If you’re marketing yourself on Pinterest, that’s you!)

What in the heck does Pinterest consider “fresh content”, anyhow?

Simply put, “fresh content” is a brand new Pinterest image. The image can link to any content, old or new.

This makes complete sense, and here’s why: Pinterest wouldn’t be the exciting, engaging, and inspiring platform we’ve all come to know it as if content creators weren’t pinning new content! If a Pinterest user kept seeing the same pins over and over, they’d likely not return.

[disclosure]

What Makes a Good Pinterest Pin Design?

A well-designed pin will include an aesthetically pleasing layout paired with a strategic marketing message. This combination will help you connect with your viewers while helping them see how you can solve a problem they have in their lives.

I get it. Designing pins can be frustrating, and it doesn’t always come easy. Especially if you don’t feel like you have that natural “eye for design.”

With a little guidance and some simple graphic design tips, you can absolutely create click-worthy, scroll stopping pins that get your viewers to take action (aka click your pins!).

Because Pinterest is a visual search engine, the way your pins look is critical for your success on the platform. Here are 53 well-designed pins for your inspiration.

Even if you have the best content in the world, if the pins you design for that content look unprofessional and don’t get your viewers to do exactly what you want them to do (click your pins.) they aren’t going to work. Period.

Free Pin Design Workshop

I love this element of any Pinterest strategy SO MUCH, that I’ve created a free on-demand Pin Design Workshop just for you! If you want to really up-level your Pinterest strategy, this training is going to put you on the fast track to creating beautiful pins that actually convert.

And you can watch it right now! (No waiting for a specific time that you can’t commit to.) 

Alright – on with the show!

Here are ten Pinterest pin design tips to help you get started creating scroll stopping pins that will grab your viewers attention:

1. Start with a Plan

One of the most overlooked steps when designing anything – not limited to Pinterest pins – is planning out your design.

I get it. You just put the finishing touches on your blog post, and you just want to quickly create some graphics so you can finally hit publish and get your content out there.

But before you even begin to open up that blank document…

You need to make a plan.

Planning your pins won’t take too much extra time, but it will save you time designing. Instead of opening up a blank canvas and placing elements here and there the moving them around over and over again not quite getting anywhere, you’ll open your document and have a much better idea of where to start.

I promise you that if you spend even two minutes to think out your design before you start haphazardly placing elements on your document, you will be designing quicker and more intentionally every time.

2. Learn Some Basic Graphic Design Do’s and Don’t

If you want to look and feel professional from a visual standpoint, I highly recommend you spend some time learning some basic graphic design skills.

There are fundamental design principals like composition, hierarchy, contrast, and balance that you need to understand when you start designing Pinterest pins.

Following these very basic design principles and rules will help you design eye-catching pins that your viewers are drawn to.

Enroll in my Free Graphic Design Training and Learn the basic design principals and ten common design mistakes you’ll want to avoid!

Making common design mistakes will make your work look unfinished, like you don’t know what you are doing. Spending a little bit of time learning basic principals of graphic design can go along way in the success of your blog and your ability to create professional DIY graphics and other visual content.

Here are the 12 most common Pinterest pin design mistakes you’ll want to avoid

3. Design Pins at the Preferred Pinterest Pin Size

The most fundamental part of pin design starts with the size of your pin. Get this wrong, and you risk your pins not showing up in the feed correctly. Nail it, and you’re well on your way to making Pinterest happy and attracting your dream audience.

So, what is the ideal Pinterest pin size?

Pinterest has stated that the ideal pin size is 600 pixels x 900 pixels.

You can make longer pins if you want, but they may get cut on in the feed. in her article, How to Use Pinterest, Suzi from startamomblog.com shares this interesting tidbit:

“The maximum pin size you can do is 600×1200 pixels.  However, if someone is searching for chicken recipes and there is a pin that is 600×900 and one that is 600×1200, the larger pin is taking 30% more space on your screen. For the longer pin to show up first in the results it has to have 30% more engagement than the smaller pin.

Make sense right? Basically, you have to earn the real estate space.  It makes sense to create both a 600×900 and 600×1200 pin.  And don’t be afraid to try out square pins too.”

Suzi Whitford, Start A Mom Blog

4. Use Only the Best Imagery

There are a few background options when it comes to your Pinterest pin design.

You can leave it white, use a flat color background, throw a pattern on it, or go with the most popular option, which is a photo.

If you’re any good at snapping decent photos, you may be able to use your own. If you’re like the rest of us, you don’t have that kind of skill, so you will probably need to take advantage of stock photos.

Don’t always settle for free photos, as most of those are overused and have made their rounds. My favorite websites are IvoryMix and Unsplash for high-quality stock photos that will really make your pins stand out.

Make sure you follow these tips when searching for the perfect stock photo:

• Look for brightly colored pictures. I’ve learned that pinners are drawn to pinks reds and oranges as opposed to dark colors like browns and grays. Images that are lighter and simpler are usually easier to work with than busy images with lots going on.
• Avoid faces. Although they don’t bother me, pinners are drawn to pins that don’t contain a face. This way, they can imagine themselves instead of a cheesy stock model smiling at her salad. I will mention that I’ve seen some super successful pins that have faces, so it all depends on your audience. Test the waters!
• Size Matters. Make sure the photo you find is large enough, so it doesn’t appear blurry or pixelated, which looks very unprofessional. If you’re cropping or zooming in, be extra careful! And most importantly…
• Be choosy! I love sifting through stock photos to find the perfect one for my pin. Don’t settle the first photo that catches your eye. Try searching for different phrases until you have a winner. 

Think of all of the creative ways you can use the photo in your pins and even other graphics. Can you zoom in on a coffee mug or a set of hands? Can you possibly use the background of the photo for a texture somewhere else? This gives you lots of options for using the photo more than once and forces you to create some repetition in your images.

Here are 11 creative ways to use stock photos in your Pinterest pin designs.

Also, don’t just pull a photo off of Google images and think you can use it, either. That’s illegal, and you can’t do that.

Check out this article, from The She Approach, for 30 places to find free and cheap stock photos for your blog.

5. Craft a Strategic, Easy to Read Headline

Once you have your perfect stock photo in place and your branding in mind, It’s time to focus on the next most crucial part of your Pinterest pin design.

The best headlines:

• Reveal a benefit
• Are specific
• Include keywords
• Include a Number
• Provide a solution

Basically, your headline needs to quickly tell your viewer exactly what is in it for them and how you are going to solve the problem that they have. Basic marketing, really.

Once you’ve decided on a catchy headline,  make sure that all of your text is easy to read. Avoid tiny fonts or fonts that are so scripted that you need to decode. Choose a font that people will be able to read as they quickly scroll through their feed, like a bold sans-serif font.

6. Create Visually Consistent Pins (aka Use Your Branding!)

With millions of active pinners, you’ve got less than a second to make an impression on your audience. Did you know that It takes the average person seeing you three to seven times to start recognizing you!

What does this mean?

​Your pins need to be cohesive. Use the same fonts, colors, image styles, textures, and design elements for your pins.

Utilize the last 50-100 pixels at the bottom of your pin to make sure you include your website name or even better, your logo. Inject your brand into your pins by using color overlays, blocks of color under your text, fonts, and even the textures of your brand. All of these things come together to form some repetition that will have you standing out on Pinterest in no time.

Check out Olyvia.co’s Pinterest board for her business. She does a fantastic job with pin branding. She sticks with bright colors, the same font, and in most cases, she drops her logo down at the bottom, so people recognize her wherever she shows up on Pinterest.

Utilize the last 50-100 pixels at the bottom of your pin to make sure you include your website name or even better, your logo. Inject your brand into your pins by using color overlays, blocks of color under your text, fonts, and even the textures of your brand. All of these things come together to form some repetition that will have you standing out on Pinterest in no time.

This article from alyssa.ink is an excellent resource if you want to learn more about how to brand your Pinterest pins.

What about off-brand pins? Create these too! Since you should be creating anywhere from 3-5 pins per article, you can play around with different styles and how your audience reacts to them on Pinterest. Showcase your branded pin in your post, but feel free to upload some off-brand pins directly to Pinterest and do some a/b testing.

You never know which pin might take off!

7. Make Your Pins Look Unique

There’s nothing worse than creating pins that look like everyone else’s. This is a common issue you might have if you are purchasing templates and not modifying them to fit your own unique brand.

Your pins need to have something that piques the interest of your viewers and draws them in. A pin that looks like every other pin out there will blend into the crowd. Add in your unique brand elements, patterns, and styles.

This could be something as simple as adding a blog of color behind some text to make it pop. Play around with layering, overlays, shapes, and gradients to ensure your pins have that unique flair that sucks people in. Here’s a process that will help you find your unique Pinterest pin design style.

8. Make Your Important Stuff Stand Out

Hierarchy is a design term that means making things more important than others within a layout. It’s important because it helps your viewers know where to look first, second, and third. Many pins don’t take advantage of this simple design hack that can really help your pins stand out in the feed. Similar to contrast, size, shape, color, and space can help you create a hierarchy within your Pinterest pin designs. Especially if you can effectively draw attention to keywords, your audience may be searching for.

Quick Tip: Before you start designing, assess what you have to work with. What is the most important part of your message? What keywords might someone be searching for that you could put a focus on?

To create visual hierarchy, consider using a different font for certain words or phrases. This is your way of directing people to see exactly what you want them to see on your pin.

It’s best to stick with no more than two fonts for your Pinterest pin design. A font that has a few different weights works well because you can play around with what you want your readers to see right away, without using tons of different fonts.

9. Keep it Simple

When designing anything, less is usually more. If you try to cram too much information on your pins, your viewer will be overwhelmed. Pinners don’t want to have to think much when browsing the platform. They want a crisp and clear message that they can jump into or move on.

Make sure that your images are not too distracting, and that you’re not using way too many. (Unless you’re putting together a collage pin that showcases a how to process or a round-up.)

Remember to make your headline short and sweet and not confusing. Too much info will cause your viewer to scroll right past instead of reading all of those words.

Don’t add unnecessary design elements that distract from your messaging. Only add elements that support it and help with readability.

10. Don’t Forget a Call to Action

Your viewers don’t know what you want them to do unless you tell them to it! To make clicking your pin a no-brainer, add a solid call to action to the bottom third of your pin design. Use action words like “download now!” or “click to read more.”

If you’re working on growing your email list with an opt-in freebie, free challenge, or free course, adding a mock-up of your digital product along with your call to action is a great list building strategy.

Notice how the pins below visually show that there’s something more for the reader? So, show off that pretty opt-in of yours!

How to Create a Pin for Pinterest

Once you know what makes a good pin and all of the mistakes you need to avoid when designing, you can get to the fun part of actually creating your pins!

You can use a free design software like Canva to design your pins. Canva is perfect for DIY designers creating visual content since there isn’t a huge learning curve like there would be with more advanced design programs.

if you couldn’t tell by now, Pinterest pin design is something I am passionate about. Pinterest has totally changed my life and brought me to where I am now – running my own online business and impacting the lives of so many people. If you’re ready to jump all in with your pin design, check out my signature course, Pin Design Perfection.

In Pin Design Perfection., you’ll learn every single thing you need to know to design traffic-generating pins. It will transform your Pinterest strategy and you’ll have the confidence you need to finally create pins that you’re proud of!

Should You Use Pinterest Pin Templates?

This is a tough one – and like all things, there is a time and a place. Templates are convenient since you don’t have to re-invent the design wheel every time to create pins. If you want, you can invest in a set of pre-designed Pinterest templates as a starting point for your pin creation. Here’s the kicker tho – other people are likely using the same exact templates as you are. That is why it is SO IMPORTANT for you to change out the images, fonts, and colors to match your unique branding.

The best templates are fully editable in user-friendly software like Canva, making it easy to create 100% unique pins that get your viewers to take action.

Your best bet is to create your very own set of Pinterest pin templates that you can use to quickly create pins when you need them. (Something you’ll learn how to do in Pin Design Perfection!)

If you’re itching to push your content out on Pinterest ASAP, check out my shop for some pre-designed pin templates that will get you started.

You Don’t Have to Dread Pinterest Pin Design

You don’t have to be a professional designer, or even have an “eye for design” to apply these fundamental rules of Pinterest pin design. These tips are ironically the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Pinterest pin design. You have mere seconds to catch your viewers attention and stop them in mid-scroll.

Remember, an effective pin will include an aesthetically pleasing layout paired with a strategic marketing message.

I can’t wait to see what you create, and don’t forget to sign up for my free ON DEMAND Pin Design Workshop, The 5-Part Pin Design Formula! 

The post 50+ Pinterest Pin Design Tips for Beginners appeared first on Kristin Rappaport.