Pinterest myths exist but they can lead to costly mistakes for your small business if you let them control your marketing strategy. It’s not in your best interest to keep buying into these myths, so let’s fix that.
Here’s the truth behind the top five Pinterest myths and misconceptions.
Myth #1: Hashtags are useless on Pinterest
Not only are hashtags allowed they’re encouraged on Pinterest. The platform’s mission is to help people discover and do things they love; hashtags make that possible with their own chronological feed. They can be one word or many words strung together without spaces or punctuation.
You can use up to 20 hashtags for each pin, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Remember, your keywords play a big role in pinners discovering your content. Don’t steal room from them by over-doing it on hashtags. Choose two or three hashtags related to your pin that aren’t too specific or broad.
Up until recently, hashtags on Pinterest worked as they do anywhere else. Now they function as keywords. They’re no longer clickable, so users can’t access a hashtag feed through posts like they would on Instagram or Twitter. Hashtags are a way to get quick results on your new pins, which often take weeks or months to surface in search.
Myth #2: Pinterest is only for women
Sure, back in ye olde times Pinterest attracted a specific audience of the female persuasion. But the days of it only being a bastion for the housewife or stay at home mom are long gone.
According to a recent study by ComScore, more than 80% of U.S. women ages 18-64 with children use Pinterest. But if your small business serves a male market, don’t be so quick to shrug Pinterest off. Men still make up more than 20% of Pinterest’s ad audience.
Women are using Pinterest in a far more aspirational and motivational way than men are, who are more likely to use the platform as a visual bookmarking tool. In fact, within clothes and fashion, men are twice as likely as women to showcase products they already own on Pinterest.
Myth #3: You should delete pins that underperform
Do you know the average life of a pin on Pinterest? Six months. If your pin isn’t doing very well, do not delete it. It could start bringing people over to your website at any moment. In Pinterest’s own words, having a pin that isn’t gaining much traction on your profile doesn’t damage your reach.
I get it. It’s frustrating to see one of your pins has totally checked out of the game, but trust me when I say it’s not an indicator of your success on the platform. It’s better to leave these underperforming pins active because you never know when they might suddenly spark some interest later on down the line. Instead, create new pins with different imagery, descriptions and keywords to get your content out there and test what works.
Myth #4: You should only pin your own content
You want to pin as much original content as possible, but not just your own content. You need to be pinning content from other users, too. Remember, on Pinterest, your small business’s primary goal is to help your audience and provide value for them.
If you want to be the “go-to” resource for your niche, a sound repinning strategy will ultimately help, not hinder your brand on Pinterest. The health of your Pinterest account matters. When you play by the platform’s rules, your small business will earn a reputation as a strong and authoritative source of content. Boost your profile and pin engagement with a healthy mix of original and curated content to increase impressions and referral traffic.
Myth #5: It takes too much time to see results
Out of all the Pinterest myths, there’s a slight kernel of truth to this one, but it’s like comparing apples to oranges. In truth, what you should do is compare it to organic traffic from search engines.
Usually, it takes at least three months for Pinterest to label your account as credible. That’s when your brand starts to get seen more. It takes 18 months for Google to trust a new site, according to Mike from Stupid Simple SEO. But by then, your Pinterest strategy could have already been driving mountains of traffic to your website.
Refining your goals and strategy will be the most beneficial for your growth and longevity on the platform. At the end of the day, slow and steady wins the Pinterest race.
If your small business has been on Pinterest for several months but you’re not getting the traction you anticipated or you just don’t have time to manage your Pinterest handle, let me take the load off your plate.