With Pinterest being a search engine, it’s important to create pins that get cataloged into the system and drive real results. Let’s dive into how to craft value-packed pins to bring in more traffic and sales.
Listen or watch below…
Listen Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4fKjLMgucBBy0DHyT1saDL?si=fVEVozkyQPyxmjqwEwxJ1w
Watch Here: https://youtu.be/wiW_RWQMzXE
Lets understand that pins aren’t just about aesthetics, they’re about solving problems, inspiring action or providing genuine fuel.
Think educational tips, relatable stories, or actionable advice wrapped in an eye-catching design. Why does this matter? Because Pinterest users are planners and dreamers—they’re scrolling for ideas that enhance their lives.
Stuffing your pins with keywords might help with initial visibility, but it won’t build loyalty or drive clicks if the content feels spammy or irrelevant. Search engines like Pinterest reward relevance and saves/clicks, so focus on quality over quantity.
Let’s talk about some red flags to avoid when creating value-packed pins.
Red Flag #1
Pins that lead straight to sales pages.
Sure, it might seem efficient, but this can tank your Pinterest profile’s value. The platform prioritizes user experience over hard-selling right out of the gate… it feels pushy. Users want inspiration first, not a checkout cart. If every pin screams “buy now,” your account might get flagged as low-quality, reducing distribution.
Instead, direct pins to blog posts, free resources, or value-adding landing pages that nurture leads before pitching. Build trust first, and sales will follow naturally.
Red Flag #2
Repurposing Instagram pins directly on Pinterest.
Instagram content is optimized for quick, social vibes—think casual stories or feeds that thrive on likes and comments. But Pinterest is a search engine at heart, where users are in discovery mode, not social chatting. Instagram-style pins often lack the structure Pinterest favors, like clear calls-to-action or optimized descriptions. They’re not primed for long-term search traffic, so they give you views but no clicks.
Again, the goal of Pinterest is to get traffic/sales, the views just make you feel like you’re doing good.
Read: 3 Ways To Convert Instagram Content to Pinterest Content
Common Trend
You may notice a lot of pins lately that are just straight pictures with a description underneath—no text overlay, no headline. These pins have shown up on Pinterest throughout the years, especially from shops, new pinners, or users migrating from Instragram who haven’t fully adapted to Pinterest’s best practices.
Do I recommend it? Not really, and here’s why: these image-only pins can take off like crazy with views, saves, and hearts because they’re visually appealing and easy to scroll past. But popularity doesn’t equal profitability. They might get saved to idea boards, but without a compelling headline or text overlay, pinners won’t stop to engage deeply. Read: will not give you traffic or sales.
5 Steps To Create Value-Packed Pins
1. Prioritize content and value that solves problems over random images and clickbait text
2. ON brand… create pins that fit with your brand, and niche
3. Avoid direct sales links… link a lot more pins to podcast/blog/website than freebie and sales pages (yes, even for affiliate marketers)
4. Customize for Pinterest… unlink your Instagram unless you’re going to go edit every IG pin.
5. Use text overlays.
Action Step:
Check out your pins… have you fallen into some bad habits? Do you have an Instagram hooked up and taking the “lazy” way with pinning? Find a pin that took off but doesn’t have any clicks. Make a new pin with the same image, but add a text overlay, link it up to a website, and see how it does.
The EASY Strategy
Not quite sure what’s going on with Pinterest? Sign up for a Power Hour. We can assess what’s happening, and give you the steps to take to start seeing Pinterest growth. Schedule your time here.
Questions?
Thanks for reading! If you have questions or want to chat more about Pinterest, join my FREE Facebook Group, Women on Pinterest, here. I can’t wait to see you there and help you make Pinterest your secret weapon!
