Mastering Pinterest ~ From Random Pins to a Strategic Plan | Scottish Artist & Pattern Designer

The Lessons I’ve Learned About Consistency, SEO and Analytics on Pinterest!

How I’m Learning to Master Pinterest…

Pinterest has always been one of my favourite platforms, I’ve been using it for years, mostly for inspiration and putting together mood boards. For a long time, I didn’t fully understand how to make the most of it. I would post with no real plan or strategy in mind, hoping that something would stick.

Recently, I decided it was time to dive deeper and understand how Pinterest actually works, especially for business. It’s not just a place to save ideas anymore, when used properly, Pinterest can be an incredibly powerful tool for growing your brand and driving traffic. It’s essentially a visual search engine, and if you use it well, it can give your business consistent visibility and attract the right audience.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far and how you can apply it to your own Pinterest journey!

Taking the Meagan Williamson Pinterest Challenge…

One of the biggest turning points in my Pinterest journey was taking Meagan Williamson’s Pinterest Challenge, twice (no I am not affiliated, I just enjoyed taking this and found it helpful)! If you’re serious about using Pinterest for your business, I highly recommend checking it out.

Each time I took the challenge, I picked up new valuable insights about how Pinterest actually works. My biggest takeaway was learning what to post and how often. Before, I had no real structure, I would pin with no strategy. Now, I have a much better understanding of the type of content that performs well and the importance of consistency.

Key Lessons I Learned from the Challenge:

Patience is Key: Pinterest is a long game. The content you post now might take anywhere from 3 to 6 months or even longer, to really take off and drive traffic.

Pinterest Loves Fresh Content: Unlike Instagram, where older posts quickly fade, Pinterest keeps circulating your pins, giving them a much longer shelf life.

Pin Regularly: I’ve learned that consistency is everything. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it’s important to pin regularly, even just a few pins a day can make a big difference.

Mix Up And Recyle Your Content: Variety keeps things interesting. Use different pin formats like static images, videos, blog posts and even newsletters. This keeps your profile fresh and engaging.

SEO is essential. Pinterest works like Google, so using the right keywords in your pin titles, descriptions and board names is critical to making sure your content is discoverable.

Organising My Pinterest Boards…

One of my next big projects is overhauling my Pinterest boards. Right now, they’re a mix of everything but they aren’t organised in a way that makes it easy for potential customers to find what they’re looking for. Here’s my plan to overhaul them:

Clarify My Niche: My boards should reflect my art, fabric designs and home decor inspiration.

Create Clear Categories: I’ll be switching to more specific, keyword board names rather than the random boards I’ve had in the past.

Update Descriptions: Each board will have a well written description using relevant keywords to help with search ability.

Remove or Merge Irrelevant Boards: If a board doesn’t serve my audience or business, it might be time to let it go!

Taking the time to organise and optimise my boards will make it easier for people to discover my work when they search for related content.

The Power of Video on Pinterest…

Another thing I’ve learned is just how important video content is on Pinterest. Video pins stand out more and tend to get more engagement than static images. This is something I’m still working on, creating videos always feels a bit daunting and it can be time consuming but I know it’s something I need to focus on moving forward.

Creating Pins That Work…

Now that I have a clearer idea of what works, I’m trying to fine tune my pin design strategy. I use Canva to create all my pins and here are a few things I’ve found that make a real difference:

Text overlays that are easy to read.

Clear branding and links that take people to the content I’m sharing.
A compelling description with relevant keywords to improve search visibility.

Tracking What Works with Pinterest Analytics…

One of the best ways to improve your Pinterest strategy is by using Pinterest Analytics to see what’s actually working. I’ve started checking my analytics more often, and it’s helped me adjust my approach based on what’s getting the best results.

What I Look at in Analytics:

Which pins are performing best (saves, clicks and impressions).

What keywords people are searching to find my content.

How different pin formats compare in engagement.

By looking at this data, I can see which styles, colours and topics resonate most with my audience and refine my content accordingly.

Final Thoughts: My Pinterest Journey So Far…

Mastering Pinterest is definitely a learning process and I’m still in the early stages but by taking a more structured and intentional approach, I’m confident it will pay off in the long run. The biggest lessons I’ve learned so far are: consistency matters (pin regularly), SEO is vital (using the right keywords helps people find your content), mixing up and recycling your content (both static and video) boosts engagement, and tracking your performance with analytics helps you refine your strategy.

If you’re thinking about getting serious with Pinterest, I’d recommend educating yourself, staying consistent and being open to experimenting with different types of content. It’s not an overnight thing but with patience and persistence, you can definitely make Pinterest work for you.

I still have a lot to learn, but I’m excited to keep improving and seeing where it takes me!