Pinterest Strategy

---
name: pinterest-strategy
description: "Develops Pinterest marketing plans with board structures, pin templates, keyword research, and scheduling cadence. Use when leveraging Pinterest as a search-driven traffic source for your business."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Pinterest Strategy

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Build a Pinterest marketing strategy from scratch
- Design board structures and pin templates for consistent branding
- Plan a keyword-driven Pinterest content approach
- Create a scheduling cadence for long-term traffic growth

**DO NOT** use this skill for other social platforms or for designing actual pins. This is for Pinterest strategy and planning.

---

## Core Principle

PINTEREST IS A SEARCH ENGINE, NOT A SOCIAL NETWORK — TREAT IT LIKE SEO WITH IMAGES AND YOU WILL WIN.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Business / niche** | "What does your business do?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Website URL** | "Where should pins drive traffic?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Content assets** | "Do you have blog posts, products, or lead magnets to promote?" | Blog posts |
| **Target audience** | "Who is your ideal Pinterest user?" | Women 25-45 interested in business and productivity |
| **Current Pinterest presence** | "Do you have an existing account?" | No — starting fresh |
| **Time budget** | "How much time per week for Pinterest?" | 2 hours |

**GATE: Confirm brief before building strategy.**

---

## Phase 2: Outline

```
1. Account Setup & Optimization
2. Board Structure — categories and keyword-rich descriptions
3. Pin Strategy — templates, formats, and design direction
4. Keyword Strategy — how to research and use Pinterest SEO
5. Scheduling Cadence — how often and when to pin
6. Growth Plan — first 90 days
```

**GATE: Approve outline before full strategy.**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### 1. Account Optimization

```
## Profile Setup

- **Account type:** Business account (mandatory for analytics)
- **Profile name:** [Business name] | [What you help with]
- **Bio:** [What you do] + [Who you help] + [CTA — e.g., "Free guide: [link]"]
- **Profile image:** Logo or professional headshot
- **Website:** Claimed and verified
- **Enable rich pins:** Link to blog for article rich pins
```

### 2. Board Structure

```
## Boards (8-12 to start)

| Board Name | Keywords in Description | Content Type |
|-----------|----------------------|-------------|
| [Board 1 — your core topic] | [3-5 keywords] | Your pins + curated |
| [Board 2 — sub-topic] | [3-5 keywords] | Your pins + curated |
| [Board 3 — sub-topic] | [3-5 keywords] | Your pins + curated |
| [Board 4 — audience interest] | [3-5 keywords] | Curated + occasional yours |
...

### Board Rules
- 8-12 boards to start (not 30 empty boards)
- Every board has a keyword-rich description (2-3 sentences)
- Board covers: on-brand, consistent style
- Mix of your content (60%) and curated content (40%)
```

### 3. Pin Strategy

```
## Pin Types

| Pin Type | Purpose | Frequency |
|----------|---------|-----------|
| Standard pin | Drive traffic to blog/product | 70% of pins |
| Idea pin | Build reach and followers | 20% of pins |
| Video pin | High engagement, tutorials | 10% of pins |

## Pin Design Templates

**Standard pin (1000x1500px, 2:3 ratio):**
- Bold headline text (3-8 words)
- Brand colors and fonts
- Clean, uncluttered design
- URL or brand watermark at the bottom
- CTA text: "Read more," "Get the guide," "Shop now"

**Design variations per blog post/product:**
Create 3-5 pin designs per piece of content with different:
- Headlines
- Images
- Color schemes
- Layouts
```

### 4. Keyword Strategy

```
## Pinterest SEO

**Where to use keywords:**
- Profile name and bio
- Board titles and descriptions
- Pin titles (max 100 characters)
- Pin descriptions (first 50 characters are most important)
- Image file names (before uploading)

**How to find keywords:**
1. Pinterest search bar — type your topic and note autocomplete suggestions
2. Pinterest Trends tool — search trending topics in your niche
3. Related keywords — check the keyword bubbles that appear in search results
4. Competitor analysis — see what keywords top accounts in your niche use

**Keyword template for pin descriptions:**
"[Benefit-driven opening sentence with primary keyword]. [Supporting detail with secondary keyword]. [CTA — click to read/shop/download]. #[keyword1] #[keyword2]"
```

### 5. Scheduling Cadence

```
## Pinning Schedule

| Activity | Frequency |
|----------|-----------|
| New pins (your content) | 5-10 per week |
| Repins (curated content) | 5-10 per week |
| Idea pins | 1-2 per week |
| Total pins | 15-20 per week |

**Scheduling tool:** Tailwind or Pinterest's native scheduler
**Best times:** Pinterest performs well evenings and weekends — test with your audience
**Batch creation:** Create 2 weeks of pins in one session
```

### 6. 90-Day Growth Plan

```
## Month 1: Foundation
- Set up business account and optimize profile
- Create 8-12 boards with keyword-rich descriptions
- Design 3-5 pin templates in Canva
- Pin 10-15 pins per week (mix of original and curated)

## Month 2: Scale
- Create fresh pins for top-performing blog posts
- Start creating idea pins weekly
- Join 2-3 relevant group boards (if available)
- Analyze first month analytics — double down on what works

## Month 3: Optimize
- Create new pin designs for any pin that got traction
- Test different headlines and images for the same content
- Build a content calendar aligned with seasonal trends
- Target: [X] monthly viewers, [X] outbound clicks
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Strategy Checklist

```
## Pinterest Strategy Checklist

- [ ] Business account created and verified
- [ ] Profile is keyword-optimized
- [ ] 8-12 boards created with keyword-rich descriptions
- [ ] Pin design templates established (consistent branding)
- [ ] Keyword research completed for top 20 target keywords
- [ ] Scheduling cadence set (15-20 pins per week)
- [ ] Rich pins enabled
- [ ] 90-day growth plan mapped
- [ ] Analytics tracking set up
```

### 2. Seasonal Content Calendar

Note seasonal trends relevant to the niche (holidays, events, planning seasons) and plan pins 30-45 days ahead of each trend.

---

## Example: Pinterest Strategy for a Productivity Blog

```
Profile: "[Blog Name] | Productivity Tips for Busy Entrepreneurs"
Boards: Time Management, Goal Setting, Morning Routines, Business Tools, Planning Templates
Pin templates: 3 designs — bold text overlay, list-style, photo with overlay
Keywords: "time management tips," "morning routine for entrepreneurs," "productivity hacks"
Cadence: 15 pins/week (10 original, 5 curated)
90-day target: 50K monthly viewers, 500 outbound clicks/month
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Treating Pinterest like Instagram** — Pinterest is a search engine. Keywords matter more than hashtags or engagement.
- **Pinning once and forgetting** — one pin per blog post is not enough. Create 3-5 pin variations per piece of content.
- **Ignoring descriptions** — pins without keyword-rich descriptions will not surface in search. Write descriptions for every pin.
- **Inconsistent branding** — pins without consistent fonts, colors, and style look unprofessional and are not recognizable.
- **Only curating, not creating** — curating others' content grows boards but does not drive traffic to your site.

---

## Recovery

- **No blog content to pin:** Create idea pins that link to lead magnets or product pages. Start a blog to maximize Pinterest ROI.
- **Zero traffic after 60 days:** Audit pin designs (are they scroll-stopping?), keyword usage, and pinning consistency.
- **Cannot design pins:** Use Canva Pinterest templates. Customize with brand colors and fonts. No design skill needed.
- **Time-strapped:** Batch-create 30 pins in one sitting using templates. Schedule with Tailwind. Total time: 2 hours/month.
- **Account was penalized:** Review Pinterest community guidelines, remove violating content, and rebuild with compliant pinning behavior.