In 2020, Pinterest has changed the game. Like any other search engine, the data that is used to rank content is always changing. What was once working to rank pins in the search engine may no longer work. We have to continually adapt our Pinterest marketing plan for writers.
So how can I use Pinterest to get readers to discover my books?
In order to make a plan, we need to know how to make the Pinterest algorithms work for us.
Why do you need to use Pinterest as a writer?
- It is completely free
- It drives clicks to your blog or website
- Over 320 million active Pinterest users each month and growing
- It’s fun to play on (ooh, pretty!)
- VIRAL PINS
If you are brand new to Pinterest marketing with written content, read this post. I don’t have tons of Followers but I have had half a dozen viral pins in the last years. Most of my blog traffic now comes from Pinterest.
Just tell me how to sell my books!
You can drive readers from Pinterest direct to your book sale site, but I recommend having a blog of relevant, useful content – then adding a call to action at the bottom with a book link.
Pins should link to blog posts filled with relevant information. The content should be useful to your readers, not you!
Create Relevant Content
Research your audience
Look often at your Pinterest Audience Insights (for a Business user). Mine tells me that people who engage with my pins are overwhelmingly females, mostly aged 18-24 and like art, quotes, entertainment and animals.
Have a look at a few of your followers: check what they pin – do they like funnies, art, quotes, fashion?
Check out who else they are following and what sort of content they are sharing.
Pinterest gives yearly trend information on its searches. Target the most popular ones to get a larger audience.
What problem do your audience want to solve?
In order to create a Pinterest marketing plan for writers, we need to look to the readers. The question you need to answer is why have they logged onto Pinterest in the first place.
Is your blog content set up to help writers earn money?
Can you give us tips on how to write the very best hook for a story?
Have you written a published story and want to share where the idea came from?
Can you share books you’ve loved in the genre you are writing?
Can you talk about some research you have done on the setting of the novel?
Give them the solution and tell them why you are the expert
Pinterest Algorithm Updates 2020
New Content
This year, the Pinterest search algorithms favour fresh content. The team at Pinterest say the point of their site is for users to find new and exciting ideas. So new content will be pushed to the top of the search rankings. Re-pinning is no longer as important.
Create Unique Images
Re-posting old Pins with new descriptions and hashtags does not count as fresh content. Neither does re-posting other people’s pins.
The good news is that if you have tons of content on your blog, you can just create new images for Pins and link back to the old posts.
Be creative
Create 4 new Pins for each post, each with different images. I recommend using a service like Canva. Each pin can highlight a different detail of your blog post.
Give each pin a unique picture, title and pin description.
Pin the four pins to different boards.
Wait 2 days between each pin.
Do not re-pin the same pin within a six month period.
General Strategy
Think about your audience: What are they searching for?
Example 1: You have written a book about losing weight. Your readers may include people searching for keto recipes?
Example 2: You have a blog about how to be a freelance virtual assistant. Your audience would include small business owners. What are they searching for on Pinterest? How to do your monthly accounts? How to create your own website? Create pins with pictures of these.
Example 3: You are the author of an inspiring women’s fiction novel. Your readers love quotes (in my experience). Create pins with quotes from your book or another book. Your readers may love pictures of the setting of your book. Are they searching for peaceful green places? Are they searching for how to meditate?
Hashtags and Pin Titles are still important
Ensure the title and pin description are relevant to the content linked. Nothing annoys Pinterest users more than a clickbait pin and an irrelevant blog link behind it.
Pin to the most relevant boards first
Shared Boards
Shared Pinterest boards are still important. These are boards that several users can pin to. All of the followers of all the users then see the pin. (It is like getting multiple re-tweets on Twitter!)
But choose carefully which ones you contribute to. Good shared boards have a limited number of contributors so they don’t become too spammy. Good contributors save a pin another user has created to their own boards every time they pin one of their own.
Pin Often and Consistently
In the past, users were rewarded who re-pinned content every few days. Now, the algorithm changes mean that won’t work. But you can still rank as a trusted user by pinning often – it will just need to be fresh pins.
Follow my Pinterest at https://pinterest.com/writerside:
Pinterest Marketing Plan for Writers and Authors in 2020
Important Points
Tl;dr this is the condensed version of the Pinterest marketing strategy.
Create fresh pins with unique images
Get inside your readers’ heads
Relevant content draws readers in
You can link new unique pins to old content
Shared Boards are Awesome
Pin often
There we have the marketing plan for Pinterest in 2020! If it all sounds complicated and annoying, really it comes down to give em what they want!
Have fun with it and sign up to my newsletter below for writing updates and freebies! I promise to send you no more than 6 newsletters per year with goodies straight to your inbox. Alternatively, contact me for a website content check-up.
These are great tips! I definitely need to utilize Pinterest more