I can not tell you how annoying it is when I am on someone’s blog reading a awesome post only to be completely disappointed when I go to ‘pin’ and there is no ‘pin worthy’ images to do so! Sure I could pin any image onto my Pinterest, BUT I DO NOT want to pin on my Pinterest with images that will never be repined, viewed or noticed by me when I go into my boards looking for things. In most cases I will click off your blog post and never revisit or share with my own audience.
The Goal Of Pinterest Images
Pinterest is like using Google Image Search but 1000% better. You search for a topic eg ‘chicken dinner recipes’ and all relevant images will list on your wall. The difference with Pinterest is that they are larger more informative images than what you would see on a Google image search. These images have purposely been put on Pinterest, so they are more of match on your search topic than random images found on websites that may have nothing to with what you are looking for. The images usually tell you instantly what they are about and if interesting enough you will click through to find out more.
The main goal for a Pinterest pin are:
- To be clear and well understood on what you are communicating.
- Drive traffic back to your product or blog post.
- Attract your target audience as loyal followers of what you do.
If you are a business owner or blogger Pinterest is said to be the most influential social media marketing tool you could be using in todays online world.
What Is Wrong With Your Current Images?
In most cases the images that appear when I go to pin your blog post are small, low quality, horizontal images. Images that do not really have a great photo or text image.
No Informative text and picture not relevant to the website. No source website address.
Unclear, low quality image, horizontal image with no source website address.
Bland colouring, no image explanation, horizontal image with no source website address.
Examples of images that are ‘Pinterest worthy’ :
Stand out colours, clear product image, informative text, vertical size & website address.
Clear images of examples found on click through, informative text, vertical size & website address.
Informative clear text, web address, smart colour use and vertical size.
Informative clear text, web address, related image, stand out colours and vertical image.
What Kind Of Images Should You Have?
Size & Dimension :
Pinterest itself advises that images should be a vertical image with a ratio of 2:3 and at least 600 x 900 pixels. That means an image where the height is taller than it is wide.
During 2017 it was popular for people to create ‘giraffe’ pins which were the really tall long pins. They were noticed more by people pinning on Pinterest and really hogging your Pinterest walls. Pinterest have since stated that their algorithm favors the standard 2:3 ration and will show these more than the ‘giraffe pins’. In fact they are now said to be cropping the taller images to standard sizing on your search wall. In most cases unless someone clicks on the image they will not see the full extent of your ‘giraffe’ pin. Whilst these taller pins are great for DIY or instructional images your standard 2:3 ratio is recommended. Especially if you are trying to drive traffic back to your own website.
Picture(s) & Informative Text :
The main objective on Pinterest is to stand out amongst the sea of similar topic pins you are fighting against. There are two ways of doing this and that is by using a correct image(s) and text. You can either incorporate both of them or use either by themselves. Although I have to say for me personally, using prominent text on my images has worked better for me than just having a beautiful image.
When Thinking About Images :
When choosing an image(s) they should be eye catching. These images should be clear, high quality and relevant to what you are talking about on your website. The relevancy could be a product image of something you are selling on your website, pictures from your experience talked about in a blog post eg holiday photos or even a simple ‘stock photo’ on what ever your website/blog topic is.
If you are taking your own photos you should use a quality camera (not just your phone) and a good amount of lighting to have clear well lit images. This will help avoid shadow filled grainy images. That doesn’t mean you have to have the most expensive lighting system in the world. You could simply use natural daylight shots. For example outdoor photos that are relevant or photos of products taken near an open window. Avoid photos that look artificially lit with a flash in low light. You will notice the difference immediately if you take these shots again in daylight.
If you are not so confident with your own photos and are looking for that more professional look then you can search and download of image databases. For free options I like to use Pixabay or Shopify’s Burst. Both have images that are able to be used for commercial use free of charge. If your looking for a larger data base then head on over to Shutterstock. They have more options including footage for videos, however most of the time there is a charge for use.
Smart Text Use :
When someone is scrolling through the large selection Pinterest is offering it comes down to what is jumping out to the eye that results in those clicks. It’s been proven that images with informative over layered text receive the best responses on Pinterest. This is usual a catchy title or short explanation of your blog post or product. Images should also contain your website address and sometimes logo if appropriate.
In regards to font styles and colour keep them simple and clear to read. Using black or white text usually stands out best where colour tends to behind into the background picture. Personally I have tried to match my text to that on my website/blog logo for consistency for my brand. That way when these images are also on my website/blog then it all blends beautifully!
Keeping To Your Brand With Your Images :
If you are a business or blogger it is best to keep with the same ‘look’ you already project on your existing website. For example using similar colours, text style, language and images for your created Pinterest images, will help your target audience find the connection and recognize your brand when ever they see your images.
If you do not already have a consistant look through your website, you should sort out what you would like there first before focusing on creating that for you’re your Pinterest images. After all, the purpose of these Pinterest images is to get people clicking through to see more of what you do. If you have an unprofessional confusing site they wont stay for more than a minute and will even less likely return.
Tools That You Can Use To Create Your Pinterest Images
Having experience as a photographer has led me to have experience in working with Photoshop. So I personally like to use Photoshop to create my Pinterest images. I have set up a personal template with the look and style I want to show on my website and Pinterest account. I use it for every blog post I write as an article image and then ‘pin’ it from there onto my Pinterest account.
If you are not experienced in photo shop to create your own there is always other program options such as Canava or Pic Monkey. Both programs have a huge amount of templates already set up for you to simply insert your photos and text. They are easy to use and already come at the correct size. So all you need to do is create, save and upload to your website. From there you can ‘pin’ to your Pinterest account.
Using Correct Descriptions, ALT+ Text & Pinterest Board
ALT+ text is part of your SEO within our website. Depending on who you have built your website with you may or may not know how to do this. Generally when you are uploading your image to your website there will be a section you can place your descriptive text into it. I like to make sure I have the title of the product/blog post, my website name and any relevant hash tags. You usually have a character limit of around 150 so think about the most important keywords you can use to help drive that traffic. Having the right text here will help search engines such as Google find you.
When pinning your image on Pinterest be sure to add a good description and title within the editing options. For descriptions be straight to the point and use hashtags. Using hashtags will not only help you be seen on Pinterest but also in Google images to drive people through. Pin to the correct Pinterest board is also vital so when people are searching for boards they will find your pin within yours if they start to follow etc.
Applying To What Already Exhists
If you already have a set up business website or blog and already have images you have pinned to Pinterest that are not as they should be then you may not know where to start. It may in fact seem overwhelming to begin?
If this is how you are feeling then my suggestion is to first start with your most popular products/blog posts. If those are already driving views to your site then you want to continue to capitalize on that. Having a ‘Pinterest worthy image’ out there will potentially only add to your visits and in turn drive your visitors to other areas of your website.
So start off by focusing on your most popular, create for anything new and then work through anything else you can update. The rest is then up to you to focus on a good Pinterest strategy. Get your products/blog posts out there by sharing. Pin regularly on your Pinterest account not only your own things but others to gain followers and people that will look through your other pins. Once you have your image on Pinterest you want to drive others to repin as much as possible.
Remember why you clicked on this blog post to begin with. Your looking to improve your business or website. Perhaps you herd about Pinterest and how beneficial it can be if used correctly? It may all seem like a lot of work to get started, but remember it will be worth it having that ‘Pinterest worthy pin’.