Pinterest is one of my favorite platforms for interior designers. It’s based on visuals (making it the perfect place to share your latest projects) AND it’s a search engine that drives traffic – and future clients – to your website, whether you’re online or OOO.
To put it bluntly, it’s a goldmine for interior designers.
At least, it is when it’s done right.
The problem with Pinterest is that it’s been around for a while – and there’s a new expert in every corner of the internet with outdated advice… yikes. It’s not your fault (you can’t control Google), but it does mean you might be unintentionally implementing some of the not-so-best practices when it comes to your Pinterest strategy.
But, to help get your Pinterest account back in order so you can start taking full advantage of the platform, here are the most common Pinterest mistakes you should avoid as an interior designer:
Mistake #1: Not Using a Pinterest Business Account
Just like Instagram offers different professional accounts for businesses and creators, Pinterest offers a business account for their users, too – and that’s what you should be using for your interior design business.
A Pinterest Business account allows you to claim ownership of both your Instagram account and website while giving you more in-depth insights into your pins’ performance. This means you can see which pins are driving traffic to your site – and which are getting saved for inspiration.
Plus, it just looks and feels more professional for users!!
Mistake #2: Skipping Straight to Pinning
I know creating your Pinterest account is exciting, and you want to get started with pinning right away, but one of the most common Pinterest mistakes I see interior designers make is pinning without optimizing your account first.
Pinterest is BIG on SEO, and to take full advantage of it, you need to optimize your account title, biography, and Pinterest boards before you start pinning projects and blog posts.
Aim for 3-5 boards to get started, making sure to optimize your board titles, descriptions, and, if you’re feeling up to it, adding a cover image, too!
Mistake #3: Forgetting Keyword Research
Speaking of Pinterest being big on SEO, you can’t skip your keyword research! Just like SEO for Google (and other search engines), you need to research best-fit keywords for your projects, clients, and business.
You can use resources like Pinterest Predicts to gauge upcoming styles and interests and built-in tools, like Pinterest Trends, to get more detailed data on specific search terms:
These are the keywords you’ll use to optimize your Pinterest account, boards, and even your pins!! Make sure to include your keywords in both your pin text (the title and description) AND your pin image when possible (trust me, Pinterest is a visual search engine – it’ll make a huge difference).
Mistake #4: Only Pinning Project Images
Yes, you should pin your projects — but that’s not the only thing you should pin on Pinterest. Pin your design tips, services page, shopping lists, and the blog posts you’ve been publishing (and if you’re not sure what to write on your blog, here are a few ideas for interior designers like you).
A good Pinterest strategy is a mix of pins your clients love to save for inspiration – think projects, client mood boards, etc. – and pins that get clicks. Pins that convert to readers, subscribers, and, eventually, clients.
Your pins will need to be both inspiring AND engaging, meaning some of your pins will need a bit of text on them 😉
Whatever you choose to do – update your account or finally start one – it’s important to remember that Pinterest takes time. Your pins WILL take time to start showing up in Pinterest search, but once they do, they’ll continue to perform for years.Ready to get started? Download my free guide teaching your how to turn your Pinterest into a client magnet!
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