Want to know how you can get Pinterest followers in 2024? (Of course you do.) With over 482 million global monthly active users, you’d have to be crazy to not want a piece of the action on this rapidly growing platform. By following the nine simple tips in this article, you’ll be well on your way to increase your following on Pinterest in no time.
1. Get a Pinterest Business Account
If you’re serious about getting more Pinterest followers, sign up for a Pinterest business account. Access to a Pinterest business account allows you extra features to gain more targeted eyeballs, maximizing your chances to get more followers on Pinterest.
80% of weekly Pinners have discovered a new brand or product on Pinterest. (Pinterest press room)
To start, your Pinterest business account lets you run Pinterest ads. Promoted pins are a great way to bypass the organic algorithm and reach a larger audience, including your ideal customer. These ads appear prominently on user feeds, search results, and category pages. This increased visibility can lead to more followers and engagement.
Business account users can access Pinterest Analytics. This powerful and free tool can maximize your content strategy by revealing your most popular pins, stats on your audience, and how they interact with your content.
If you’re new to Pinterest, signing up for a Pinterest business account is easy. If you’re already on Pinterest with a personal account, you have two options:
- Create a linked Pinterest business account. You can link up to four business accounts to one personal account.
- Convert your personal Pinterest account to a business account.
Those two options will get you up and running with Pinterest business goodies in less than three minutes. Time well spent!
(Editor’s note: Agorapulse now supports Pinterest! Start Pinning with Agorapulse today with a free 30 day trial – no strings attached.)
Related reading: Pinterest 101: What Every Smart Social Media Manager Needs to Know
2. Go on a Promotion Blitz (but Blitz Off Pinterest)
One crucial element I see businesses missing out on often is not telling their customers they are on Pinterest. Spending time and energy on Pinterest is key, but telling prospects and customers you are on the platform is vital.
Discussing Pinterest on other social platforms can draw attention to new followers. You can do the following.
Promoting on social media
Promoting your Pinterest presence on other social media platforms is a dynamic strategy to attract more followers.
Consider these effective techniques:
- Share a Pin of the day. This pin should be visually appealing and relevant to your audience. Also, it should give your off-Pinterest followers a strong sign why they should also become on-Pinterest followers. Encourage your followers to re-pin and follow your Pinterest profile for daily inspiration or education.
- Announce a new board. When you create a new Pinterest board, don’t keep it a secret. Share the exciting news on your other social media accounts. Explain the purpose and theme of the board and how it will benefit its followers. This announcement will show that you’re actively curating on Pinterest and entice your social audience to see what you’re up to there.
- Mention a seasonal-specific board. Seasonal boards tap into trending topics and connect with your audience’s interests. So, when the time is right, promote it on social. Your timely content might be just the thing to prod your social audience to join you on Pinterest.
Note that these suggestions are ongoing, daily or seasonally, or whenever you post a new board. These increase your chances of being seen by new social followers or those who didn’t see your earlier “Hey, follow us on Pinterest” posts.
Promoting on your website or ecommerce page
Don’t limit your Pinterest promotion to other social channels. Boost your Pinterest follower count through these two Website integrations.
- Add the Follow button to your website design. Seamlessly integrate the Pinterest “Follow” button add-on into your website’s design. Place it visibly in areas like the header, footer, or sidebar, ensuring it aligns with your website’s overall look. This convenient button lets visitors follow your Pinterest profile with a single click without leaving your site.
- Incorporate the “Save” add-on button on your website’s images. This integration allows a Pinterest “Save” button to appear on your blog or website when a user hovers over an image. This feature enables visitors to pin your website’s images to their Pinterest boards effortlessly.
- Discover “Save” options for your e-commerce shop. E-commerce platforms like Shopify have integrations for shoppers to save your Shopify store images to their Pinterest board easily. If these shoppers are on your site and like your content enough to save it, they might also give your account a follow.
By integrating these website add-ons, you facilitate easy engagement with your Pinterest content, encouraging visitors to follow your profile.
Promoting through email
Company newsletters are another stone that should be unturned to get followers on Pinterest. Try these two suggestions to convince your subscribers to join you on Pinterest:
- Include your Pinterest link in newsletters. Place a “Follow” button prominently, making it easy for subscribers to find and follow you. Consider adding a brief message about the value they’ll get from following your boards on Pinterest before they see the Follow CTA button.
- Feature Pinterest-related content: Share snippets, pins, or insights from your boards that align with your email’s theme or message. By providing valuable Pinterest content within your emails, you can pique your subscribers’ interest and encourage them to explore your profile.
By implementing these email tactics, you can simply integrate your Pinterest promotion efforts into your email marketing campaigns to grow your Pinterest following.
Promoting in real life
Yes, real life! Pinterest has made it easy for folks you meet in the flesh to follow your Pinterest account. Pincodes are unique QR codes generated by Pinterest that link directly to your profile. Print these Pincodes on business cards, flyers, posters, or presentation slides.
When people scan the Pincodes using their Pinterest app, they’ll be directed to your content, making it a fun way to attract followers during face-to-face encounters.
Be sure to include a brief call to action, inviting them to explore your Pinterest profile.
Wherever you promote your Pinterest account, abide by Pinterest Brand Guidelines, especially regarding the use of the platform’s logo.
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3. Start Using Idea Pins
Although they take a bit more effort, take the time to add Idea Pins to your content strategy. Formerly called Story Pins (for their extreme likeness to Instagram Stories … which were a ripoff of Snapchat Stories…), these multimedia Idea Pins are interactive and designed to share ideas, inspiration, and knowledge in a “story” format.
The special sauce of Idea Pins is its emphasis on encouraging a “Follow” rather than a “Save” or clickthrough to your Website. This engagement-focused feature increases your chances of converting browsers into followers.
Another benefit is the discoverability of Idea Pins. Pinterest showcases these pins in users’ feeds and search results, increasing their visibility. When users engage with your Idea Pins, their followers may also see and interact with your content, expanding your reach and potential follower base.
4. Follow the Followers of Your Competitors
If you’re not a “Story” or, ahem, an “Idea” Pin type of marketer, try this easy, behind-the-scenes technique: begin following your competitors’ followers. By engaging with users interested in similar content, you’re tapping into an audience with a high potential for interest in your brand.
Need another reason to begin this Pinterest following approach? By connecting with users who follow your competitors, you gain valuable insights into what piques their interest. This can spark ideas for future blog posts and related pins for those posts. It’s like having a ready-made focus group that guides your content strategy while organically growing your follower base on Pinterest.
Don’t follow these users all at once: Slow and steady following wins the “I’m not a sleazy marketer” race. Work into your calendar to follow no more than 10-20 users each day.
5. Publish Pins Consistently
If you’re looking to get followers on Pinterest — and going out of your way to court your competitors’ followers — maintaining a consistent posting schedule is a must.
Regularly sharing valuable content on Pinterest gives users a reason to follow you and helps your brand build trust as a reliable source in your niche.
Consistency applies to both the frequency and the quality of your content. Share content on Pinterest that aligns with your niche and your audience’s interests.
Building trust and attracting followers is an ongoing effort. Prepare yourself!
6. Comment on Pins with Authority
Engaging with the Pinterest community is another way to optimize your chances for more followers.
When you comment on pins related to your niche, you contribute to the conversation and capture the attention of like-minded pinners. This engagement can pique their interest in your profile and lead to new followers. (New commenter, who dis?)
Also, focus on the comments on your own pins. Respond quickly and intentionally to build a community and encourage ongoing interaction.
7. Optimize Your Pins and Boards for Search
Pinterest is one of the best search engines on the Internet. So, if you aim to gain more followers, you must think about search optimization as much as you do your aesthetic images.
- Start with optimizing these three areas of your Pinterest presence.
Pinterest Profile Bio. Craft a compelling bio that introduces you AND incorporates relevant keywords. This is your chance to make a solid first impression and resonate with your target audience (and Pinterest search). - Ensure your board names are clear, concise, and keyword-rich. This not only helps users quickly understand your board’s content but also aids in guiding them to your content when they use search queries.
- Incorporate relevant keywords to describe your Pins. Consider adding relevant hashtags to your descriptions. Once frowned upon by Pinterest marketers, hashtags have recently gained importance in search. They’re not as powerful as, say, X or Instagram, but they send more search signals than they have in the past.
By keeping a purposeful, consistent focus on discoverability, you’ll align your Pinterest content with users’ search queries, significantly enhancing your chances of being seen by the right audience. This, in turn, increases the likelihood of gaining more interested followers.
8. Look at What the Data Tells You. Then Act.
Pinterest Analytics, especially the Audience Insights section, is a goldmine for anyone looking to gain more followers on this platform. And remember: You only get Pinterest Analytics with a business account.
Understanding your target audience’s interests, demographics, and devices empowers you to optimize your Pinterest marketing strategy.
Once you identify what’s performing well with your audience, you can tweak your Pins to match their preferences better, increasing the likelihood of attracting new followers with similar interests.
Pinterest Trends is another excellent analytics feature for finding ways to increase your number of followers.
Explore emerging trends and align your content to stay relevant and capture the attention of a broader audience.
Using Pinterest Analytics and Trends equips you with the knowledge to refine your strategy, connect with your audience, and ultimately attract more engaged followers.
9. Don’t Care Too Much About Getting More Pinterest Followers
You may have sought this article for tips on gaining more Pinterest followers. That’s cool. Glad you found it. But since I have you, it’s essential to understand that follower count is perhaps the least critical metric for success on Pinterest.
Pinterest’s true strength lies in its ability to drive substantial traffic to your website.
Instead of double downing on follower numbers, focus on creating engaging and valuable content. Pinterest’s unique platform is designed to attract users who are genuinely interested in your niche or offerings. By consistently sharing content that resonates with your target audience, you’ll naturally attract followers who engage well with your content.
This news might come as a downer in the short term, but it will be advice you’ll appreciate in the long term.
Which Ways to Get More Followers on Pinterest Will You Try First?
By sticking to a consistent posting schedule, optimizing your content for search, and leveraging Pinterest Analytics, you’ll attract followers and build a strong online presence that drives sustainable results.
Just remember that Pinterest’s real power lies in its ability to drive traffic to your website. Focus on delivering value, and success on Pinterest will follow.
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