5 steps to the perfect pin

You’ve all heard that Pinterest is the way to go when it comes to blog page view referrals. I’ve heard so many bloggers say that they “need to do more on Pinterest,” but who has the time? There’s a million little things you have to do as a blogger. If Pinterest isn’t already part of your routine, it’s hard to know what to do.

If you’ve read my blog post on 6 ways I use Pinterest to get pageviews, you know that Pinterest is responsible for a good amount of my page views. This is a general rule for bloggers. So if you’re looking to increase your page views, a small investment into Pinterest is worth your time.

Here’s a quick checklist to help you create a pin that’s so awesome, it’ll get repinned again and again, sending tons of visitors to your site.

1. Long and skinny pins

You’ve probably heard that the long pins are the way to go. You’ve also probably been told that Canva is the app to use. I blog entirely from my phone, and I’ve not seen a real good template for a pin from the app. Maybe the website has a better one.

Here’s my suggestion: I use Adobe’s Spark Post app. This app lets you keep the original dimensions of your original photo. Download the image of a nice skinny pin from Pinterest. Here’s one of my favorites.

Choose create new post from your photo library and then keep the original size. Now change the picture to whatever one you want and it will keep the size.

2. A good design app

I already mentioned Adobe Spark Post is what I use. Most bloggers use Canva. Here’s the thing: there’s thousands of bloggers using Canva, mostly from templates! Hundreds of thousands of pins that look THE SAME. I wish Adobe was paying me for this, but they’re not; this is just my honest suggestion: stand out from the crowd. Use a different app/template.

3. A good title

You just can’t pick a title you like. Headlines six words long earn the most click-throughs. You need to ask yourself, will Pinners save this pin? If you’re not sure, check out the strength of your headline using this headline analyzer. Also certain types of headlines do well. For example, How To’s and lists are popular. Check out a full list of popular headline formats I found at this site.

4. Visibility/legibility

I’ve seen pins that use a very light color for the font, and against the picture background the words aren’t visible.

If I can’t read your title, I’m not saving your pin.

If in doubt, add color behind the font in the form of a highlight or a box. Legibility is super-important. Another point I’m adding after I published this post is this: make sure if it’s a real long pin that your title is in the middle so it shows. I put mine and had to change it as I realized you couldn’t see the title until you expanded it. Not good!

5. A good image

I used to take my own pictures, but I’m a really poor photographer. My two pins that have done the best feature stock photography. Look for a picture that is striking and will capture the attention of users scrolling through the feed.

I read somewhere that pins with people in them don’t do as well. I used to feature my kids in my pins, but I stopped. They’re still all over my Instagram feed, just not in my blog posts or my pins.

If this post was helpful to you, you might be interested in 6 Ways I Use Pinterest to Get Page Views. 

If you’re interested in growing your Pinterest influence, sign up for my free Pinterest growth challenge: 

Want to up your Pinterest game? Let me analyze your Pinterest account including your pins, profile, blog, and pinning behavior, and I will provide an evaluation and recommendations to start expanding your influence on Pinterest. Click here or on the image to get yours.