Want to get traffic from Pinterest? I'm spilling my secrets and sharing how I transformed my Pinterest blog traffic.
Hi guys!
I had mentioned in my Best of Blogs post the other month that my traffic from Pinterest has grown tremendously in the past year. A few of you said you'd be interested in hearing more about how to get traffic from Pinterest, so I thought I'd share a few things I've done. If you aren't a blogger, this might not be the most interesting post for you. But it does show a little behind the scenes action of how this all works. If you just aren't interested, make sure to check out my Wake Up Workout, 4 Ingredient Roasted Sweet Potatoes and my Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats. Also please know that I blog for much more than just pageviews, and that this community is so important to me. But it is nice when all your hard work is actually being used, shared and enjoyed!
Let me start with a little history. Two years ago when I left WLOS and started to work on Running in a Skirt as more of a small business I knew nothing about photography or food styling other than I liked taking pictures. I was blogging, but not seriously at all and I only used my Pinterest account to pin stuff for fun. I was just barely starting to dabble in using it for the blog. At that time I was getting little to no Pinterest traffic and my images really weren't that awesome. (Although I totally stand by this recipe! It is still REALLY good and easy!)
I knew Pinterest was a big source of long term passive traffic and I wanted to get traffic from Pinterest, so I decided to really focus on building that account and improving my pins on all levels. Pinterest is now by far my biggest source of traffic and in the past year it is responsible for quadrupling my overall pageviews month to month in the past year. So I thought I'd share a little about what I've done to get traffic from Pinterest and share the blogging love.
I don't claim to be an expert, this is just my own experience. I also know some of you know SO much more than I do, and even have more followers so please feel free to chime in if you have something to add. I just love the way the blogging community is so generous with sharing ideas with each other!
My Strategy to Get Traffic from Pinterest
Focus on Photography
The first thing I did was study food photography, get real props and lights and start taking photos. LOTS and LOTS of photos. Since I'm not trained my theory has always been take a 100 photos to get one winner. I practiced and still practice A LOT. I signed up for a photography class at the community college, picked the minds of food photographers I know and attended the Food Blog Forum, even though I'm not just a food blog. I eventually even upgraded my lens.
It's been a work in progress, and I swear I still learn something new each week but I feel like it is paying off! What do you think? I was particularly happy with this one!
Without pretty, bright and crisp images it's hard to have a good Pinterest game! Taking better photos has transformed my blog.
I've spent the past few months going back and re-shooting some of my older really sadly photographed recipes. I still have a long ways to go, but I hope to update them all within a year. Some of those recipes are my favorite ones and now they are actually getting seen!
Old photo!
New photo!
The recipe is exactly the same, but now it looks like something you'd really want to eat now.
I've also been thinking about writing a post specifically about this improving food photography. Would you guys be interested in that?
Create Long Pins
I've been utilizing vertical photos for the past two years on Pinterest, but in the past eight months I've also been creating long picture collages for the post. I think this has been one reason my traffic has really grown since the start of the year.
I use PicMonkey to create these. Just go into the collage maker and stack your favorite photos. I use the dimensions 735 x 2000 to 2500. You can then pull it over to the photo editor and add the text.
It's a little more labor intensive to create the two images, but I think it's worth my time. I use the shorter one for post and other social media.
Use Tailwind
I'm finally on the Tailwind game and it's a game changer guys! Tailwind allows you to schedule pins based on time slots when you audience is most active. I started scheduling pins and not only did I start seeing more activity on my pins, my account started to grow followers. I'm not too techie and get frustrated with programs that aren't too user friendly, but I quickly picked up Tailwind by watching a few of their easy to follow videos. I found it very intuitive and easy.
I take time every week to check and schedule pins. I also schedule each recipe as it is published. That takes time, but it's been so nice to not be a slave to my phone all day. You can try it out for free, but it's only $119 for a year to sign up after a month.
I firmly believe Tailwind has helped transform my Pinterest game. If you decide to look into it, I'd love it if you could use my referral code HERE. Use it and you get a $30 credit when you upgrade to plus and I'll get a credit as well. It helps us both out :-).
Get Social
Getting social has really made a difference in my Pinterest game. Working together with other bloggers can boost everyone's bottom line. It took me WAY to long to figure this one out, but it has made such a difference in Pinterest growth.
Two things I've done to get social are joining share groups and group boards. A good place to find both of these are on Facebook.
There are pages dedicated to Pinterest strategy and finding group boards. Search for them and request to join. You can also see where your favorite bloggers are pinning to. Chances are they are on some group boards. Look in the description of the group board and occasionally there is a contact or information to join. Try to pin some of their posts first as a thank you. Remember this whole process is give and take and about helping each other. Some boards aren't interested in new contributors, but plenty are!
Sharing groups can also be found on Facebook. Search to see what groups other bloggers are joining. Look for a group that shares similar posts as you do, so the content will feel organic to your followers. If you have some blogs you love to read, ask those bloggers if they want to share with you. Groups agree to share each others work and it can give a big boost to your pins!
I hope these tips help you improve your Pinterest game and actually get traffic from Pinterest! It's such an amazing tool for bloggers and something I've really grown to love.
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="yes" overflow="visible"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" background_position="left top" background_color="" border_size="" border_color="" border_style="solid" spacing="yes" background_image="" background_repeat="no-repeat" padding="" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" class="" id="" animation_type="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="no" center_content="no" min_height="none"]How I Skyrocketed my pageviews with #Pinterest! Transform your #blog with these tips. #blogging Share on X
Like this? I'd love it if you could pin this to your favorite Pinterest board for easy reference later! <--- SEEEEEE what we did here!!! 🙂
I hope you enjoyed these tips today! Tomorrow I'm sharing another great Crock Pot recipe!
Your turn!
Questions on anything I mentioned?
Do any other bloggers have tips to add?[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Anne says
Thanks for the tips! I think the one about joining Facebook groups dedicated to Pinterest group boards is a potential gem. I'm doing most of everything else you mentioned but definitely need to increase my group board presence.
Thanks!
JulieWunder says
Hope it helps! Thanks so mcuch!
Andrea on Vacation says
Pinterest for travel blogs is hard, if only I was a good cook and shared recipes!!! Someday I'll up my Pinterest game- someday 🙂
Finance Solver says
Your photos look fantastic, congratulations! I guess I need to get out the trusty old camera I haven't used in so long..! I agree with Tailwind. I signed up yesterday and man I'm already saving so much time from using Tailwind. The 10$ a month service is saving me hours and hours of time, which in the end is so worth it.
Great post!
JulieWunder says
It is! So much less stressful too.
Sylvia @ Frolic Through Life says
I just signed up for Tailwind last week! Hoping that it helps!
JulieWunder says
Yay Sylvia! I hope it works for you!
kimmythevegan says
Great post! I am gradually trying to increase my traffic, but I sometimes find it a little overwhelming. I'm trying to work on food photography. I suck at social media, I'd like to work on that too. Baby steps. I really do admire you for devoting your time & energy to this. I have been blogging for almost 4 years and you are leaps and bounds ahead of me. It really inspires me to get more on my A-game!
"I’ve also been thinking about writing a post specifically about this improving food photography. Would you guys be interested in that?"
Yes please!
JulieWunder says
I feel like at any moment there at 100 things I could be doing for my blog! It's crazy! So I think it's just the kind of thing where you have to pick one thing and work on that. I picked Pinterest this year. Later in the year I picked Instagram... and I haven't had much luck with that yet! Still working! I'll have to do that photography post too. Thanks and hope you have a great Monday.
Edye says
Pinned this post! Such lovely tips! Tailwind is my favorite 🙂
JulieWunder says
It is sooo great! Thanks Edye!
rachel @ athletic avocado says
Your photos are so beautiful! I agree that photography is probably the most important in pineterst! Thank you for sharing these tips <3
JulieWunder says
That means so much to me! Thanks Rachel!
Beverley @ Born to Sweat says
Your photos are soo good, and I also see your pins everywhere on Pinterest! So you've done such a great job at establishing yourself there. I only started getting seriously about Pinterest maybe 5-6 months ago, and the change is SO noticeable. My stats have literally doubled since a year ago from it
JulieWunder says
That's so cool! Thanks-- that means so much to me!! I feel the same way about your workouts-- they are awesome!! Hope you continue to see the great growth!
Patricia @Sweet and Strong says
Thank you for this. It's amazing that you had no photography background before because your pics are beautiful! I really need to go back and redo some of my old recipe posts and look into Pinterest groups. Sometimes blogging can be so overwhelming with all the social channels I just try to focus on one at a time.
JulieWunder says
Yes! It is soooo overwhelming. I keep writing that at any time I feel like there is a 1000 things I can do for my blog, and it's true. Photography does not come naturally to me, but I keep trying!!!
Emily says
Thank you for this Julie; I really really appreciate this as I'm still kind of lost as to how to do Pinterest. I love how you showed the contrast between your old and new photos. THis is definitely helpful.
JulieWunder says
Thanks Emily! It has been a huge learning curve and I know I still have so much to learn.
Morgan @ Morgan Manages Mommyhood says
YESSS. Pinterest is everything. It makes blogging so much easier. And Tailwind is my jam. Have you tried the tribes yet? I'm totally hooked. I can't wait to see your food photography post! I've been attempting to fix mine but it's definitely such a learning curve.
JulieWunder says
Hi Morgan! I feel ya! I have tried SOOOO hard at my photos and it does NOT come naturally to me. I know I still have so much to learn too. I'll have to do that post too. I'm in one tribe, but need to find more I think! It is a great resource and has improved my pinning so much.
Janelle @ Run With No Regrets says
Your images are always amazing so I was really curious to see your secrets, lol! I don't often take photos of food, but I know my photography skills are nonexistent. I'd like to see that post about more specific photography tips. Congrats on your Pinterest success ! 🙂
JulieWunder says
Thanks Janelle! It's been a lot of trial and error, so I really appreciate that! I know I still have lots to learn, which is why this is such a fun gig. I'll have to see if I can do that post too.
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says
These are great tips Julie! Thank you so much!
You're such a positive and friendly person and are always sharing your insights with us. I really appreciate it!
JulieWunder says
Thanks Mary Ellen! That means so much to me! I learn something every day about blogging and lots of people shared their knowledge with me... so I feel like I should pass it on!
Cora says
This is so great. I've read a number of "how to use pinterest "articles and have read how much it has helped bloggers, but I've still never been able to crack the code. You've put things nice and clearly so I look forward to using your tips.
I use Picmonkey to make my collages but Ive been having trouble with the sizing - they always come out so small, whereas I see they are nice and BIG on other peoples' blogs and their pinterest pages. And Tailwind.... I still don't understand how that works... guess I need to do a bit more research! Thank you again for this!
JulieWunder says
Hi Cora! I'm so glad this helped a little. Tailwind bascially let's you schedule pins so you don't have to mess with it all day. You can space them out at optimized times, making sure your pins go to all the right boards AND mix it up with other content without being a slave to the phone.
Kristy from Southern In Law says
This is such a great post! Pinterest is my number one source of traffic and I haven't actually used Tailwind or any particular strategies - it just keeps on growing naturally!
JulieWunder says
Hi Kristy! That's wonderful! It is such a good tool!
Autumn ~ AutumnPTW.com says
I love this post, I need all the pinterest and blogging help I can get. These are great tips, I need to get way better at photography and graphics too....smh.
JulieWunder says
I feel ya... There are always a 1000 times I could be doing at a time for my site too. Gets a little overwhelming!
Laura says
I use Ahalogy! which is free and I LOVE it!
JulieWunder says
Someone else mentioned that! I just looked it up and applied!
heather @Lunging Through Life says
Awesome tips! I'm terrible at Pinterest so I really should work on it to increase my pageviews.
JulieWunder says
Thanks Heather! It's helped me a lot. Hope your party went well this weekend.
Farrah says
This is definitely something I need to work on (sighhhh). Thank you for the tips!! I need to reshoot a tonnnn of my recipes, but before that can happen, I feel like I might need an actual camera...and some space in my apartment that gets good lighting! *-*
JulieWunder says
Yes! I'd wait until I got a decent camera-- made a world of difference for me. You can always take it outside too! Best lighting there.
JulieWunder says
Yes! I'd wait until I got a decent camera-- made a world of difference for me. You can always take it outside too! Best lighting there.
Dani @ Dani California Cooks says
Saved this to read more in-depth later! I need to focus more on pinterest!
JulieWunder says
Yes! Your pictures are gorgeous Dani! I'm sure you'd see some growth.
Nicole @ Fitful Focus says
I've seen a lot of growth from Pinterest, as well! I really do need to get on the Tailwind train, though!
JulieWunder says
Yes!! I've seen of your pins that have done really well!! Congrats on that. Tailwind has really allowed me to capitalize on mine that have done well.
Michelle @ Fruition Fitness says
Thanks for sharing that Julie! Pinterest is definitely a game changer that I've been actively working on too. It does take a lot of effort, but is worth it! I'm thinking of investing in Boardbooster as well...
JulieWunder says
I've heard great things about Boardbooster too. I'll be looking into that next!
lacey@fairytalesandfitness says
They say a picture is worth a thousand
words. Your pics are really eye popping and look delicious!
JulieWunder says
That means so much to me! Thank you so much!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says
I know I need to up my PInterest game but I just can't find the time to reorganize my boards! But this is a great post full of good ideas. Particularly the photo suggestions. So many folks post pictures of their food and they are not at all appetizing! Yours always look yummy.
JulieWunder says
Thanks Wendy! That means so much to me!
Teresa @ Adventures of the Ugly Paxton Sisters says
My blog is just for fun & to hopefully get a few free race entries each year, but you're right I do enjoy reading how behind the scenes stuff works. I find the whole "business" of social media just fascinating, and it's fun to experiment to see what kinds of things get the most attention.
JulieWunder says
It is! It has been quite an educational experience.
Annmarie says
Pinterest is the top source for my pageviews as well. While I have definitely improved my photography and am part of Ahalogy, I think I could stand to focus on building my Pinterest following a little more!
JulieWunder says
Your pictures are so pretty! I had to look up Ahalogy. Do you like it?
Susie @ SuzLyfe says
I've been dancing around getting Tailwind for about a year now. I just need to do it! Especially before the holidays. But I also need to go back and reshoot just about all of my recipes...
JulieWunder says
I know... I feel like there is always a 1000 things I could do for my site at any time. What's worked for me is focusing on just one or two things as a time. For much of this year it's been Pinterest and Instagram. I feel like it's worked on Pinterest... Instagram... not so much! Let me know if you need any tailwind help.
Blane Sherer says
You have come a long way since you left WLOS.
Keep on going and sharing with us ( smile ).