How can you reach more pinners and, ultimately, get more profit? By using Pinterest hashtag best practices to get your pins in front of more potential customers.

Learn some tips and tricks to ensure your pins get seen by your target audience below.

Pinterest hashtag best practices: 7 dos and don’ts

While using hashtags isn’t essential, they can help supercharge your pins to ensure they reach as many people as possible. Here are some Pinterest hashtag best practices to follow:

  1. DO consider the placement of your hashtags. Put your hashtags below the description of your pin so they don’t distract the pinner.
  2. DON’T overpopulate pins with hashtags. The messaging for your pins should be very intentional, and your hashtags are for searchability, not people connections. Best practices recommend that you use two to five hashtags that complement your keywords, according to Hootsuite. (But don’t go over 20 total.)
  3. DO remember that hashtags are ideal for mobile pinners. Since hashtags are clickable, it allows mobile users to easily discover, view, and shop your item.
  4. DON’T treat hashtags on Pinterest like you would on Instagram. Constantly remind yourself that Pinterest is unlike any other social media platform. For Pinterest, consider them complementary to your SEO strategy. Very few pinners seek hashtags on the platform, but hashtags will help filter your content into searches that align with a pinner’s interest.
  5. DO add hashtags to the end of your text. When incorporating hashtags into your content, there is no need to #add them within your #text. Keep your copy clean and your hashtags added at the end of your text and not included within your copy messaging.
  6. DON’T add branded hashtags to pins. It can be tempting and possibly habitual with other platforms, but branded hashtags are typically unnecessary on pins. Unless you want the pure formality to have visibility for your brand, it’s irrelevant to users and the success of your pin.
  7. DO pay attention to character limits. Your title can have no more than 100 characters, and your description (including spaces) can have up to 500 characters.

 

3 ways Pinterest hashtags complement SEO

Optimizing your Pinterest profile, pin descriptions, titles, and more is an important part of using the platform to its highest potential. Here are some Pinterest hashtag best practices for SEO.

  1. Searchability: Unlike Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the majority of the others, Pinterest is less about followers and more about searchability. Consider Pinterest to be more like Google, but for visual planning. The searchability of your pins can make a world of difference in your monthly views.
  2. Discovery: It’s one thing to have your content searchable, but it’s also important to land on discovery feeds. This elevated layer of visibility can further enhance the reach of Pins. Your content’s discoverability can be found on a pinners home feed, through platform search, related pins, or the Today tab.
  3. Ranking: Pinterest is SEO-driven, and hashtags help boost your ranking within searches. When hashtags are properly added within that pin description, it reinforces the pin SEO on the platform, increasing the chances for it to be included on the first page of pins.

Brand-building Pinterest case study

Lifestyle and décor blogger Sophia Lee is an excellent example of leveraging the power of Pinterest to build her brand and presence on the platform. With over 10 million monthly viewers to her profile, her pins have great visuals, clear, direct copy, and two to three hashtags when they’re used within the pin descriptions.

Sophia’s content displays a happy union between the platform’s SEO and how hashtags can complement one another to get you the best visibility possible.

Pinterest bonus tip: Hashtags in your bio are unnecessary unless they’re branded hashtags. If you plan to use your brand hashtag within select content and pins, your profile will also filter in with similar content during platform searches.

The foundations of a quality Pin

Now that we’ve gone over some best practices for hashtags, let’s take a look at the foundations of a quality pin.

  • A compelling vertical image. As a visual-first platform, creators are tasked with capturing the pinner’s attention with fantastic visuals. Don’t overlook the importance of your image. Pinners will see your picture first, determining the following action of continuing to scroll or saving it within their own boards. You can include your logo or a watermark, a powerful text overlay that drives action, and an image or video worth slowing down the thumb-scrolling action.
  • Good branding. Once your pin goes live, it can have repining power for months. Leverage this opportunity by incorporating your branding into your pin in a non-intrusive way.
  • Great description. Consider this the copy for your pin, but do not imitate the type of copy you would write for other platforms. Your description should be clear and straightforward.
  • A clear call to action. CTA’s can make or break your conversion. The CTA for your pin should have visibility on your image and within your descriptions that drive pinners to act. It’s also okay to leverage FOMO (the fear of missing out). Habitually, pinners can pin something today with the intent to click on those items later. Be mindful of this behavior and make swift action a priority in your messaging.

Need help reaching more consumers on social media? Talk to a content specialist at ClearVoice today about getting persuasive social media content developed for your brand.