Why Pinterest marketing is worth the effort (even when nobody knows your name)
Over 95% of Pinterest searches are unbranded.
I’ll just let that sink in for a second. People aren't typing in your business name, or your competitors' names. They're searching for "small bedroom ideas", "easy vegan dinners" or "wedding stationery inspiration". They don't know who you are yet and they don't need to.
People come to Pinterest with intent
Think about how you use Pinterest yourself. You're rarely mindlessly scrolling. You're planning a kitchen refit, hunting for a birthday party theme or trying to work out what to wear to a wedding. You're there to be inspired and you're there to make a decision.
That's what makes Pinterest so different from other platforms. Someone who finds your content there is already warm. They're actively looking for something and your pin might be exactly what they need.
Compare that with Instagram, where you're often interrupting someone's scroll and hoping to earn their attention. On Pinterest the attention is already there. Your job is to show up with the right answer.
You need a strategy
Pinterest isn't a post and hope platform. Because people are searching, your content needs to be findable. That means:
Keyword research. Know the phrases your audience actually types into the search bar.
Clear, useful pins. Each pin should answer a question or solve a problem.
Consistency. Pinterest rewards those who show up regularly, and pins can keep working for months or even years, unlike a post that disappears from a feed in a day.
A clear destination. Send people somewhere useful, like a blog post, a product page or a sign up page.
Put that strategy in place and the effort compounds. A pin you create today can still be bringing in new people long after you've forgotten about it.
The good news is you can stop worrying about branding
Here's what I find refreshing. Because most searches are unbranded, Pinterest asks you to think differently about how your brand shows up.
Your brand doesn't need to be splashed across every image. A small logo, or none at all, is fine. Your pin's job is to catch the eye of someone who's looking for an idea and a huge logo can get in the way of that.
You don't need your brand name in your titles and descriptions. You only have so many characters, so spend them on keywords. Nobody is searching for your business name yet, but they are searching for what you do. Use that space to describe what the pin offers and help it get found.
Usually in marketing we’re told to be recognisable and put our name on everything. Pinterest lets you set that aside and focus on being helpful.
Start with the problem, not the brand
If you take one thing from this post, let it be this: on Pinterest, problem solving beats self promotion.
Ask yourself:
What is my ideal customer trying to figure out?
What would they type into the search bar?
How can my content help them take the next step?
When you build your Pinterest presence around those questions, the brand recognition follows. Someone finds your pin, clicks through, likes what they find and remembers who you are. You've earned it by being useful first.
Is Pinterest worth it for your business?
If your customers plan, research or shop for ideas before they buy, then almost certainly yes. Home and interiors, weddings, food, fashion, crafts, wellbeing, events, services and more all fit. You're not competing for attention in a noisy feed. You're being found by people who are already looking.
Ready to grow your Pinterest account the right way? Whether you need help developing your strategy, understanding keywords or simply finding a rhythm you can sustain, I’ll help you turn your Pinterest into a marketing tool that keeps working for you. Book in for a free discovery call and let’s look at how we can take your Pinterest from meh to amazing.
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