# Pinterest Strategy > Develops Pinterest marketing plans with board structures, pin templates, keyword research, and scheduling cadence. Use when leveraging Pinterest as a search-driven traffic source for your business. - Skill: `reaperinvest/pinterest-strategy` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add reaperinvest/pinterest-strategy` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/reaperinvest/pinterest-strategy/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth - Author: reaperinvest (https://skillmd.com/u/reaperinvest) - Updated: 2026-09-22 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/reaperinvest/pinterest-strategy --- # Pinterest Strategy ## When to Use This Skill Use this skill when you need to: - Build a Pinterest marketing strategy from scratch - Design board structures and pin templates for consistent branding - Plan a keyword-driven Pinterest content approach - Create a scheduling cadence for long-term traffic growth **DO NOT** use this skill for other social platforms or for designing actual pins. This is for Pinterest strategy and planning. --- ## Core Principle PINTEREST IS A SEARCH ENGINE, NOT A SOCIAL NETWORK — TREAT IT LIKE SEO WITH IMAGES AND YOU WILL WIN. --- ## Phase 1: Brief ### Required Inputs | Input | What to Ask | Default | |-------|------------|---------| | **Business / niche** | "What does your business do?" | No default — must be provided | | **Website URL** | "Where should pins drive traffic?" | No default — must be provided | | **Content assets** | "Do you have blog posts, products, or lead magnets to promote?" | Blog posts | | **Target audience** | "Who is your ideal Pinterest user?" | Women 25-45 interested in business and productivity | | **Current Pinterest presence** | "Do you have an existing account?" | No — starting fresh | | **Time budget** | "How much time per week for Pinterest?" | 2 hours | **GATE: Confirm brief before building strategy.** --- ## Phase 2: Outline ``` 1. Account Setup & Optimization 2. Board Structure — categories and keyword-rich descriptions 3. Pin Strategy — templates, formats, and design direction 4. Keyword Strategy — how to research and use Pinterest SEO 5. Scheduling Cadence — how often and when to pin 6. Growth Plan — first 90 days ``` **GATE: Approve outline before full strategy.** --- ## Phase 3: Write ### 1. Account Optimization ``` ## Profile Setup - **Account type:** Business account (mandatory for analytics) - **Profile name:** [Business name] | [What you help with] - **Bio:** [What you do] + [Who you help] + [CTA — e.g., "Free guide: [link]"] - **Profile image:** Logo or professional headshot - **Website:** Claimed and verified - **Enable rich pins:** Link to blog for article rich pins ``` ### 2. Board Structure ``` ## Boards (8-12 to start) | Board Name | Keywords in Description | Content Type | |-----------|----------------------|-------------| | [Board 1 — your core topic] | [3-5 keywords] | Your pins + curated | | [Board 2 — sub-topic] | [3-5 keywords] | Your pins + curated | | [Board 3 — sub-topic] | [3-5 keywords] | Your pins + curated | | [Board 4 — audience interest] | [3-5 keywords] | Curated + occasional yours | ... ### Board Rules - 8-12 boards to start (not 30 empty boards) - Every board has a keyword-rich description (2-3 sentences) - Board covers: on-brand, consistent style - Mix of your content (60%) and curated content (40%) ``` ### 3. Pin Strategy ``` ## Pin Types | Pin Type | Purpose | Frequency | |----------|---------|-----------| | Standard pin | Drive traffic to blog/product | 70% of pins | | Idea pin | Build reach and followers | 20% of pins | | Video pin | High engagement, tutorials | 10% of pins | ## Pin Design Templates **Standard pin (1000x1500px, 2:3 ratio):** - Bold headline text (3-8 words) - Brand colors and fonts - Clean, uncluttered design - URL or brand watermark at the bottom - CTA text: "Read more," "Get the guide," "Shop now" **Design variations per blog post/product:** Create 3-5 pin designs per piece of content with different: - Headlines - Images - Color schemes - Layouts ``` ### 4. Keyword Strategy ``` ## Pinterest SEO **Where to use keywords:** - Profile name and bio - Board titles and descriptions - Pin titles (max 100 characters) - Pin descriptions (first 50 characters are most important) - Image file names (before uploading) **How to find keywords:** 1. Pinterest search bar — type your topic and note autocomplete suggestions 2. Pinterest Trends tool — search trending topics in your niche 3. Related keywords — check the keyword bubbles that appear in search results 4. Competitor analysis — see what keywords top accounts in your niche use **Keyword template for pin descriptions:** "[Benefit-driven opening sentence with primary keyword]. [Supporting detail with secondary keyword]. [CTA — click to read/shop/download]. #[keyword1] #[keyword2]" ``` ### 5. Scheduling Cadence ``` ## Pinning Schedule | Activity | Frequency | |----------|-----------| | New pins (your content) | 5-10 per week | | Repins (curated content) | 5-10 per week | | Idea pins | 1-2 per week | | Total pins | 15-20 per week | **Scheduling tool:** Tailwind or Pinterest's native scheduler **Best times:** Pinterest performs well evenings and weekends — test with your audience **Batch creation:** Create 2 weeks of pins in one session ``` ### 6. 90-Day Growth Plan ``` ## Month 1: Foundation - Set up business account and optimize profile - Create 8-12 boards with keyword-rich descriptions - Design 3-5 pin templates in Canva - Pin 10-15 pins per week (mix of original and curated) ## Month 2: Scale - Create fresh pins for top-performing blog posts - Start creating idea pins weekly - Join 2-3 relevant group boards (if available) - Analyze first month analytics — double down on what works ## Month 3: Optimize - Create new pin designs for any pin that got traction - Test different headlines and images for the same content - Build a content calendar aligned with seasonal trends - Target: [X] monthly viewers, [X] outbound clicks ``` --- ## Phase 4: Polish ### 1. Strategy Checklist ``` ## Pinterest Strategy Checklist - [ ] Business account created and verified - [ ] Profile is keyword-optimized - [ ] 8-12 boards created with keyword-rich descriptions - [ ] Pin design templates established (consistent branding) - [ ] Keyword research completed for top 20 target keywords - [ ] Scheduling cadence set (15-20 pins per week) - [ ] Rich pins enabled - [ ] 90-day growth plan mapped - [ ] Analytics tracking set up ``` ### 2. Seasonal Content Calendar Note seasonal trends relevant to the niche (holidays, events, planning seasons) and plan pins 30-45 days ahead of each trend. --- ## Example: Pinterest Strategy for a Productivity Blog ``` Profile: "[Blog Name] | Productivity Tips for Busy Entrepreneurs" Boards: Time Management, Goal Setting, Morning Routines, Business Tools, Planning Templates Pin templates: 3 designs — bold text overlay, list-style, photo with overlay Keywords: "time management tips," "morning routine for entrepreneurs," "productivity hacks" Cadence: 15 pins/week (10 original, 5 curated) 90-day target: 50K monthly viewers, 500 outbound clicks/month ``` --- ## Anti-Patterns - **Treating Pinterest like Instagram** — Pinterest is a search engine. Keywords matter more than hashtags or engagement. - **Pinning once and forgetting** — one pin per blog post is not enough. Create 3-5 pin variations per piece of content. - **Ignoring descriptions** — pins without keyword-rich descriptions will not surface in search. Write descriptions for every pin. - **Inconsistent branding** — pins without consistent fonts, colors, and style look unprofessional and are not recognizable. - **Only curating, not creating** — curating others' content grows boards but does not drive traffic to your site. --- ## Recovery - **No blog content to pin:** Create idea pins that link to lead magnets or product pages. Start a blog to maximize Pinterest ROI. - **Zero traffic after 60 days:** Audit pin designs (are they scroll-stopping?), keyword usage, and pinning consistency. - **Cannot design pins:** Use Canva Pinterest templates. Customize with brand colors and fonts. No design skill needed. - **Time-strapped:** Batch-create 30 pins in one sitting using templates. Schedule with Tailwind. Total time: 2 hours/month. - **Account was penalized:** Review Pinterest community guidelines, remove violating content, and rebuild with compliant pinning behavior.