How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s digital age, understanding how to set up a Pinterest business account can be a game-changer for brands aiming to expand their online presence. With millions of users turning to Pinterest for inspiration, creating a Pinterest business account offers an unparalleled opportunity to showcase your brand through captivating pinterest images and influence potential customers in their discovery journey. This guide is designed to guide through the process of creating a business Pinterest account, thereby leveraging Pinterest search and pinterest marketing to grow your business on Pinterest.

This article will walk you through the fundamental steps of creating a Pinterest business account, from initial setup to customizing your business profile. It covers essential actions such as claiming your website, creating engaging pins or ads tailored to your audience, and analyzing performance with Pinterest analytics. Additionally, it touches on strategies for engaging with the Pinterest community and effective ways to promote your content through Pinterest ads. Whether you’re looking to create pinterest business account for the first time or seeking tips on how to use Pinterest for business more effectively, this step-by-step guide will equip you with the knowledge to make the most out of your pinterest for businesses.

Understanding the Basics of a Pinterest Business Account

When exploring the world of Pinterest, individuals may find themselves deciding between a personal and a business account. A personal account is primarily for individual use, where one can get inspired and collect ideas without any limitations on the boards they can create or the pins they can save. On the other hand, a Pinterest business account is designed with marketing in mind, aimed at helping businesses grow by increasing brand awareness, driving traffic to websites, growing email lists, and attracting problem-aware individuals to services. The Pinterest Terms of Service require those with commercial goals to use a business account, underscoring the platform’s distinct purposes for each account type.

The difference between a personal and business account

The primary distinction lies in the intended audience and purpose. A personal account focuses on the individual’s interests and inspirations, whereas a business account is about connecting with and serving the target audience. It is crafted to attract the right audience with content relevant to the business’s offerings and the audience’s needs. Business accounts are public, making them accessible to a wider audience, and if one’s personal account is set to private but they wish to convert it to a business account, it must be made public.

Benefits of switching to or creating a business account

Switching to or creating a Pinterest business account unlocks several benefits that enhance a brand’s online presence:

1. Spot Emerging Trends: Pinterest is a leading platform for sharing and discovering new products, designs, and trends. Businesses can stay ahead by maintaining an active presence and following industry influencers on Pinterest to spot emerging trends.
2. Increase Brand Authority: Business accounts have access to features not available to personal accounts, such as a branded pin header, insights into pin viewership, and a verified website. These features lend credibility and enhance a brand’s authority online.
3. Drive Website Traffic: Including a verified website address on a Pinterest business profile and utilizing rich pins can significantly increase traffic to a website. Rich pins provide more detailed information about the linked page, including pricing and product specifications for product pins.
4. Access Your Analytics: Pinterest business accounts offer detailed analytics for pins, allowing businesses to track impressions, engagements, clicks, and views. This data is invaluable for understanding audience engagement and refining Pinterest marketing strategies.
5. Run Ads and Promoted Pins: One of the top benefits of a Pinterest business account is the ability to run ads and promoted pins. Access to Pinterest’s advertising and targeting features can amplify a brand’s reach and success on the platform.

Creating or converting to a Pinterest business account is a strategic move for businesses aiming to leverage Pinterest for marketing. It not only provides access to powerful tools for trend spotting, brand authority building, and traffic driving but also offers detailed analytics and advertising capabilities to maximize online presence and engagement.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Pinterest Business Account

Signing out of personal accounts

When one decides to venture into the Pinterest business world, it’s essential to differentiate between personal and business accounts. If an individual already has a personal Pinterest account but wishes to create a separate business account, they must first ensure they are signed out of their personal account. This separation is crucial for maintaining the distinct identities of personal and business profiles on Pinterest. For those looking to connect their personal and business accounts while using the same email, Pinterest provides an option to link up to four business accounts to a personal Pinterest account. This feature allows for easy switching between accounts without the need for separate logins.

Using a business email for setup

To set up a Pinterest business account, it’s advisable to use a business email. This email should be different from any email already associated with a personal Pinterest account. Using a unique business email helps in creating a distinct identity for the business on Pinterest and ensures that the business account’s activities are separate from personal Pinterest interactions. If creating a business account for the first time or on behalf of a company or client, one must use a desktop device, as the account creation process currently requires it. This step ensures that the business account is set up with the proper credentials and can be managed effectively from the start.

Choosing language and location preferences

Adjusting the Pinterest settings to select the preferred country or language is an important step in customizing the business account to better serve the target audience. Under “Settings,” then “Account management,” followed by “Personal information,” users can find options to select their country/region and language from dropdown menus. Saving these preferences tailors the Pinterest experience to the business’s geographical and linguistic needs. It’s worth noting that the Pinterest app will use the language selected in the device’s settings, making it essential to ensure consistency across device and Pinterest settings for a seamless experience.

By following these initial steps—signing out of personal accounts, using a business email for setup, and choosing language and location preferences—businesses can effectively set up their Pinterest business account. This setup is the foundation for leveraging Pinterest’s vast potential for brand growth, enabling businesses to connect with their target audience through compelling Pinterest images and engaging content.

Step 2: Customizing Your Business Profile

To effectively customize your Pinterest business profile, it’s essential to focus on two main aspects: adding profile and cover pictures, and filling out business details. These elements play a crucial role in establishing your brand’s identity on the platform and making your profile stand out to users.

Adding Profile and Cover Pictures

1. Profile Cover: Your profile cover is the first thing users notice. It’s an opportunity to express your brand’s identity and showcase your best content. One can personalize their profile cover by uploading an image that represents their brand. This can be done by selecting the “Change cover” or “Remove cover” options, followed by “Save” after making the desired changes.
2. Profile Picture: The profile picture is equally important, as it appears in searches and when you interact on Pinterest. To change your profile picture, navigate to “Settings,” then “Edit profile,” and click “Change” next to the profile photo. You can either choose a photo from your computer or take a new photo, depending on your preference. After selecting or capturing the desired image, confirm by clicking “Done”.

Filling Out Business Details

1. Business Name: It’s crucial to edit the name that appears on your Pinterest profile to reflect your business accurately. For business accounts, enter your business name in the designated “Name” section. This ensures that users can easily identify your business on Pinterest.
2. Bio and Pronouns: Your bio allows you to share more about your business with Pinterest users. Here, you can add information that helps users understand what your business offers. Optionally, you can also add your pronouns to your profile, which will be visible to users visiting your profile.
3. Contact Information: Make sure to edit the email address and phone number in your profile settings. This information will be visible to Pinterest users, enabling them to contact your business directly. Additionally, you can edit the street address that appears on your profile, which is particularly useful for businesses with a physical location.
4. Website Link: Adding a link to your website on your Pinterest profile can drive traffic to your site. Users visiting your profile will see this link, making it easier for them to learn more about your products or services.
5. Username and Unique Web Address: Your username creates a unique web address for your profile, making it easier for users to find your business on Pinterest. For example, if your username is your business name, your profile can be easily accessed through a direct URL.

By following these steps to customize your Pinterest business profile, you can effectively present your brand to the vast Pinterest community. This customization not only enhances your profile’s appearance but also improves your brand’s visibility and accessibility on the platform.

Step 3: Claiming Your Website and Other Accounts

The Importance of Claiming Your Accounts

Claiming your website on Pinterest not only provides insights into how often your content is shared but also ensures that your Pinterest profile is linked to any Pins with content from your site. This connection is vital for guiding users to find more information about your brand or offerings directly from Pinterest. The process of claiming your website is akin to verifying ownership on platforms like Google, serving to protect the site owner and enhance their control over their online presence. It unlocks several tools for businesses, including advanced analytics, access to Pinterest Ads, and other development/marketing tools, thereby offering greater exposure and operational power on the platform.

Claiming your website signals to Pinterest and its users that you are an authentic business, which can significantly boost content distribution and brand awareness. Every pin originating from your domain will be automatically associated with your Pinterest profile, with your profile photo and name added to the pin. This feature not only helps build brand recognition but also provides access to website analytics, showing what content resonates most with your audience.

Step-by-Step Process to Claim Your Website on Pinterest

1. Log intyourur Pinterest Business Account: Start by logging into your account. This is the first step taccessingss the settings for claiming your website.
2. Access the Settings Menu: Click the directional chevron down icon in the top-right corner to open your menu, and select “Settings”.
3. Navigate to Claimed Accounts: Within the settings menu, click on “ClaAccountsounts” from the left-side navigation.
4. Initiate the Claim Process: Click “Claim” next to “Websites”. At this point, you will be presented with three methods to claim your website: adding an HTML tag, uploading an HTML file, or adding a TXT record to your domain.
   • Method 1: Add an HTML Tag: Select “Add HTML tag” and copy the provided text. Log into your website in a separate window, and add the tag to the <head> section of your index.html file. This process may vary depending on your website host.
   • Method 2: Upload an HTML File: Choose “Upload HTML file” and download the provided file. Log into your website and upload this file to the root folder of your web server. Note that uploading to a subfolder will not work.
   • Method 3: Add a TXT Record: Select “Add TXT record”, copy the provided text, and log into your domain host. Paste the TXT record into the DNS record section of your domain host.
5. Verification: After choosing and implementing one of the methods above, return to Pinterest, enter your website URL in the provided text box, and click “Verify”. Pinterest will automatically check for the HTML tag, HTML file, or TXT record on your website.
6. Confirmation: Once you’ve successfully claimed your website, you can remove the HTML tag, HTML file, or TXT record from your site. You will be able to see which websites you’ve successfully claimed by going to your settings and selecting “Claimed accounts”. Any current claimed websites will appear under the “Websites” section.

By following these steps, businesses can effectively claim their website on Pinterest, unlocking a suite of tools and features designed to enhance their online presence and engagement on the platform. This process is crucial for businesses looking to leverage Pinterest’s vast user base for brand growth and content distribution.

Step 4: Creating Your First Pin or Ad

Pinterest offers businesses the unique opportunity to visually captivate and engage with a new audience. Especially for businesses dealing in visually appealing products like clothing or cosmetics, Pinterest allows them to capture attention primarily through eye-catching images. This platform is heavily image-based, enabling businesses to put attractive images and infographics at the forefront of their marketing strategy. Users may even follow a business page if they find the brand’s aesthetic appealing, ensuring at least a loyal viewer of the content.

Building out your profile with pins

Creating Pins is a fundamental way to share ideas, offer tutorials, or showcase products. Every Pin can include images, videos, or a combination of both, and can be linked directly to a brand’s website or online shop. It’s recommended to create new original Pins at least once a week to maintain a steady stream of content. This consistent activity helps in keeping the audience engaged and ensures that the business’s content remains visible on Pinterest’s dynamic platform. Additionally, businesses can connect a product feed to turn every product into its own Pin, further enhancing product visibility and engagement.

The advantage of starting with ads

While Pinterest does not have a dedicated advertising service, businesses can create a business page and start posting to engage with their audience. However, for a more targeted approach, Pinterest Promoted Pins offer a way to advertise more effectively. These posts are promoted more frequently to Pinterest users, inviting more potential traffic to the business page. Not only can products be displayed through these ads, but they can also expand on the brand story and provide ideas on how to use the products, making it a versatile advertising tool.

Pinterest Ads is a self-service advertising platform that allows businesses to reach a wider audience through various ad formats such as promoted pins, promoted carousels, and promoted video pins. The platform offers several targeting options based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and keywords, enabling businesses to create customized advertising campaigns that resonate with their target audience. Moreover, Pinterest Ads can be a cost-effective option for businesses, with advertisers setting their own budget and paying only when someone clicks on their ad. The detailed analytics provided by Pinterest Ads also allows businesses to track the performance of their ads, making data-driven decisions to optimize their advertising campaigns and improve their return on investment.

By leveraging the visual appeal of Pinterest and the targeted approach of Pinterest Ads, businesses can significantly enhance their online presence, engage with their audience more effectively, and drive traffic to their website or e-commerce store.

Step 5: Utilizing Pinterest Analytics for Business Insights

Pinterest Analytics serves as a powerful tool for businesses to understand their audience, optimize content, and make data-driven decisions. By delving into the insights provided, businesses can tailor their Pinterest strategy for better engagement and increased traffic. This section will guide you through navigating the Insights Hub and understanding analytics for audience demographics and popular pins.

Navigating the Insights Hub

To access Pinterest Analytics, businesses first need to log into their Pinterest Business Account. The analytics Overview page presents an at-a-glance view of performance metrics, including Overall performance, Performance over time, Top boards, and Top Pins from the last 30 days. It’s important to remember that these metrics are estimates and may change, reflecting real-time interactions on the platform.

Businesses can explore a variety of metrics available in Pinterest Analytics, which provide insights into how people are engaging with their Pins. These include engagements, engagement rate, impressions, saves, save rate, pin clicks, pin click rate, outbound clicks, outbound click rate, profile visits, follows, video views, average video play time, and more. Each metric offers a unique perspective on audience interaction, helping businesses understand what content resonates most with their audience.

For a deeper dive into performance, Pinterest offers several filters to refine the data. Businesses can filter by date range, content type, pin format, ad format, product group, claimed accounts, device, age, gender, source, and saved content. After applying filters, businesses can export a snapshot of the selected data filters in a CSV file, facilitating further analysis.

Understanding Analytics for Audience Demographics and Popular Pins

Audience Insights reveal the interests and behaviors of existing and potential customers based on their actions on Pinterest, such as searches and saves. By comparing data for two audiences, businesses can view Audience Insights side by side, seeing the top categories and interests for their audience selection and comparing affinity with Pinterest’s total audience. Affinity indicates the strength of an audience’s interest in a particular category compared to the wider Pinterest audience.

Businesses can also view a demographic breakdown of their audience by age, gender, location, and device. This information is crucial for tailoring content and ads to reach the right demographic segments effectively.

Pinterest’s fast-growing audience, especially among Gen Z, underscores the platform’s relevance across various age groups and genders. With 42% of Pinterest’s global user base comprising Gen Z, businesses have a significant opportunity to engage with a demographic that is actively searching, saving, and shopping on the platform. Additionally, Pinterest reaches a substantial portion of high-income shoppers in the US, making it a valuable tool for targeting consumers with the purchasing power.

By utilizing Pinterest Analytics, businesses can gain valuable insights into their audience’s preferences and behaviors, enabling them to reach the right people for their goals and grow their presence on Pinterest effectively.

Step 6: Engaging with the Pinterest Community

Creating Boards Relevant to Your Niche

When setting up a Pinterest business account, adopting a niche board strategy is highly recommended, especially for businesses aiming to establish authority within a specific field. This strategy involves creating boards that are strictly relevant to your business’s niche, ensuring that all content is directly aligned with the brand’s focus and expertise. For instance, a company specializing in web design would not include boards about unrelated topics like holiday decor. By maintaining a niche-specific approach, the Pinterest Smart Feed becomes more targeted, resulting in higher engagement levels from followers who are genuinely interested in the niche.

However, this strategy may slow down the growth in follower count and monthly views since the content pool is narrower, but these metrics are less critical compared to the quality of engagement and the authority established in the niche. Businesses, particularly those in B2B sectors, find this approach effective as it sharpens their profile’s focus and attracts a more relevant audience.

Repining, Commenting, and Interacting to Increase Visibility

Engagement on Pinterest is not just about posting content but also interacting with the community. Engaging with other users by repinning their content, commenting on pins, and participating in discussions can significantly increase a business’s visibility on the platform. Encouraging users to comment on your pins and promptly responding to these comments fosters a two-way communication channel that enhances customer relations and builds community.

Moreover, utilizing the ‘save’ feature allows users to save pins to their boards, which can extend the reach of your content. Paying attention to which pins are saved frequently provides insights into audience preferences, guiding the strategy for future content creation. Another effective engagement strategy is encouraging users to share ‘tried-it’ photos that demonstrate them implementing ideas or using products found on Pinterest. This not only serves as social proof but also inspires other users to interact and engage with your brand.

Additionally, businesses should consider joining and contributing to group boards. Group boards can amplify the reach of pins as they are shared among all members of the board, thus exposing your content to a broader audience. When managed correctly, participating in group boards can lead to increased traffic and follower growth, contributing to the overall success of the business on Pinterest.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can effectively engage with the Pinterest community, increasing their brand’s visibility and fostering a loyal following.

Promoting Your Content with Pinterest Ads

Ads on Pinterest are highly effective for businesses whose products and services align well with the platform’s popular categories such as home décor, cooking, fashion, beauty, and handmade goods. To initiate advertising, one must have a Pinterest business account, which provides access to the “Create ad” button for setting up campaigns.

Setting up Promoted Pins

1. Creating Your Ad: After logging into the Pinterest business account, one can start by selecting the “Create ad” option. This leads to choosing “Automated Campaign” for streamlined ad setup.
2. Defining Campaign Objectives: The next critical step involves selecting the campaign’s objective, which could be driving more sales or increasing ad clicks. This choice determines the campaign’s billing method.
3. Selecting the Pin: Users then choose a pin for promotion, which can be an existing pin from their boards or a new creation. This step includes entering the pin’s name and specifying the URL to direct traffic to.
4. Geographic Targeting: Advertisers can specify areas for ad display, ranging from “All US locations” to specific countries, regions, and metros, tailoring the ad’s reach to desired audiences.

Utilizing Keywords and Geographic Targeting

Keywords

Keyword targeting is pivotal in reaching an audience actively searching for related content. It involves selecting relevant keywords to ensure the ad appears in search results and related pins. This targeting method allows narrowing down the audience to those interested in specific topics like digital art and illustration. Incorporating a significant number of relevant keywords enhances ad impressions and search visibility.

Geographic Targeting

Geographic targeting places ads in front of people based on their location, which is crucial for businesses serving specific areas. Options for targeting include country, region, metro area, postal code, or designated market area (DMA). For more precise targeting, advertisers can pick specific locations under the “Locations” setting and drill down to metros or postal codes of interest.

Keyword Match Types

Match Type	Summary	API Parameter
Broad match	Ads show for your keyword and related search terms, including misspellings and synonyms. Word order varies.	BROAD
Phrase match	Ads appear on searches including the specified phrase or close variations, maintaining the word order.	PHRASE
Exact match	Ads display on searches matching the exact keyword or close variations, where word order matters.	EXACT
Negative phrase match	Ads won’t show on searches containing the entire keyword phrase. Word order is considered.	PHRASE_NEGATIVE
Negative exact match	Ads are excluded from searches exactly matching the keyword. Order is crucial.	EXACT_NEGATIVE

This table outlines the different keyword match types available for Pinterest ads, enabling advertisers to fine-tune their targeting for optimal ad performance.

By leveraging promoted pins along with strategic keyword and geographic targeting, businesses can significantly enhance their visibility on Pinterest, driving more engaged traffic to their content.

Conclusion

Throughout this comprehensive guide, we have explored the essential steps and strategies necessary for setting up and optimizing a Pinterest business account, from the initial creation process to engaging with the Pinterest community and promoting content through Pinterest Ads. Each step is designed to ensure that businesses can effectively establish their presence on the platform, reaching and resonating with their target audience through visually appealing and strategically curated content. By taking advantage of Pinterest’s unique features such as business-specific analytics, website claiming, and targeted advertising options, businesses are well-equipped to enhance their online visibility and drive meaningful engagement.

The journey through setting up a Pinterest business account highlights its significance in the digital marketing landscape, offering a unique avenue for brands to showcase their products, connect with an engaged audience, and leverage visual marketing tactics for growth. For those ready to take the first step or seeking to refine their existing presence, the structured approach detailed in this guide serves as a critical blueprint. Further exploration and application of these strategies can unlock the full potential of Pinterest for business growth. To embark on this journey or for a comprehensive review of the process, one can find detailed guidance on [how to set up a Pinterest business account here](https://business.pinterest.com/getting-started/), paving the way for businesses to flourish on this dynamic platform.

FAQs

1. How can I create a Pinterest business account? To set up a Pinterest business account, simply visit Pinterest’s website and follow the registration process specifically for businesses. This will involve filling out details about your business and setting up your account accordingly.

2. What are some tips for beginners using Pinterest for business purposes? Beginners looking to use Pinterest for business should consider the following strategies:

• Develop a clear Pinterest marketing strategy.
• Pin content that is engaging and visually appealing.
• Experiment with various Pin formats to see what works best.
• Organize your content into well-planned boards.
• Optimize your Pins with SEO to increase visibility.
• Explore different Pinterest advertisement options.
• Monitor your performance through Pinterest’s analytics.
• Actively promote your Pinterest profile to grow your audience.

3. What distinguishes a Pinterest business account from a regular account? A Pinterest business account offers exclusive access to marketing tools such as advertisements and analytics that are not available with a standard account. These tools are essential for achieving marketing objectives and gaining in-depth insights into your Pinterest activities.

4. Is there a cost associated with having a Pinterest business account? No, creating a Pinterest business account is free. It is suitable for all types of businesses, from local startups to large corporations, and provides a user-friendly platform to engage with a global audience.