Pinterest is the most important platform for all bloggers out there. I drive 98% of my blog traffic from Pinterest. Today, I want to help you elevate your game with these 8 Pinterest pin design tips to create click-worthy content (without resorting to clickbait).
Pinterest isn’t a difficult platform; you just need to understand it and be patient. It is also a way better investment of time than social media because pins are evergreen. This essentially means a pin you create today can still perform years from now, whereas social media posts die down within hours.
You might wonder, “Steph, why should we listen to you?” Fair question. To that, I say I am currently on a 300k monthly views streak, and I broke 2 million views during my peak season.
That being said, Pinterest is a visual search engine, aka it matters how your pin looks. So let’s get into my top pin design tips, shall we?
This post might contain affiliate links i.e. I will get a small commission if you purchase an item through them. Your support means the world to me ♥.
Pinterest Pin Design Tips For Bloggers & Creators
1. Pinterest Pin Size
Let’s start with the basics. Design pins with a 2:3 ratio, i.e., 1000 x 1500 pixels, to utilize your visibility and optimize your real estate.
Simply go to Canva and create a Pinterest pin (or alter the existing templates). The size will automatically be correct.
2. Design For Fast Scrolling
I have a little fun exercise for you:
- Take 10 minutes and fast-scroll Pinterest
- Stop when a pin catches your eye
- Now evaluate said pin – why did it make you stop?
- Was it the color, the font, or the layout?
Here is the takeaway: if it makes you stop, it will also make others stop. It gives you an idea of what you should be aiming for with your Pinterest pin designs.
3. Let’s Talk Branding
Unpopular opinion incoming: I don’t believe in sticking to your brand style on Pinterest. Yes, I have a color palette/fonts for my blog, newsletter, Etsy, etc. But my Pinterest is wild.
I have seen numerous successful bloggers who don’t stick to branding on Pinterest, and they reach millions of monthly views.
Do NOT:
- Narrow yourself to a few colors
- Limit yourself to three fonts
- Stick to a few layouts
However, you still want people to recognize YOU. My suggestion:
- Add your website URL/logo on each pin you design. Do not make it the main character of the pin. I simply put my website URL at the bottom of each pin.
4. Don’t Be Afraid Of Color
Pinterest is a sea of neutrals. So, my logic says, a bright color will immediately grab someone’s attention.
Soft pinks have historically performed well on the platform. I don’t suggest you throw out neutrals and pinks; however, I suggest a little experimenting.
I am in the middle of one such experiment. Because I, too, am a neutral-only girlie. Lately, I’ve been tossing bright yellows, blues, etc, into the mix. I’ll let you know how that pays off.
5. Text Is Crucial
Your text is the main character. I believe in making my text the center point of my design. I will rarely place focus on the image I use. For me, it is all about the text and the colors.
Mix. Up. Your. Fonts.
Fonts should draw attention and emphasize keywords. I use 2-3 fonts per pin design. Let me make your life easier by sharing my all-time favorite fonts:
- Apricots – This is the most legible and aesthetic cursive font.
- Hatton – But ONLY in bold.
- League Spartan – It is legible and stands out immediately.
- Mistrally – Another cursive font, but I only use it for adjectives.
- Abril Fatface – This is actually one of my brand fonts.
- Greycliff – Easy to read and simple
- Poppins collection – Easy to read and simple
- Playlist Script – Another legible cursive font
Limit Your Word Count
Don’t go writing essays – no one is gonna read them. Keep your pin design limited to fewer than 10 words, 5-8 being the sweet spot.
Remember, people will literally just glance at your pin for a split second. Keep it simple and scannable.
Use Styles To Emphasize
We are back to keywords. Choose 1-2 words on your pin that encompass what your blog post is about. Those words need to look different.
For instance, if you write a post on how to create a vision board, then ‘vision board’ should be in a different font, italized, bolded, or have an added effect. I love using the ‘splice’ effect on Canva to capture the essence of my posts.
Extra tip: Use color blocks behind text to make them stand out more.
Don’t Go Cutesy - Readability > Looks
I know how easy it is to fall into the aesthetics. If it looks pretty but no one can read it while scrolling at lightning speed, it’s useless. Also, no one wants to squint to make sense of it – make the text section as large as possible.
6. What About The Pictures?
Like I’ve said, text is more important than pictures. But the pictures tie the whole thing together. Use the photos on Canva or download from Unsplash for uncopyrighted pictures.
I try not to spend too much time on this. My criteria start and end with:
- Does it make sense for the blog post? You can’t exactly use a hiking picture in an ‘activities to do at home’ blog post.
- Does it contribute to the color palette I want to use? So if I am in the mood for a purple design, I’ll use a photo of a woman in a purple sweater.
7. Listicles and Step-By-Step Style Content
If you are not already, use listicle, tutorial, or step-by-step content to boost clicks. It gives your content an organized, scannable feel.
Yes, I know we want to keep readers on our blogs for as long as possible. But full transparency? I only read the headings when I look at articles. I rarely read the paragraphs. So I write my content with this in mind.
8. Don’t Overthink It
Sometimes your pins will flop, and that’s okay. We all have our struggling pins, and it is not necessarily your fault. The algorithm is a part of pin performance, but I believe that luck of the draw is also at play.
Here is my tip: Create multiple pins for the same post. Space out the uploads of that pin (that has the same URL destination) throughout a couple of weeks to avoid Pinterest flagging you as spammy. Chances are, some of these posts will flop while others soar.
Examples Of Pinterest Pin Designs
Here are two pins of what you should do and what you shouldn’t do to summarize my Pinterest pin design tips:
Conclusion
That wraps up my Pinterest pin design tips. It is all about creating a click-worthy pin that stands out and catches attention in a split second. The truth is that what works on Pinterest changes constantly, and the only way to determine what really performs best is to experiment.
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Have a great day wherever you are in the world!
Love, Steph ♥
