What to Pin on Pinterest? 9 Best Strategies for Beginners 2025

If you’re new to Pinterest and wondering what exactly to post, you’re not alone. Many beginners get stuck creating beautiful pins, only to see little to no traction. 

The truth is—Pinterest isn’t just a social network, it’s a powerful visual search engine. That means what you pin, how you pin it, and when you pin it all matter. 

In this guide, you’ll learn what kinds of content perform best on Pinterest, from niche categories to topic ideas, the types of pins that drive traffic and sales, and practical pinning strategies to grow your account from day one.

In short: this guide will help you to understand what works and what to skip in your pinterest marketing strategy that grows traffic and followers fast.

So without further ado, let’s get started with the topic.

Why Does Pinterest Content Strategy Matters?

Pinterest content strategy can decide your success rate, as following the wrong one can impact you harder with your time and efforts. That is why it’s important to do some research and create a good content and marketing strategy before creating and pinning on Pinterest.

Here are some points you should know before diving in.

Pinterest as a Search Engine, not Just Social Media

Most people think of Pinterest as just another social media platform, but that’s not true. Actually, Pinterest is itself a visual search engine where SEO matters a lot. This means you can rank your pins on SERPs and Pinterest if you know what you’re doing(optimizing).

Unlike Instagram or Facebook, content on Pinterest can continue driving traffic for months (even years) after it’s posted.

That is one reason why a good strategy can help you to succeed fast as your goal should be to satisfy user intent as we do it in the SEO field.

How the Right Pins Drive Traffic and Sales

if you’re able to create problem solving pins & content then that will help you to get traffic and sales with ease. yes creating pretty images aren’t enough, we have to solve the problems in our niche people are looking for on the platform.

Like you might have seen DIY or home decor pins on Pinterest getting good engagement and when you click on those pins they solve real-world problems or sell products that can solve the user’s problem. So think of Pinterest as a problem-solving marketing platform as I do and this will help you in the long run.

You’re each pin in your account should address or solve problems/suggestions of the users on the platforms.

Common Mistakes to avoid as beginners

I also made these mistakes when I first started pinning and most beginners fall into this trap where we post only personal pins, ignoring keywords and creating pins without having any purpose.

In Fact i posted pins in all the best performing niches that were my biggest mistakes I made back in 2018 to one of my accounts. For example, I created and posted pins in Home decor, then in food, and in multiple categories that made my account get low engagement.

So i recommend you to avoid these mistakes as these can ruin your efforts/time and in some cases money if you’re hiring VAs for pinterest.

Instead of focusing on multiple niches you should focus on one particular niche where you want to monetize your pinterest traffic.

Okay I hope this helped you to understand why researching and making a content plus marketing strategy is important before doing any work on pinterest. 

Now let’s discuss our main topic like what to pin on pinterest and i will break it down into all possible methods pro accounts use to get good results then i will try my best to further break them according to different niches. 

What to Pin on Pinterest as a Beginner?

Pinterest is a visual discovery platform, and that means your pins need to offer more than just pretty pictures—they need to provide real value.

So as a beginner, you should focus on pinning content that can help others solve their problems or get inspired from your pins.

You might have noticed on Pinterest most of the users came to get inspired in different niches, like people get ideas for food dishes, for home decor ideas, diy hacks and so on. so you can focus on this type of content where you market ideas to others.

To make it simple I have broken it down into what performs best, especially when you’re just starting out:

#1. Blog Posts (Your Own blog articles)

If you have a blog then, you can pin your own blog articles with compelling pin designs and keyword-rich descriptions as this is one of the obvious ways of pinning strategy.

Make sure your pin designs plus title should give viewers a clear idea of what problem your blog post solves. If your goal is to grow fast on Pinterest you can also pin other’s content(blog posts) if you don’t have articles written on that topic.

The key is to make clear and high-quality pins with easy-to-read titles so that people will engage with your pins.

The benefit of getting Pinterest traffic is that you can get high RPMs on your blog if you’re getting high tire traffic from Pinterest. 

#2. Product Pins (If You Sell Digital/Physical Products)

If you’re thinking of selling digital and physical products online then Pinterest can help you with that. Yes, selling digital products on Pinterest is the most effective monetization way where you can showcase your products with clean, eye-catching visuals.

You can link your digital/physical product store link in your pins so that you can redirect Pinterest traffic to your sales pages. I have noticed that Pinterest users often come with a shopping mindset, so good visuals + easy access = more conversions.

#3. Affiliate Pins (Direct Links or Bridge Pages)

Yes, you can pin your affiliate links under your pins either directly(if allowed by your program) or through bridge pages or add them to your own written blog posts. 

The key here is to provide transparency to your viewers, like you have to disclose your affiliate relationship in descriptions of your pins and ensure the content you’re sharing provides genuine value. 

Pro Tip: Don’t just sell instead try to explain why the product matters and then add affiliate links wisely. 

#4. Free Resources (Printables, Checklists, Guides)

Pins that lead to freebies (like a checklist, planner, or template) are huge on Pinterest. Yes if you have some sort of checklist, planner, or template that you can sell online it can be for any topic from blog planners to diet plans, Canva templates to topic-specific Guides, etc, you can pin them on your account.

They do not just encourage save and click, but they’re excellent lead magnets for growing your email list and then you can further monetize your email list with other pinterest monetization ways.

Use text overlays to clearly state what the resource is and how it helps.

#5. Infographics (Educational, Visual Value)

You might have noticed that most of the informational pins consist of infographics(information based graphis/pictures) and these pins get a lot of attention from viewers.

Yes from Business ideas pins to planners and checklists infographic pins are popular on Pinterest, because they turn complex info into a digestible, visual format.

So you can create infographics for your business and pin them on the platform and keep them tall (2:3 or longer aspect ratio), clear, and well-branded for the best results.

This can help you to increase your brand awareness, you can send that traffic to lead magnet for collecting email or try any other ways to monetize that traffic. 

#6. Quotes & Tips (Engagement Boosters)

Quotes and Tips are also really popular on Pinterest, and if you create a solid content creation strategy before pinning, you can get amazing results within your first three months.

So you can create quotes or tips on XYZ-type pins. Make sure to opt for brand building by selecting similar fonts, color schemes, and visuals for these types of pins.

What you can pin as a URL is your quote books if you sell one, or PDFs as digital products or blog posts to earn from display ads and affiliate links, etc to monetize your traffic.

#7. Tutorials or How-To Pins

Pinterest users love learning something new—whether it’s how to bake sourdough, design a logo, or set up a blog. So you can turn your expertise or hobbies into visual guides and link your how-to guide blog posts, or YouTube videos, to your pins.

Yes, on Pinterest, people consume such content—especially females who want to explore their potential, get inspired, and enjoy what they do—whether it’s DIY crafts, wellness tips, fashion ideas, or small business motivation.

#8. Seasonal Content (Holidays, Events, Trends)

Stay ahead of the calendar by pinning seasonal content at least 30–60 days in advance. On Pinterest, seasonal content is really popular as people come here for ideas like holiday gift guides, New Year resolution tips, spring cleaning checklists, and the same type of seasonal content.

You can use Pinterest Trends to know what seasonal trend is booming right now and plan content according to that. you can also use google and other research sources to know which event is coming and create your pins accordingly.

Pinterest favors content that’s timely and relevant, so tapping into these trends gives your pins a visibility boost.

so this type of content performs really well on pinterest and you can opt for all of these for your pinning strategy, as this will help you to grow fast on the platform and your audience will also love the overall resources you are providing to them.

But you might have a question in your mind about the niche categories, like what niche performs well for which type of content. So in this section we will break it down to make it understandable for a beginner business owner. 

Pinning Strategy by Niche

Every niche on Pinterest performs a little differently, so it’s important to design/plan your content based on what your audience expects and searches for.

Here’s how to create content that aligns with your niche while maximizing reach, saves, and click-throughs.

I tried my best to add examples for each niche so that you can understand it better.

What to Pin if You’re in the Health & Wellness Niche

I’ve seen on Pinterest pins on wellness tips, workout routines, mental health advice, healthy recipes, self care checklists, online health training and consultants are some of the best pin ideas you can opt for if you’re in Health and wellness niches.

You can also use the pinterest analytical feature to find out other health related topics as pinterest have a dedicated tab with the stats for this category.

For content type, you can link blog posts, infographics, digital products, and if you do training or consulting then you can your landing page too.

Try sharing bite-sized tips on fitness, clean eating, or stress relief in an easy-to-save format. Visuals should feel calming, clean, and trustworthy.

For Fashion, Beauty, and Style Bloggers

Create outfit idea pins, makeup tutorials, product roundups, and seasonal trend guides.

I suggest you create style boards on your Pinterest account, like ‘how to wear’ and then divide these boards into different fashion categories like “street fashion styles, vintage fashion style, etc”. This way you can easily build your brand on the platform and grow faster.

Make your visuals bold, branded, and scroll-stopping. Pinterest users love visuals they can replicate or shop directly from.

For DIY, Crafts, or Home Decor Accounts

You can go with step-by-step guides, before/after transformations, and themed DIY projects (especially seasonal ones) in these niches.

Try to create pin tutorials with materials lists, home decor ideas, and budget-friendly hacks. You can either publish image pins or video pins in these niches as both formats are equally popular on the platform.

Rich pins, carousel formats, and infographics also boost engagement in this creative space.

What to Pin for Online Coaches & Educators

Educational pins with frameworks, how-to graphics, and bite-sized knowledge work best-performing pins on the platform and get better engagement rates than normal pins. If you’re already a coach or planning to become one then you can go with roadmap pins, infographics and how-to guides like pins for your campaigns.

Create pins that can redirect Pinterest audiences to your webinars, free training, or sales funnel magnets like eBooks or checklists. Don’t forget testimonials and transformation stories—they build trust and drive conversions from Pinterest to your funnel.

Recommended: You can choose different coaching niches for your business or if you already do coaching then try to make it digital by using Pinterest.

For Affiliate Marketers

What an affiliate marketer can do is that he/she can create comparison graphics like “why i love this tool for xyz”, “abc tool vs xyx tool etc” and solution-based content that leads naturally to your affiliate offer.

Pin blog posts that include affiliate links or links directly where allowed. Always include a disclosure in your description and focus on being helpful, not salesy to the intended audience as this can help you to build trust.

Related Post: Learn how to do Pinterest Affiliate marketing without having a blog and this guide will help you to not get banned for direct affiliate linking.

For Small Businesses & E-commerce Stores

For ecommerce store owners creating high quality product images and videos with actual shots using the product, can be a good idea to start.

Then you can switch to image and cta based products once you have a good number of followers on the platform. Yes if you start with a CTA pin from day one then it can lose audience trust so give them what they want first and then you can add links to your video or image pins randomly after a few months.

Incorporate testimonials, how-to-use guides, or even behind-the-scenes brand content. Use keyword-rich descriptions and link directly to your product page or Etsy shop to turn pin traffic into purchases.

So these are some niche ideas to pin and promote so you need to understand your niche first and then make your pinning strategy according to that.

I hope this helped you with clarification on what to pin on Pinterest and which niche is best for what type of monetization way. 

How Often Should You Pin? My Simple Weekly Plan

I started pinning on Pinterest in 2018 and have grown multiple niche accounts to millions of impressions, especially since it’s easy to grow on a platform if you do niche research first before choosing any topic for your account.

Be Consistent

What I have noticed is that its algorithm changes periodically and what only is predictable is that consistency beats volume when it comes to Pinterest’s growth.

Whether you’re manually pinning or using a scheduler, having a simple and realistic plan helps you build momentum without burning out. Here’s how to balance fresh content, automation, and repins for steady growth.

Manual vs. Scheduled Pinning (Tailwind, Later, etc.)

Manual pinning is good for the best optimization of your pins and gives you control over many small things but it’s time-consuming.

I recommend beginners to stick to these methods as this will help you to understand what, why and how your pins are performing with your optimization strategies.

You should do this until you get the points like what your audience is linking in your account, your board optimization and the same as pin optimization strategies.

You can also use other Pinterest marketing tools to automate the pinning process but for new owners, i recommend you to stick with manual methods and understand the stats first.

Key Insights to Track While Pinning Manually

During this phase, pay attention to:

• Which title variations get more engagement
• How to craft pin descriptions
• Whether adding tags helps or not (both strategies can work)

On the other hand, tools like Tailwind or Later allow you to schedule pins in batches, maintain consistency, and use features like SmartLoop or auto-publishing to save hours every week.

Scheduling is the best way to stay visible without constantly logging in.

My Recommended Daily Pinning Strategy

So the best strategy is to pin 10 to 30 pins a day and make sure to divide pinning time into high peak engagement times as per your audience and their demographics.

Example:

• 30 pins/day = 10 pins, 3 times a day
• 15 pins/day = 5 pins, 3 times a day (ideal for beginners)

“Like divide 30 pins a day into 10 pins, 3 times a day, go and search on Google for the peak engagement data as per your target country and publish your pins according to that”  

“Or it can be 15 pins a day into 5 pins, 3 times a day, would be the best strategy to start with if you’re new and want to understand what your audience is liking.”

NOTE: Make sure to do Google search for the best time slots based on your target country’s demographics. You can use this search term “best time to post on pinterest in [US]”

Track What Works: Keep Records of Your Pins

Pinning in heavy numbers is not a good strategy, but pinning quality pins and understanding which optimization techniques are working at your initial phases is the best strategy so work on that.

While pinning and making your pin public, take screenshots/screen recording of your pins(title, descriptions, tags, urls etc) so that you can again go back to know why this/that pins performed well.

Do the same with your pinning timings like when you pin your content note the timing, and the engagement rates as pinterest users are highly active on some particular hours so this way you’ll get that data as per your account. 

My Final Thoughts

It’s simple tbh: Pin with Purpose, Not Pressure.

Pinterest’s success doesn’t happen overnight—but it does reward consistency, creativity, and smart strategy.

Instead of stressing about pinning perfectly, focus on pinning with intention. Every image, title, and description is an opportunity to connect with someone searching for answers.

Pinterest’s algorithm loves consistency, and consistency doesn’t mean you need to pin 50 times a day, rather you should focus on few quality pins as I mentioned in my own strategy above. And the most crucial part is to analyze and understand what types of pins are getting the most impressions, saves, or clicks.

Over time, you’ll identify patterns—certain designs, keywords, or content types that resonate most with your audience.

After getting that, you can move ahead and use other marketing tools for Pinterest automation but first, you need to identify what is working well for you and then apply those patterns with automation to save you time and efforts. 

For tool recommendations, I personally love to work on Canva for pin designs and Tailwind for automation so you can also opt for this combo. 

These are my final thoughts on what to pin on Pinterest and how to pin effectively to get fast results. 

So Pin Smartly doesn’t focus on quantity rather focus on quality.