Is Pinterest worth it for your business?

The short version

• Pinterest is where people plan: kitchens, weddings, gardens, meals, outfits, crafts.
• It suits businesses with strong pictures and a website full of ideas or products.
• Create a business account on a computer, or convert your personal account. Both are free.
• Claim your website, so Pins saved from it show your name and link back to you.
• Measure outbound clicks to your site, not just saves.

Who is Pinterest for?

Pinterest works differently from Facebook or Instagram. People don’t scroll it to see what friends are doing; they search it for ideas and save them for later. A Pin links to a web page, so a good Pin can keep sending people to your site long after you post it.

That makes it worth trying for businesses like kitchen and bath remodelers, landscapers, florists, bakers, wedding vendors, interior designers, and shops selling home goods or crafts. If your work is hard to photograph, or your customers need you today, Pinterest probably isn’t your first choice. Our platform guide compares the options.

How do I create a business account?

These steps come from Pinterest’s business account article.

Start a new business account

Pinterest says you can only create a new business account on a computer.

1. Go to pinterest.com and click Sign up at the top right. Log out of any personal account first.
2. Click Create a business account.
3. Enter an email address, a password and your age. The email can’t already be used by a Pinterest account.
4. Click Create account.
5. Complete Build your profile, then click Next.
6. Complete Describe your business, then click Next.
7. Choose whether you want to run ads, then click Next.
8. Pick a starting point, or click the x to go to your new account.

Convert a personal account

If you already use Pinterest for the business, convert instead. Your Pins and followers stay the same. Business accounts are public, so make sure the account is public first, and unlink it from any other Pinterest account.

1. Log in, click the more options icon at the bottom left, and select Settings.
2. Click Account management.
3. Next to Convert to a business account, click Convert account, then confirm.
4. Complete Build your profile and Describe your business, and choose whether to run ads.

In the app, tap your profile picture, then your profile photo at the top left, then Account management, Convert to a business account and Convert account. Pinterest says you can switch back to personal at any time.

How do I claim my website?

Pinterest’s claim your website article says claiming puts your profile picture next to Pins saved from your site, links those Pins to your profile, and shows you how often your content is shared. You must own the domain and be able to edit the site’s code. A website can be claimed by only one Pinterest account.

1. In your business account, click the chevron-down icon at the top right, then Settings.
2. Click Link to Pinterest.
3. Click Claim next to Websites.
4. Choose a method: add an HTML tag to your site’s head section, upload an HTML file to the site’s root folder, or add a TXT record to your domain’s DNS. Some accounts also see a Google Merchant Center option.
5. Return to Pinterest, enter your website address and click Verify.

Pinterest says DNS changes can take up to 72 hours. If someone else manages your website or DNS, send them the tag or record rather than your passwords; our help article on adding DNS records explains the DNS route.

What should I pin?

• Your own photos of finished work, products and ideas, each linking to the matching page on your site.
• Clear, well-lit images with your product or project easy to see at a glance.
• Helpful pages from your site, like a guide, a gallery or a recipe.
• Boards by topic, such as “Small bathroom ideas” or “Fall wedding flowers,” not “Our stuff.”

Only pin images you own or have permission to use. Our answer on using photos found on Google explains why.

How do I see what’s working?

Pinterest’s analytics article says Analytics needs a business account. On a computer, click the menu icon at the top left and, under Analytics, select Overview. Pinterest’s metrics include:

• Impressions: how many times your Pins appeared on screen.
• Saves: how many times people saved your Pin to a board.
• Outbound clicks: clicks that took people off Pinterest, such as to your website.
• Engagements and engagement rate: all interactions, and interactions divided by impressions.

Outbound clicks matter most for a business, because that’s people arriving on your site. Add UTM tags to the links in your Pins so Google Analytics shows them too; see measuring with insights and UTMs.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

• Pins that link to your home page. Link each Pin to the page that matches it.
• Using a personal account for the business. Pinterest’s analytics article says Analytics needs a business account. Claiming your website doesn’t strictly need one: Pinterest’s claiming guide says a business account isn’t required, only recommended to get the most from it.
• Claiming fails. The tag must be in the head section of the home page, and the file must be in the root folder, not a subfolder.
• Pinning other people’s photos as your own work.

How much does it cost, and how long does it take?

A business account, claiming your site and Analytics are free. Ads are paid. Setup takes roughly an hour (an estimate), plus whatever time DNS needs.

How does E-3 handle this?

If you’d like your website claimed on Pinterest, we can add the verification tag or DNS record for you, so you never need to share a password. We link your Pinterest profile from your site as part of our SEO and AI search service.

Related questions

• How do I switch Instagram to a professional account?
• How do I connect social profiles to my website and Google?
• Should I use stock or real photos?
• Back to the complete social media guide

Sources

1. Get a business account (Pinterest Help)
2. Claim your website (Pinterest Help)
3. Pinterest Analytics (Pinterest Help)