I highly recommend Pinterest for Etsy sellers – it’s my favorite marketing platform and new improvements are making it even better. I’m going to tell you exactly why I think it’s the best, how to connect your Etsy shop to your Pinterest account, and how to make the most out of the platform. I’ve included a free checklist at the bottom of this post with step-by-step directions on setting everything up!

How to use Pinterest as an Etsy seller - set up a business account, link your Etsy shop, reach more buyers, increase sales!

Setting up an Etsy shop and waiting isn’t enough. Actually, doing that is a major biz fail. Etsy is wonderful, but you don’t become a business by just opening a shop. You have to drive traffic from other sources to the platform if you really want your sales to grow – and if you want this to be more than just a hobby.

Why Pinterest?

Pins Live Longer than Posts

When you add content to Pinterest (a pin), it is similar to planting a seed. Water the seed, maintain the plant, and watch it grow! The sooner you get started on Pinterest the better. As your pins continue to get re-pins, your content reach gains traction. A product you pinned a year ago could lead to traffic today.

Posts on other social media platforms (I’m looking at you Facebook and Instagram) have a very short life. According to Copypress.com, the average life span of an Instagram post is about 48 hours but engagement starts to taper after 6. Facebook posts only last about 5 hours. Crazy, right? That’s why I love Pinterest for Etsy sellers – it’s like the gift that keeps on giving!

More Sharing, More Shoppers

On Instagram and Facebook, each person or business is primarily posting their content or products. Pinterest is great because other people are saving and sharing your work – that’s actually the whole point. This allows for even more eyes to see your Etsy items!

Ready to create your own Pinterest strategy and grow your Etsy traffic? Enroll in Begin to Pin and learn how to set up, automate, and grow on Pinterest.

It’s a Natural Fit for Products

People are familiar with using Pinterest for things like wedding planning, home decorating, and gift buying. If you have an Etsy shop, I’m guessing there’s a big chance that your items fit in a category that is already popular on Pinterest. Shoppers visit the platform for ideas and inspiration, so it’s a natural fit that your products be there.

Connecting Etsy to Pinterest

I definitely suggest having a seperate Pinterest account for your Etsy shop. Keep your personal account for workout routines and crockpot recipes, but create a new profile for your business (it’s free!). The business account gives you tools for detailed analytics and the ability to advertise, which you might choose to do in the future. I find the insights really helpful!

After you register using your email address, go to the three dots in the upper right on your Pinterest profile page  and choose “Business Account” from the drop down menu. You’ll be prompted to enter a business name and then asked to connect your Etsy shop. Click “claim” and authorize the app to access on Etsy.

If you’re connecting your shop to an existing account: on your profile page, go to settings (under the three dots drop down at the upper right), then click claim on the left. Next to Etsy, click the red “claim” button. It should redirect to Etsy and ask for permission to connect your account.

Setting up Pinterest for Etsy Shop

Setting up your Profile

I believe your profile photo on every platform should be the same (or very similar!) to promote brand recognition. Upload your brand photo and list your business name if you haven’t already. Add keywords to your business name that relate to your product as this helps people find you when searching!

Include your Etsy shop link where it asks for your website. In order to keep things simple, you can easily link to your Etsy shop by using “youretsyshopname.etsy.com”. I just feel like it looks more professional than using the backslashes.

Craft a bio under the About You section describing your shop and products, making sure to include keywords. As an example, my Etsy shop specializes in wedding invitations so I added related words to my profile while keeping with my brand voice. I recommend adding a call to action here as well, like “shop now”, “browse products”, “order a sample”, etc!

How to set up a business Pinterest account for your Etsy shop

Creating Pinterest Boards

Ready to flex that creative muscle? List 5-10 category ideas that directly relate to your Etsy shop. Depending on what you’re selling, these might be very different. Each category will become a board and they should complement your products.

Since I sell wedding invitations, I have boards related to wedding planning and inspiration. A few of my top boards are: wedding venues, bridesmaid inspiration, wedding color palettes, cakes, florals, and more! These were created because the content is related to what I’m selling. Someone browsing invitations would likely find these boards appealing as well.

Think like a shopper as you create your Pinterest boards. My first board is “Invitations” which is where all my product goes. Other boards should be related and support your Etsy items. If you’re having trouble brainstorming ideas for your board categories, see what other people in your industry are doing for some inspiration. Leave a comment on this post with the type of boards you create to complement your product!

Pinning

Start interacting! You can follow different topics and accounts related to your product – Pinterest will start populating your feed from there. Get started by adding at least 5-10 pins to each board you created. I recommend adhering to the 80/20 rule – pin 80% of your content/products and 20% from related niches.

Add pins from your Etsy shop by copying the URL of a product and clicking the red plus sign in the top right. You’ll be asked to choose an image and write a description. Remember to use keywords in your description – this is how you get found! Etsy will populate the pin with the price, your title, and description.

Using Pinterest to Promote Etsy Products

If you can spend about 10 minutes on Pinterest daily to begin growing your account. You might even find your own inspiration for creating new products there!

These tips are setting up the foundations of your Pinterest account. There is a lot more that goes into really taking advantage of everything offered on the platform, which I’m happy to go into detail in future posts. Leave a comment if you’d be interested in learning more about using Pinterest – how to use keywords and hashtags, creating a pinning strategy and using automation, tagging products, group boards, communities, analytics, ads, and more!

I’ve created Begin to Pin to take you step- by-step through setting up, automating, and growing your Pinterest account. Enroll now to get started and take back your time! Side effects include: a spike in Etsy traffic and sales and more time to focus on your craft, rather than your marketing.

Want more? I’m sharing these tips and more on The Creativeprenuer Podcast, comment below if you listen and let me know your thoughts!

Podcast on Getting Started with Pinterest for Business

Are you ready to get started with Pinterest account now?
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