Perhaps you should focus your efforts on sites not so challenging.
I gathered blogging and social media experts and asked, “Do you think Pinterest is a valuable use of a blogger’s time for attracting blog traffic? If so, why?”
Consider these comments from readers:
Sorry, I do not use Pinterest.
I am only a blogger …… Rob Alberts
I have read your articles about Pinterest, and they are interesting, and I keep trying to understand Pinterest. I have lots of boards, but they are just for things I like. I really don’t get how it helps blogging stats, though. And I’ve heard scary things about pinning things…like getting sued for doing it!! So I haven’t pinned in a long time. Teleportingweena
I think it’s like most other platforms. We can’t be on all of them, but every time a new one pops up, everyone is writing about how great it is, and it’s the newest thing, and we all need to have an account. So I did with Pinterest as well, but I wasn’t comfortable with the whole thing in the beginning.
Long story and I won’t bore you, but I do get some traffic from there but not as much as other social media platforms, so I think I’ll stick with what’s working best for me at the time. ~ Adrienne Smith (as told to Beautifuldawndesigns)
In the beginning, I really wasn’t sure I’d ever recommend [Pinterest] to writers. It seemed too unwieldy, too demanding, and too overwhelming … really, it was just too much extra work. ~ T.O. Weller
Me: In February, Pinterest’s algorithm changed making it harder for bloggers’ pins to be put at the top of the Smartfeed. This lack of visibility makes it more difficult to get blog traffic from Pinterest, so I interviewed top blogging and social media experts.
Yes, Bloggers Should Still Use Pinterest
Yes! I personally believe that Pinterest is the easiest platform to build a unique audience and driver of traffic to your site based on the content and relativity. Anna Zubarev
Yes, I do think that using Pinterest to get blog traffic is a good return on time invested as long as the key success factors of Pinterest are integrated. Pinterest is often used to learn how to do things in a simple visual way so Infographics perform well. If you want your pins found it is important to not ignore the pin description. This must be full and descriptive so that people using Pinterest’s guided search will find your pins. Also, make sure that the web link is correct with your pin, and include the same pinned image when people click through. Pinterest can deliver very high click-throughs for bloggers, so keep up with the latest developments. Rich pins are just one example where Pinterest can enable bloggers to create a deeper experience for visitors and thus more attractive to click through. Clive Roach
Because Pinterest is the second largest social media site with 70 million users, and Pinterest has the longest shelf life of any social media site; it is definitely worth the time invested. ~ Beth Hayden
In my opinion, there is no single better way to promote your blog than on Pinterest. If used correctly, Pinterest can be more powerful than Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus combined. Every blogger must take the time to make his or her content pin worthy. Because when pins do well on Pinterest they will do pretty much great on every other social platform.
Pinterest is one of the quickest ways to draw attention to great content. Bloggers must sell their content through images; this is the key ingredient to success on Pinterest. It does not matter if your blog is not about arts and crafts, recipes, or DIY as long as you can create high-quality content and images that are visually appealing to readers.
It’s easier for bloggers to find their niche on Pinterest, unlike other social platforms where the fans and followers may not necessarily be interested in their niche.BrokeBloke
Social Media is becoming more and more visual and adding Pinterest to your social media strategy to reach and connect with your audience seems a no-brainer. ~ Carla Gadyt
Here’s what I think:
Pinterest’s algorithm change has made it harder for social media marketers to get their pins found by users, right?
Do I think that bloggers shouldn’t invest their time into Pinterest now?
No.
Pinterest has more than a 100 million active users. Not as big as Facebook or Twitter, but it can still be a great source of traffic.
And this algorithm only means that you should focus building your Pinterest following.
Work on getting more followers.
In conclusion, Pinterest is definitely worth the time invested. Canva has templates where you can just swap the graphics in and out and change the text. Fast. Julian Sakanee
Okay. Pinterest indeed made an algorithm change in February and has since made several changes that are primarily meant to help clean up the Smartfeed and also show more popular content than whatever has been posted. Pinterest is focusing on quality over quantity. And that’s why it has streamlined Group Boards such that only smaller group boards with more active collaborators are getting more exposure.
I know that I am getting more traffic from Pinterest despite the changes. Because I follow Pinterest Best Practice and anybody can learn more about that on the Pinterest website! There is so much to this topic but a whole lot can be found via my website http://juleskalpauli.com/category/pinterest-tips.
I find that every platform has tightened the doors to all and sundry sharing whatever they want, to promoting value content. Facebook reach is at an all-time low, on some people’s profiles nonexistent. Twitter canceled Social Share counts, Linked in Tightened the bolts on Groups, etc. Pinterest, on the other hand, is still open for sharing. It’s a sharing site really, so it cannot shut its doors to sharing.
Why should bloggers bother? Because of the lifespan of a pin as compared to a tweet or FaceBook Update. A pin’s half-life is 3.5 months..and comes into its own 6-7 months later. By then a tweet is long gone and buried. A FaceBook update may not even have been seen by anyone that matters… Does that make sense?
If you cross-promote your content, then you will have some re-shares of your pins and they will show up on the Smartfeed! And that means eyeballs months after you pinned them. Which social media platform does that? And that’s why Pinterest prefers to be called a Visual Search Engine than a social media platform.
So if anyone wishes to leverage Pinterest despite the algorithm changes, they can check out our Ultimate Pinterest Roadmap.
It’s an increasingly ‘pay-to-play’ world so bloggers and anyone else on Pinterest just have to embrace these changes as we do on other any social network. It’s inevitable – the networks always want to make more money and so will continue to monetize in any way they can. Algorithm changes are a key enforcer of this. Remember: platforms change but relationships stick. Create and nurture your engagement circles and this reach will stay forever, gradually compounding too. Experiment with promoted pins to gain fresh attraction and while that’s in place research, research, and research some more on how to beat the algorithm. It’s always a good idea to be on 3+ social networks in case anyone becomes too difficult to manage or is sold. You never know what the future holds. Make Pinterest one of your prime networks if you are typically selling to consumers, focused towards the female demographic and your product or subject matter is very visually appealing. Instagram should be equally as important to you. If not, stick with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for B2B [business to business] criteria while experimenting with Snapchat and platforms like Peach. Sam Hurley
Pinterest is still worth a blogger’s time because you don’t need many followers (i.e. a few hundred) to go viral. Marc Guberti
Yes – it is still worth it. You can dramatically increase traffic and readership through using Pinterest. It is a really useful tool that allows you to
access a wider audience and make an instant impact that encourages them to crave your content. Susie McBeth
Anonymous Pinterest is absolutely valuable for bloggers. Second only to Google. (The respondent wishes to remain anonymous.)
Yes, Pinterest provides the longest “shelf life” of any social media platform out there. Jeff Sieh
I actually have not been affected much by the algorithm changes on Pinterest. In fact, I have seen a lot of traffic and growth for my blog from the platform in the last two months.
Of course, it is not like the early days when Pinterest was not as crowded. It takes more to get noticed these days BUT it is not entirely impossible to get traffic from Pinterest for free.
As long as you are including great, click-worthy headlines backed by a super useful post and also stay consistent (I pin between 10-30 times per day to different group boards every day), you will begin to see results. My best advice is to KEEP AT IT and get better at your craft. You will see results eventually. Gertrude Nonterah
I believe that Pinterest is changing its algorithm to improve the quality of user experience, rather than to penalize bloggers per say. Hence, it is more than possible to still see huge results from Pinterest. As Pinterest has about 2 billion searches per month, it is definitely worth a blogger’s time to figure out what the new algorithm favors and get that traffic! Raelyn Tan
Maybe Pinterest Can Still Get Bloggers Traffic
I haven’t given up on it yet… but I also am not putting as much time into it since I haven’t seen a return on it lately. Hayli de Jong
What’s the Verdict? Should Bloggers Use Pinterest?
Observations: I wanted to interview bloggers of both genders since 85% ofPinterest’s user base consists of females.Even though Pinterest has a majority of female users, males, as well as females, expressed faith in the effectiveness of Pinterest as a traffic generator for bloggers.
In conclusion, this article’s introduction asked a question, “Would it be easier for bloggers to focus their efforts on a less challenging social media site?” I will answer the question I posed.
All social media sites want you to exert effort to succeed at their sites. They want you to exert the effort to be social.
For this reason and all the reasons the experts gave, the verdict is clear: Stay with Pinterest.
Readers, please share, so other bloggers know the value of using Pinterest to increase blog traffic.
If you are a Mostly Blogging subscriber, and you’d like to pin to our blog’s Pinterest Community Board, please let me know in the comments section.
Do you use Pinterest? How effective has it been in getting traffic to your blog? Do you think it depends on your blogging niche? I look forward to your views in the comments section.
I think it is time I did some serious learning about Pinterest – I am very random in the way I use it – well maybe random is the wrong word but, I don’t have any particular strategy. I need a printed book in my hand – I am crap with absorbing stuff written on a screen when it comes to learning. Anyone else like that? I need a physical BOOK! ? Gilly Maddison recently posted…Words To Inspire No. 1
Hey, Gilly, me too!! If if books are never printed again, I’d still prefer to use them!! They don’t disappear when a transformer blows! Melinda Mitchell recently posted…Tinier Tackle
Hi Gilly,
Thanks for commenting on Saturday’s blog post, my Pinterest interview.
You wrote you need a hard copy. I actually have a social media Ebook coming out in the next few weeks. Did I tell you about it? This sounds like it may be a good time to promote it, LOL. Thanks for the visit.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Successful Blogging: Do You Need Certain Qualities?
This was a fantastic post. I have really missed your experts post. It seems like there hasn’t been one for a long time. thank you for having one again.
Hi John,
It’s been the first one this year, and the year is nine months old! Thanks for noticing!
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
I completely disagree with your experts. For me, it’s a complete waste of time and effort. I don’t understand it. I can’t find the people I want to find and working on an iPad has its own problems – I couldn’t even upload my profile pic, my son had to do it on his laptop! I spent time trying to get to grips with it, but as I am a blogger not a business I am happy to let it go and concentrate on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Even this last is like walking through mud. The first two however are very rewarding.
Having just tried the iPad app I can see your point. Their mobile apps leave a lot to be desired. If that’s your only option its a tough choice to deal with it. But it can drive such great traffic… Audrey recently posted…Do Chua: Vietnamese Carrot and Daikon Radish Pickles plus Tasty Tuesdays
Hi Chris,
Nice to meet you.
I appreciate your comments on Saturday. Sorry I had an unusually busy week and couldn’t get by to greet you sooner.
I understand from your comments you are frustrated by Pinterest and Facebook and find both confusing. Next month I have a complete guide coming out on using Pinterest, not yet published. However, I do have a guide to how bloggers can get the most out of using Facebook, for free. Facebook constitutes a large portion of my traffic. Like you, I am a blogger and not a business. The article offers 31 ways bloggers can use Facebook to their advantage. I hope you will look at it. If even one of the tips assists you in getting traffic, or making new blogging connections, from Facebook, it might be worth a look. https://www.mostlyblogging.com/facebook-can-always-help-blog-better/
Thanks for the visit last weekend.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
Pinterest accounts for over 20% of my blog traffic and steadily increasing. I use a scheduler (Tailwind) and pin 15 pins a day, 5 mine and 10 of other people. I belong to a few groups and tribes that repin my pins and that’s where I pick up my other 10. It only takes me about 30 minutes a week and I’m seeing great results. And not just for my food blog or craft posts, but articles too. Like any social media, it takes a little time and research to develop a strategy but it is worth it.
Hi Audrey,
20%?! That’s remarkable! Congratulations! Thanks for writing to tell us Pinterest does have great potential to bring traffic to our blogs.
I do not blog about food or crafts. Do you have any links to tribes you can recommend for me?
Thanks, and thanks for the visit and comments last weekend.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
BBFFJ, you are such a resource!! I’m so glad I know you, and you are my BBFF!!
I can always depend on you to keep me in the loop of what to and not to do!
Thanks so much for all you do.
Your BBFFM Melinda Mitchell recently posted…strange struggle
Hi BBFFM,
What nice compliments! Thank you! You are my BBFF too! As you know, I am always happy to help. I’m so glad you find my blogging articles valuable resources.
Your BBFFJ Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
Hi Monique,
My apologies for my confusion last weekend. Of course, I know who you are. I don’t know if I was confused by the last name or if you changed your picture. At any rate, thanks for the comments and the visit on Saturday. You have been supportive of my blog. I’m sorry for the mixup.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
Pinterest has certainly helped my two blogs to get noticed. I never forget to share my work to my own Pinterest Boards and to a couple of others I judge to be useful in promoting my blogs.
Hi Bill,
Thank you for your comments here and on Facebook last weekend. I’m happy to hear Pinterest has been helpful to you in getting visibility to your blogs. Thank you for writing to tell us.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
I definitely use Pinterest for increasing traffic to my blog and it DOES work for me. Here is me profile there if it is ok for me to share it: https://www.pinterest.com/cwilson72180/
I have almost 1,300 followers on Pinterest. I have my blog verified on Pinterest and I get a load of traffic by using it. I get a ton of repins on many of my pins. I would share a screenshot of my traffic stats but I don’t know how to upload the screenshot.
I do believe if you use it right, it can bring in a lot of traffic. So, those who aren’t using it, really should start!
Hi Clarissa,
Thank you for writing to tell us about your success with Pinterest. I know how to put a screenshot in a comment I am leaving on my site, but I can’t remember how to put a screenshot in a comment on someone else’s site. Thanks for the testimonial about Pinterest’s value and for the visit to my blog on Saturday.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
I was surprised to see that I was on this post since I don’t use Pinterest but once here I saw how my comment was used. I know it’s a great site for SO many people but I just never got into using it myself and just recently closed my account. Way too much to keep up with but I’m thrilled that so many people love it and it’s benefited them greatly.
Hi Adrienne,
Thank you for providing the comments that helped me with my article. I didn’t link to you since I couldn’t find your blog. I believe it’s for sale. Did you stop blogging? If not, what is your new site? Thanks for your visit and your comments.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
Yet another powerful post, Thanks for the mention. Much Appreciated.
You are fast becoming my fav Blog to visit…Biased of course 😉
On a serious note, I find it hard to believe that highly intelligent bloggers are stuck on twitter or Facebook hoping for an improvement in their reach, when they could create awesome images, optimize them, pin them share others join a Pinterest tribe and have their blog post RANK in Search…What it could take years or never to do on Google, you can do via Pinterest with FOCUSED action…
I love that we all agree that Pinterest is pretty awesome. I love it.
Hi Julie,
1. Your comments were so nice, and they really meant a lot to me. Favorite blog to visit! High praise!
2. I have been meaning to tell you I admire your comments! They are always detailed and so full of thought! My comments are full of thought, but I wish I had more time to write more than I do.
3. Thank you for participating in my expert interview.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
Thanks for the blog i have not been using Pinterest at all but with this wonderful insights am just going to get started right away and grow my list. It seems like a nice investment every content developer should have.
Hi Chris,
My friend and blogger Jule Syl Kalungi quoted in the article has had wonderful results with Pinterest and teaches others how to use it. She maximizes it for monetary gain as well as high page views.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Successful Blogging: Do You Need Certain Qualities?
I appreciate this post because I was a bit late to the game with Pinterest but have been at it for a while now and have yet to figure it out! I’ll be coming back here for more tips. Jean recently posted…Fresh Peach Sheet Cake
I would love to have your readership Jean. Thank you. I actually have a complete guide to using Pinterest coming out at the end of September.
Thank you for writing me today.
Janice
I love Pinterest, a year ago I would have had about 80% of traffic from Pinterest. While the percentage has dropped, I am also not putting as much time into it. I like the points that Julie makes and the longevity of the pins. It sounds like your e-book is much needed and is going to be a great hit with bloggers.
Hi Janice,
I am also looking forward to your book. I was late to the game with Pinterest as well. It has, however, given me a good return on traffic and I’ve made some good connections through it too. I still don’t fully understand Pinterest and how to use it effectively, but I do what I can and it seems to work. I am excited to learn more 🙂 Jed Jurchenko recently posted…Clinging to Faith: How I Survived Body Dysmorphic Disorder’s Horror and Started Living
Hi Janice
I am finally trying to improve my Pinterest following.I can’t alwats use my laptop and there’s no app which is as good as Canva so my pins need work.
But I am working at it.Very useful post.Thanks for getting so many experts together for us to learn from
I would love to pin on the Mostly blogging board .How do I get an invite?
Hi Amrita,
Thanks for commenting on my article. You’ll get in an easy routine with Pinterest, I predict. I invited you to pin to our group board. Thanks for your interest.
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…Blogger’s Pit Stop #39
Thanks for the timely roundup! As with almost anything, this is probably niche-dependent. I think Pinterest is beyond valuable for some topics. Probably more than Google even. Anne recently posted…So, how to promote a new blog on Pinterest?
Hi Anne,
Thank you for commenting on my Pinterest article. Wow! More valuable than Google! High praise.
You said Pinterest is beyond valuable for some topics. You recently wrote, “How to Promote a New Blog on Pinterest.” What is your niche? Thanks,
Janice Janice Wald recently posted…How to Share Social Media Content & Get Traffic With Sniply
This article is filled with great Pinterest tips. I need to put more work into pinning this fall so I can do some trial and error testing. Thank you for these great tips. – Yolonda
I was just talking with Sparkey Jen on my blog. Topic was you and pinterest never done it need to and post about you and pinterest on my blog. 🙂 blessings Donna DeGuglielmo recently posted…8 Organic Lifestyles Explained Briefly
Hi, excellent guide. I got a lot of traffic from Flipboard. But, I don’t get any traffic from Pinterest. I don’t know what are the main fact. But your post have enhanced my confidence.
Thanks for sharing.