4 Steps to Becoming Consistent with Your Pinterest Idea Pins

NOTE from Jana: In May of 2023, Pinterest announced that all Pins will now be called… Pins! 🙂 And we will now have ONE unified Pin builder. Using this builder, creators can create Pins with any combination of videos and still images.

So, Pinterest is no longer using the term “Idea Pin” to refer to a Pin that has multiple images and videos combined.

That being said… Most of the techniques and strategies that we’ve learned with Idea Pins still apply – when you’re creating Pins with video.

I’ll be working to update key blog posts to reflect the changes in terminology and strategy. But, for now, when you see the term “Idea Pin,” you can replace it with “Pins that use video.” Most of the best practices, tactics, etc, will still be relevant. Happy Pinning! 

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So you know Pinterest Idea Pins are ‘a must’ – because you really want to grow on Pinterest. (Yes, I see you! 🙂

You *deeply* desire that powerful, sustained, and targeted visibility that Pinterest can bring to your business.)

So you took a stab at a few Idea Pins… but they felt… well… odd for some reason. And you just haven’t been able to get *CONSISTENT* with creating them?

Well if that’s you, you’re in the right place. Because in this post, I’m going to cover 4 key steps – to truly become a consistent Creator of high-performing Pinterest Pins. 

I’ll cover… 

• How social media addiction might be derailing your Pinterest plan & growth 😳
• Systems that will support you in creating Pins consistently
• Gathering and assets you need for Pins – and keeping them handy 
• How Idea Pins can fit into your existing content workflows 
• A bonus strategy for repurposing your Reels, Tiktoks, etc onto Pinterest!

Ready? Let’s get consistent…

Step 1: Understand what to expect from Pinterest.

I almost called this section something like “Pinterest mindset yadda yadda…” but I was afraid you’d stop reading. 🤣 No one wants to start with mindset, I know… 

And there will be plenty of actionable strategy in this post, I promise… 

BUT, it is quite important to recognize this #HardTruth about Pinterest:

The things we looooove about Pinterest *also* make it feel different.

Here’s what I mean: 

We love that Pinterest is lower-maintenance (but still powerful). We love that time-consuming engagement isn’t necessary for Pinterest success.* 

(*Not like on IG, for example – where everyone is telling you MUST engage/comment/DM for 20 minutes immediately before you post… ugh #exhausting.) 

And we really love that sustainable, passive visibility that snowballs and gets easier and better over time with Pinterest.

But social media has trained our brains to look for those quick oxytocin hits.

We post. Then we start seeing “likes” and comments – and we refresh 23 times in an hour and watch those views climb… (Yup, I know you do that.) And this feels goooooood. 

But that’s NOT what happens on Pinterest. 

It’s often a ‘slow burn.’ So it feels different. 

It can takes days, weeks, even months, for a great pin to find its audience. (Or really, for them to find your pin – because it’s Pinterest. 😀) 

Some of our pins (not all – but some) end up generating views, saves, pin clicks, followers – months and years after we create them.  <<  And THAT is what is amazing about the platform. It is LITERALLY why Pinterest can create that juicy *passive* visibility that we’re after. 

And yet, our brains feel like there is something not quite right. 

Could it be because we are so accustomed to (addicted? 🙂 to those feel-good hormones that the social platforms have us hooked on? I’m thinking yes. 

This quote from James Clear sums this up very well: 

“Our preference for instant gratification reveals an important truth about success: Because of how we are wired most people will spend all day chasing quick hits of satisfaction. If you’re willing to wait for the rewards, you’ll face less competition and get a bigger payoff. As the saying goes, the last mile is always the least crowded.”

So step one is simply to BE AWARE of this dynamic. 

Be prepared to feel a little tugged toward immediate gratification. And don’t let it de-rail your Pinterest plan. 

Be ready to keep creating pins – even when you don’t see immediate results. 

(Or you can just give up now. And go refresh your IG views another 23 times. 🤪 Just kidding. Don’t do that. It’s not healthy.) 

Okay, I’m stepping off my ‘mindset’ soap box now. Here comes the strategy…

(Pssssst…. You can 📌 pin this article for reference to your “Pinterest marketing” board:) 

Step 2: Use a planner for your Pins – but leave room for fun, too!

You know I’m a fan of planners and workflows. Give me all the checklists!

Being organized – and having a planner to use – can truly be the difference-maker here. Getting (and staying) consistent is exponentially more likely when things are easy.

To get my own act together, I created a tool for planning and organizing Idea Pins: 💎 The Brilliant Idea Pin Planner. (Currently being re-vamped!) 

But… this part is important, too: 

You will ALSO want to make Pins fun! 

Yep. 🎉 FUN is the other factor that will seriously increase the likelihood that we’ll stay consistent. When we enjoy something, we tend to prioritize it, right? (Ya know… Humans are motivated by seeking pleasure – and avoiding pain/discomfort. It’s a thing.)

So my suggestion here is to find balance between planning your Pins – so they can be intentional and easier – and creating some in the moment – just because you feel inspired. 

This could look like…  

✔️ Using the Planner (or your own system) to plan out 5 Idea Pins for this month; and
✔️ Allowing for the possibility that you’ll supplement that with 2 more (ish) that you create when inspiration hits. 

So the main takeaway from Step 2 is: 

Use a Planner for your Pinterest Idea pins – but leave room for fun, too! Combining these two factors will help you become (and stay) consistent with Pins. 

Step 3: Gather & Organize your Pin assets.

Yay! More strategy! Actionable tactics, actually… 

I want you to gather your assets – and make them really accessible on your phone.

So what are Pin assets? Basically, I’m referring to the videos and images you will need to have to make creation easy and quick. 

And I have a few sub-tips to share here. This is not an exhaustive list, but it’s three things that I do to make all of this easy. (And remember: Easy will make consistent happen.) 

1. Batch create videos.

For me, this means I put makeup on, turn on my ring light, and assemble a bunch of outfits… (Plus a few different pairs of my oh-so-fashion-forward eyeglasses, and a few different pairs of earrings…) 

… and I spend a few hours loading up my phone with “stock” videos of me – doing random stuff. 

Sometimes I just work/type. Sometimes I look at the camera and make faces. (These will later be appropriately-paired with my content, based on the emotion I’m conveying. 🤣 You may have seen my funny faces if you follow me on Pinterest.) 

In any given session, I’ll record between 5 and 25 (ish) videos, ranging in length from just 7 seconds to two minutes (ish). 

My future self thanks me for this when it’s time to create an Idea Pin (that I planned in my planner) and I don’t want to put makeup on. 🙂 

If you create Pins that don’t always (or ever) feature YOU – then you can still use this tactic. Batch film on a day when you’re cooking (if you’re a food creator), or when you’re traveling (if you pin about your adventures), or on a shoot (if you’re a photographer)… and save those videos for later. It’s a great strategy. 

2. Create some Call-to-Action (CTA) slides and keep them on your phone.

This tactic has helped me to be consistent – not just with creating Pins – but also with *remembering* to always include a CTA slide. 

If you want your Pins to be profitable – you need to *almost always* (because no one is perfect!) include a CTA on your Idea Pins. So having them handy (ideally in a separate folder on your phone – call it something like “Idea Pin Assets.”) will be super-helpful. 

(If you’re not sure what CTAs work on Pinterest… where to add them… which ones to use when… I’ve got you covered. Idea Pin Brilliance features an entire set of lessons aaallll about CTAs that make your Idea Pins profitable.) 

3. Keep your brand colors on your phone, too.

This little trick (Shout out to my bud Heather Farris for teaching me this!) will help you be consistent in TWO ways. 

First, it will make Idea Pin creation easier. (And easier makes consistency happen. Have I mentioned that? 🤣 )

Second, it will help you keep your branding consistent on Pinterest – if that’s important to you. 

Heather grabbed a screenshot of her brand color palette – and added it to her “Idea Pin Stuff” folder on her phone. Now, when she’s building an Idea Pin, she uses the “color dropper” tool inside the builder on mobile to quickly snag the exact color she wants. She uses these colors for text overlays, stickers – or anything she’s adding to her pin! 

So smart, right? 

Okay, now on to Step 4… 

Step 4: Tack Pinterest Idea Pins onto your primary content workflow (e.g. blog, podcast, IG Reels).

FYI, this one is very much optional. 

There are so many ways to do content. This might resonate for you – or not, and that’s okay too! But it’s been really helpful for me – and for clients and students of mine.

If you already have a checklist of items that you do with each piece of content on your “main platform,” you could just add Pinterest tasks on there. 

So perhaps that’s your blog, or a podcast – or even Instagram reels. The place where you start most content. 

I’ll use your blog as example 1, and IG Reels as example 2. 

Example 1: Every time you publish a blog, you have a list of optimization and promotion items – so you can add a task called, “Plan three Idea pins based on the content in the blog.” And you can link to your copy of my Brilliant Idea Pin Planner – or to a system of your own.  

Example 2: Each time you publish an IG reel, you have a checklist to follow. Again, add an item that reminds you to download that Reel and use it to create a Pinterest Idea pin, too. Add all the steps you need to take. Check them off, and feel amazing! 

(Anyone else get a warm fuzzy feeling from checking items off as ‘done?’ 🙂 It can’t be just me.) 

I love this idea of adding Idea pins to your existing workflows – because it helps all my content feel cohesive, and makes it a lot easier to be consistent. 

Plus, it taps into another powerful habits-based idea that James Clear (and others) talk about: Habit stacking. JC 😉 says that one way to “build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do… and then stack your new behavior on top. This is called habit stacking.”

Habits for the win! 🙌🏽

Bonus Strategy: Don’t hesitate to repurpose your short-form videos to Pinterest!

You may have noticed that I mentioned taking IG Reels (you can do this with any short-form video content – YT Shorts and Tiktoks, too!) – and using them to create Pinterest Idea Pins. 

My last entry today is a powerful strategy: 

Don’t be afraid to repurpose your short-form video content onto Pinterest. 

This can help you to:

• Get more mileage from the video content you’re working hard to produce;
• Gives those Reels a chance to be discovered and re-discovered for month and years – by people who are searching Pinterest for what YOU help with;
• Help you be more omnipresent and diversified with where you show up; and 
• Hedge against the risk we take by adding content to platforms we don’t own (if you lose a social account, you’ve been building an audience elsewhere) 

Of course, it’s important that you repurpose in a way that is Pinterest-friendly. 

So be sure to learn what works on the platform (e.g. keywords) – so the effort you put into repurposing will have an ROI for you.