Your Pinterest bio is important!
I know you landed here because you want to grow your followers and attract perfect-fit clients on Pinterest, right?
If yes, you’ll want to craft a Pinterest bio that is clear, compelling, and optimized for search.
So in this post, I’ll be helping you do just that!
Specifically, I’ll be covering: (Pssst… You can click to skip to any section.)
Ready to get your bio working for you? Let’s do it.
And I want to start with something fun…
Pinterest bio examples: Makeover style!
Before we jump into the ‘how-to’s, I want to share two “Bio Makeovers” that I posted about recently. For each one, I want you to take notes of the “before” (not so good for Pinterest) vs. the “after” (so much better for Pinterest!)
As you read them, you may wonder, “What makes the second bio more optimized for Pinterest?”
You might even be thinking that the “before” sounds a little like your bio – and that’s okay. It just means you’re in the right place today. 🙂
By the end of this blog post, you’ll understand EXACTLY what goes into an effective Pinterest bio. And maybe you’ll make some little (but impactful) adjustments to yours!
Okay, let’s look at the bio makeovers…
Pinterest bio example 1: for a midlife health coach
Before: “Health coach & content creator obsessed with slow aging and nutrition. Living in the midwest. Wife, Mom of two humans and a fur-baby.”
After: “Midlife healthy living coach. I help you stay strong, increase energy, and slow down aging! Pinning about workouts in your 40’s & 50’s, midlife nutrition & more.”
Pinterest bio example 2: for a dating coach
Before: “Dating & Relationship Coach. I help ambitious, high-value women use modern dating strategies to find love. Based in SoCal. 12+ years experience as a pro matchmaker. Dating columnist for Allure magazine.”
After: Dating coach helping professional women navigate dating in your 30’s & 40’s. Let’s find your partner – & relax and have fun doing it! … Former pro matchmaker pinning about online dating profiles and tips, dating after divorce, relationship advice & more.
Okay. What did you observe?
Well here’s what’s REALLY good about the second bios (the “afters”) in each example above.
✔️ The “after” bios aren’t about the Creators / marketers. Each one is about the person who’s reading the bio – the potential follower or client. It’s immediately clear ‘what’s in it for her’ – and why she wants to pay attention.
✔️ The niches and expertise of these Creators are clear. They STAND OUT in a sea of other coaches in their respective spaces.
✔️ The language speaks directly to the pain points and desires of the ideal audience.
(For the dating coach, she knows her audience is stressed about dating, and they desperately wish they could relax and have fun doing it. The midlife health coach knows that her pinners really want to feel energetic and younger!)
And this last one is key… 😉
✔️ Both bios include keywords that Pinterest pinners are actually searching for. These creators did research to learn what was being searched – and they incorporated those keywords into their bios. (Can you spot them?) More on how to add keywords below…
Okay, now that you’ve seen some Pinterest bio examples (and hopefully you’re excited to craft your own!), let’s dive into the “how-to’s.”
Let’s start with…
What should I write in my bio for Pinterest?
By definition, your bio should include (a) who you are – and (b) what you do.
But here’s the thing…
Your bio isn’t about you. (Or it shouldn’t be.)
As demonstrated in the examples above, you want to write this to describe who you are – in the context of what you can do for your audience.
By focusing on why your pinner should care (about you and your pins), you will be tapping into a known phenomenon in human behavior: People really only pay attention when something seems relevant to them.
So if we want people to pay attention, be motivated to hit that follow button, and want to learn more from us… We have to make it about them.
This is true on all platforms, but it’s more pronounced on Pinterest. Why? Because pinners come to Pinterest for “me time.” They are seeking inspiration and ideas to improve their own lives. They don’t come to Pinterest to be social. So they’re naturally scanning for ideas that feel relevant to them.
So whereas, on social media you may want to include some “fun” details about you – on Pinterest, we want to prioritize the “why they should care” part.
Make sense?
Okay, let’s move on to the next section, where we’ll look at how to optimize your Pinterest bio to get found by the right people. (Juicy!)
(Pssssst…. You can 📌 pin this article for reference to your “Pinterest marketing” board:)
How do I optimize my Pinterest bio?
Okay, so we know to include who we are and what we do – in the context of how we serve our audience.
The second hallmark of a strong Pinterest bio is that it is optimized for search.
What does that mean? Pinterest is a search and discovery platform. So our goal as marketers and creators is to get discovered by people who are searching for what we offer and create.
Example: The midlife coach from the example above might want to get found in searches for things like:
- increase energy
- slow down aging
- workouts in your 40’s & 50’s
- midlife nutrition
And if those phrases sound familiar, it’s because they are in her bio! 🙂 (The “after” / good version!)
So maybe you’re starting to see the second part of this process, which is to…
Include 3 to 5 keyword phrases that your target audience is searching on Pinterest – to your Pinterest bio.
There are four specific places on your profile where I suggest you use keywords. And your bio is one of them! This will help you send the right messages to Pinterest about what your account and pins are all about. This will, in turn, help Pinterest show your profile and pins the right people. (The right people will be action-takers, because they are already searching for what you offer!)
(I teach a step-by-step method for finding the right keywords for your niche. You can learn it in my course, Pinterest with Purpose. Or, you can book a 1:1 strategy call so I can teach you some of the basics!)
It’s all coming together now, right?
Your Pinterest bio should be:
- About you and what you do – in the context of what you do for your audience; and
- Optimized with 3 to 5 keyword phrases that your audience is searching for around your offers and content.
Okay…
Lastly, I want to answer a couple of FAQs that I’ve received about bios… Some basic bio 411!
Is there a Pinterest bio character limit?
Great news here… In 2022, Pinterest increased the number of characters we have to work with in our bios! (Yay!)
Now we can include up to 500 characters in our Pinterest bios. (Prior to the change, 160 characters was the old maximum.)
Keep in mind that you don’t have to use all 500 characters. (500 is a lot. My current bio uses about half that.) Also, only the first 140-ish* characters will show in the default view on desktop.
*Note: Pinterest’s UI changes a lot, so this number is current as of when I’m writing this.
Where is the bio on my Pinterest profile?
Ahh! Great question.
Your Pinterest bio appears right underneath the name of your profile, and above the “follow” button. This is similar on both desktop and mobile.
To edit your Pinterest bio, you can go to the three dots in the upper right and go to Settings >> Public Profile. Here you edit your bio (among other elements of your profile!)
In summary…
Your Pinterest bio is just a little snippet of text – but it’s important! The good news is that – once you get it right – it’s not something you have to re-write often.
Be sure to include the following when you craft yours:
- Who you are and what you do (in the context of what you can do for your audience!)
- 3 to 5 of the top long-tail keywords you’d like to be discovered for on Pinterest
Ready to learn more? If you’re an online coach or service provider, a great place to start is by learning my 5 Secrets for Using Pinterest to Get Clients.
I reveal them all in my FREE Masterclass, and you can access it below!
In this free and valuable session, I’m pulling back the curtain on how to use Pinterest the right way.
You’ll learn how to…
- Ditch the overwhelm that comes from aaaaaallll the Pinterest advice you’re hearing.
- Know what to focus on – and what not to waste your time on – so you can generate a steady stream of quality, targeted leads for your offers.
- Set yourself up for long-term, consistent sales – and even for success with those passive income offers you’re planning!
- Figure out what your ideal clients are really searching for – and get them to pay attention to you – on Pinterest!
Ready? Sign up here – for FREE! Add your name and a good email address, and I’ll send you access!
How would you write a bio for people who only do affiliate marketing?
The examples above dont really apply since we’re not teaching or
helping anybody.
Oh, really great question Valentia! I would venture to guess that you DO actually help people and /or teach something. Most successful affiliate marketers do. So for example, maybe you focus on affiliating for products for new moms. In that case, maybe you position yourself and your content as helping new moms navigate and enjoy the toddler years… and your products and affiliate-monetized content focuses on that. Just an example, but that’s how I would approach your bio (and your positioning statements in general). People are much more likely to pay attention if you show them there’s something in it for them. That will help you increase visibility and make more affiliate income.