How to Grow Your Email List With Pinterest

Do you have an engaged audience on Pinterest? Wondering how to get your Pinterest followers onto your email list?

In this article, you’ll discover how to promote your email opt-in via your Pinterest profile, boards, and pins.

Begin With an Email Opt-In That Provides Value to Your Ideal Audience

The first step is to create an email opt-in (also known as a lead magnet), which is a free resource you provide to your audience in exchange for their email address. Your opt-in can be anything that provides value to your audience, such as an eBook, template, video, multiple PDFs in the form of a resource library, mini-course, free trial, and so on.

The key is to give your audience a simple and actionable solution to their problem. For instance, if your target audience is frustrated stay-at-home moms who need more time for their freelance writing business, create a PDF with quick, simple daily writing prompts and goals.

Opt-ins help you build authority and trust with your audience. As you become more familiar with their needs, you can set up a resource library as your opt-in. Your audience will get access to multiple resources in one area and they don’t have to sign up again for new offerings.

Once you decide on your opt-in, you need to create a landing page where they can sign up to receive it.

Planoly has their landing page on their homepage. Visitors have to provide their email address in exchange for the free service.

You can also design a freestanding landing page with your email marketing provider (MailChimp, as an example) that leads to a content library or a single opt-in.

Once you’ve created your opt-in and have a URL for your landing page, here’s how to convert your Pinterest audience into email subscribers.

#1: Add Relevant Keywords and Your Opt-In to Your Pinterest Profile

You want to attract your ideal audience to your Pinterest profile so the people who sign up for your email list are truly interested in your opt-in.

Pinterest is a search engine, meaning if you want your profile to be found in search, you need to use keywords that are relevant to your audience and niche. You can also add the URL to your opt-in to your profile description.

To illustrate, Angie Gensler uses relevant keywords in her Pinterest account name and description, and offers her audience a free resource directly in her profile.

If you add this information to your profile, when someone finds you in search, they’ll know what you do and how you can help them. Thus they’ll be more likely to join your email list to learn more.

Think of your Pinterest profile as a business card. While not everyone will want to take your card, it’s better to have a few in your back pocket in case someone asks for one.

#2: Share Your Opt-In on Applicable Pinterest Boards

Pinterest boards are another place to direct your audience to your email opt-ins. Simply add the URL to your opt-in to the descriptions of any boards you believe your audience will find helpful.

As with your profile, use keywords that are relevant to your audience and niche. This will make your boards easier to find and they’ll pop up in search when someone is looking for those particular keywords.

Create 7 to 10 boards with keyword-rich descriptions and titles, and add your relevant opt-ins to each board description. Make sure to avoid keyword stuffing and write your descriptions as though you’re talking to a human.

To find relevant keywords for your boards, type in a few search terms that describe your board, “how to,” and “for beginners,” and Pinterest search will autofill keyword suggestions.

Use these terms in your board titles and descriptions so it’s easier for users to find your email opt-in.

#3: Use Text Overlay in Pin Designs to Highlight Your Opt-In

You’ll also want to add your email opt-ins to relevant Pinterest pins. For example, if you’re sharing a blog post that has an opt-in in it, be sure to highlight the opt-in on your pin designs. This is the best way to grow your email list with Pinterest because you’re giving your audience double the value: a blog post and a freebie.

Because Pinterest is a visual platform, your pins need to be eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing to get the most repins and click-throughs. You can create pins with an image tool like Canva, which offers a variety of Pinterest templates with the correct pin dimensions.

Use text overlay in your pin images to intrigue your audience. In addition to selecting terms your audience will be searching for, also choose text that will resonate with them or pique their interest.

You can ask a question to evoke curiosity or give a solution to the problem your audience is having without giving it all away in the title. Also let people know what they’ll receive if they click through the pin (your free opt-in).

To find words and phrases that spark an emotional response, use a tool like the Advanced Marketing Institute’s free Headline Analyzer. Type in the text you want to use in your pin, select your niche from the pop-up menu, and click Submit For Analysis.

You then see a score based on the emotional marketing value of your words.

Play around with your phrasing and keywords to find out what resonates best with your audience. Your pin’s goal is to grab their interest so they’ll click through to your blog post and opt into your freebie.

#4: Link Your Pin to Your Opt-In Landing Page

Another way to use Pinterest pins to grow your email list is to create a pin in your favorite design tool, and instead of linking to a blog post that has your free opt-in, link directly to your landing page.

Sending your audience directly to your opt-in landing page helps reduce distractions and increase conversions because your audience is only seeing your opt-in. You can track these conversions in your email provider.

What do you think? Did you learn a few new ways to use Pinterest for growing your email list? What are your favorite tactics for building your email list? Let me know down below in the comments section!