New Update: Boost Social Proof with Reviews & Automation
New Update: Boost Social Proof with Reviews & Automation
Trying to figure out how to get followers on Pinterest? When I first started, my pins barely got any saves or clicks. But after testing different strategies, I found a few that consistently grow followers every single week.
In this guide, I’ll show you the exact tactics I use to attract the right audience on Pinterest, from running viral contests to optimizing your pins for search. Follow these steps and you can turn Pinterest into a steady source of traffic and sales.
Before you work on getting followers on Pinterest, it’s smart to understand who’s actually using the platform today. Pinterest’s audience has shifted in the past year, and knowing these trends will help you create the right pins for the right people.
When you know exactly who you’re trying to reach, it’s much easier to grow your followers with content that feels relevant to them.
Your Pinterest profile is the first thing potential followers see. If it isn’t clear who you are and what you share, people won’t click that follow button.
Start with your profile name. Add one or two keywords that describe your niche, like “Sarah | DIY Home Decor” or “Healthy Eats by Marco”. Update your username so it matches your brand name as closely as possible. This helps you appear in Pinterest search results.
Next, rewrite your bio so it clearly explains the type of pins you share and why someone should follow you. Keep it short and specific. For example, “I share quick recipes and meal-prep ideas for busy families. Follow me for dinner inspiration every night.”
Finally, add a clean profile photo or logo that reflects your brand. If you have a brand color palette, use it here for consistency.
Pinterest is a visual search engine. The better your pins look, the faster you’ll grow followers.
Design vertical pins using Pinterest’s recommended 2:3 aspect ratio (1000 x 1500 pixels). Lifestyle photos work best, especially when they show your product or idea in context. Avoid overly busy graphics and hard-to-read fonts.
Consistency matters just as much as design. Aim to publish at least 3–5 fresh pins per week. If you’re short on time, use a scheduling tool like SEMRush, Tailwind, or Buffer to queue your pins for peak posting times.
Pinterest works just like a search engine. If you want your pins and boards to show up in search, you need to use the right keywords in your titles and descriptions.
Start with your boards. Use clear, descriptive names that match what people are searching for. For example, instead of calling a board “My Recipes”, name it “Healthy Dinner Recipes for Busy Families.” This makes it easier for new followers to find your content.
Next, optimize your pin descriptions. Include relevant keywords naturally and add a short call-to-action like “Click to try this recipe tonight” or “Follow for more quick DIY projects.”
Not sure which keywords to use? Try typing a few words in the Pinterest search bar and see what suggestions pop up. These suggestions show you exactly what people are searching for right now. You can also check the “keyword bubbles” that appear at the top of search results for extra ideas.
If you want to get followers on Pinterest fast, a viral giveaway is one of the best ways. People love the chance to win something valuable, and you can require them to follow your account or share your pins as part of the entry.
The easiest way to do this is with RafflePress. It’s the best WordPress giveaway plugin and lets you launch a Pinterest contest in minutes—no coding required.
Pricing: Starts at $39.50/year |
Free Plan / Trial: Free Lite version available |
Standout Features: |
🔹 Drag-and-drop giveaway builder 🔹 Pre-built Pinterest contest templates 🔹 Viral sharing and referral actions |
Rating: A |
Best For: Growing Pinterest followers quickly with giveaways |
Here’s why a contest works so well on Pinterest:
RafflePress gives you multiple entry actions, including:
Once your giveaway is live, you can embed it on any post or page or even launch a standalone giveaway landing page to share on Pinterest and other social channels.
Want to see the full process? Check out our guide on how to run a Pinterest contest step-by-step.
Group boards are a great way to expose your content to a larger audience and gain more followers on Pinterest. When you pin to a group board, everyone following that board has a chance to see your content, even if they don’t follow you yet.
Start by searching Pinterest for active group boards in your niche. Many board owners will include instructions on how to join in their board description. If they don’t, you can message the owner directly and ask to contribute.
Once you’re a contributor, add valuable, high-quality pins consistently. Don’t spam the board with unrelated content. Group board owners can remove contributors who don’t follow the rules.
Can’t find the right group board? Create your own! Invite a few trusted collaborators to start, and encourage them to invite others. In the instructions for joining, ask that people follow both you and the board before you approve their request.
Building your own group board takes more effort up front, but it can pay off by positioning you as a leader in your niche and steadily growing your follower base.
If you want to get more followers on Pinterest, don’t just post your own pins—start engaging with the content and people already getting attention. This puts your account in front of a wider audience and helps you build genuine connections.
Start by browsing Pinterest’s Today tab or using the search bar to find trending pins in your niche. Take note of pins with lots of saves and comments. These are high-traffic pins where your engagement is most likely to be seen.
Here’s how to engage strategically:
Don’t overdo it. Spamming dozens of comments in a short time can look inauthentic and may lead to more unfollows than follows. Focus on real interactions that add value.
If you already get traffic to your website or blog, make it easy for visitors to follow you on Pinterest and share your content with their own followers. Adding Pinterest buttons to your site can quickly turn casual readers into engaged followers.
Start with a Pinterest Follow button. Place it on your homepage, blog sidebar, or footer where it’s visible without being intrusive. When visitors click it, they’ll be taken directly to your Pinterest profile to follow you.
Next, add “Pin It” share buttons to the images on your site. This allows readers to easily pin your content to their own boards with a single click. Each time they share one of your pins, it expands your reach and helps attract new followers.
If you use WordPress, plugins like Shared Counts can add Pinterest follow and share buttons to your site automatically. You can also create a Pinterest follow button with Pinterest’s widget builder.
Adding these small touches can lead to a steady stream of new Pinterest followers over time as your content circulates across the platform.
If you want Pinterest to fully trust your account and show your content more often, you need to verify your website and enable Rich Pins. This adds extra information to your pins and helps your profile stand out in search results.
Start by claiming your website. This step adds your domain to your Pinterest profile and shows users that your content is authentic. If you use WordPress, you can add the verification tag easily with a plugin like All in One SEO (AIOSEO).
Once your site is verified, you can enable Rich Pins. These automatically pull information from your website (like product details, blog post titles, or recipe ingredients) and display it directly on the pin.
Rich Pins make your content more useful and clickable. Pinterest currently supports three types:
To enable Rich Pins, add the correct meta tags to your website (AIOSEO can handle this automatically). Then use the Pinterest Rich Pin Validator to confirm everything is set up correctly.
Verified websites with Rich Pins tend to rank higher in Pinterest search and gain followers faster because their content looks more trustworthy.
Posting consistently is one of the easiest ways to get more followers on Pinterest, but it’s not always practical to log in and pin every day. That’s where scheduling tools come in.
Start by figuring out when your audience is most active. Pinterest’s own data shows the busiest hours are typically evenings (8–11 p.m.) and weekends, but this can vary depending on your niche.
Use a scheduling tool to plan your pins in advance so they publish at the right times automatically. If you’re already using SEMRush to track your SEO, you can schedule pins directly from its social dashboard. Other options include Tailwind, Buffer, Hootsuite, and ViralTag.
Scheduling your pins helps you stay consistent without the daily time commitment. Consistency signals to Pinterest that your account is active and worth promoting, which can lead to faster follower growth.
Once you’ve optimized your Pinterest profile and built up some organic engagement, you can accelerate your growth with Promoted Pins. These are Pinterest’s paid ads that push your pins to a larger, targeted audience.
Promoted Pins look just like regular pins in the feed, but they’re shown to more people, even if they don’t follow you. This extra visibility can help you attract new followers and drive traffic to your website faster.
Start by promoting pins that already perform well organically. If a pin is getting saves and clicks without ads, it’s a strong candidate for a paid boost. You can set a small daily budget (as low as $5) and target specific keywords, interests, or demographics.
As your campaign runs, keep an eye on Pinterest Analytics. Track which pins bring in the most followers and engagement, then adjust your budget and targeting accordingly.
While Promoted Pins require an investment, they can dramatically speed up your follower growth when paired with the organic strategies above.
Growing your Pinterest followers doesn’t happen overnight, but it is possible when you use the right strategies consistently. By optimizing your profile, posting high-quality pins, and using tools like group boards, Rich Pins, and scheduling, you’ll build a loyal audience that engages with your content.
If you want to speed up your growth, try running a Pinterest contest with RafflePress. It’s the fastest way to get more followers and shares because people love entering giveaways. You can launch one in minutes with the drag-and-drop builder, no coding required.
Ready to get started?
Create your first Pinterest giveaway with RafflePress today →
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