How to create a Pin for Pinterest – Pin Design & How to post (for beginners)

How to create a Pin on Pinterest - Basic Rules

The question should be How to create a successful Pin on Pinterest.
Here a  few accepted 'rules' that make Pins more successful than others (but, of course, there are always exceptions):

• Pin should be vertical
• Image should have a lot of contrast
• Text should be contrasting on the Pin
• Write big enough for people to read
• Warm colors tend to do better
• No pictures of someone looking at the camera, unless it is a beauty shot

Here is an example about the importance of image quality that I shared in my 101+ tips about Pinterest Marketing :

Best Size for Pinterest Pin

To understand the choice of size, let's discuss the dispaly sizes for the Pinterest user's on their computers:

• Pins in the feed are displayed in the feed with a width of 238px (with your screen set up at 100%)
• If you click to open a pin in big - it shows at 735px in width

CONCLUSION - Your Pin should be at least 735px in width

• A classic portable computer will have 3 to 3.5 times this width to see the whole pin
• Vertical graphics do way better on Pinterest 

CONCLUSION - Your Pin should be minimum 1100px and maximum 2400px in height. Personally I don't go over 2100

IDEAL PIN SIZE

Their is no ideal pin size. You should adapt to your Text and your Image.
Set up a width at 735px and play with your height between 1100 and 2400px.

Below is an image with 3 different pins for the same article with different sizes. They are displayed with the same width so that your see the difference in proportions.

• In the first case, I had taken a picture with a lot of blue sky. So the basic size was enough for me to right my text
• On the middle picture the sky section was cut my the tower, so I needed place below to write my text but did not want to cover too much of the architecture, so I made my pin longer
• In the 3rd case, I wanted to present different photos of the palace and made my pin longer to do so.

NOTE 2018 - Pinterest has changed its display again - The long pins are now cut. Do not create longer than a ratio 700*1400 px

Video - Creating Pins in Canva - 3 examples

Here is a video of how I made the 3 pins above with the free version of Canva.com

Second Pin design starting at 4min28
Third pin design starting at 6min57

Biggest mistakes on Pin Design

The biggest mistake I see on Pinterest Pin design is people
writing the Pin Text based on what they know,
rather on what the Pinterest user knows

WHAT TO DO

Consider Pin design as the King of your Pinterest Strategy.
You need to step into the shoes of the user and where he/she is at in the journey of your subject.
What text will attract him to click on your pin.

EXAMPLE

in Travel, some bloggers don't right the country where a place is located.
- if they are writing for locals that fine
- if they are trying to attract readers that might be considering or planning a trip to that country, how are they supposed to already know that the places you are talking about is in that country?

How to Post on Pinterest

After you have created a Pin for your article, you still have to add it to Pinterest. 

So How to Upload pictures on Pinterest? Here are 5 methods to do so:

1. Use the Pinterest Extension

• Install the Pinterest extension for your Interest browser. Learn more here.
• Add the image to your post and
• From your article page, click on the extension, select the picture, make sure you have a description and select the board where you want it pinned

2. Use your Social plugin

Almost all plugins that you install to add share buttons to your post will include the share on. They might be displayed on the side or under the title, or at the end.

An alternative is the Pin it button that can appear as people hover on your image.

See a selection of plugin on my article about Pinterest tools

3. In Pinterest Add from website

This work like the extension.

• You are in Pinterest, you click on the + on the top right corner
• Select 'save from site'
• Enter the article URL
• Select the photos
• Make sure you have a description
• Add the appropriate board

4. In Pinterest  Upload photo

If you don't want your vertical images to appear in your article (for example a long vertical pin), you can upload the image directly to Pinterest:

• You are in Pinterest, you click on the + on the top right corner (as above)
• Select 'upload an image'
• Upload your image
• Enter article URL
• Click Continue
• Make sure you have a description
• Add the appropriate board

Happy Pin Designs!

PIN IT: