Marketing

Is Pinterest the Best Choice for Marketing Your Books? Here’s What You Need to Know.

Pinterest has become a powerful platform for book creators, offering an evergreen way to showcase work and engage new readers. However, diving into a new marketing platform raises questions. If you're an author, illustrator, publisher, or e-commerce seller considering Pinterest, here are some essential questions and practical steps to help you understand if Pinterest is right for your marketing goals.

  • What Can I Gain from Marketing My Book on Pinterest?

    Pinterest offers book creators an incredible opportunity for lasting visibility. Unlike other social platforms where content fades quickly, Pinterest pins can keep drawing engagement for months, even years, after posting. As a visual search engine, Pinterest reaches users actively looking for specific ideas, genres, or content like yours, helping you connect with an audience that’s already interested in what you have to offer. Plus, it’s more than just visibility; Pinterest allows you to highlight the process behind your book, your unique inspiration, and your themes, building a brand that resonates deeply with readers. Think about the type of audience you want to reach and how your work can visually tell a story that captivates and inspires them on Pinterest.

  • Is My Target Audience on Pinterest?

    Pinterest is a perfect space for book creators aiming to reach parents, teachers, librarians, homeschoolers, and avid readers. The platform has a vibrant community that eagerly seeks inspiration, education, and creative content, making it especially powerful for creators in children’s literature, YA, nonfiction, and visually rich storytelling genres. To make the most of this, take some time to explore Pinterest demographics and audience insights to see how your genre aligns with the interests of its users. At Pin Lit Marketing, we’re here to help you evaluate these insights so that your books connect with the right readers and potential buyers on Pinterest.

  • How Much Time Should I Dedicate to Pinterest?

    One of Pinterest’s greatest advantages is its evergreen nature, meaning your content doesn’t require daily posting as it might on other platforms. Instead, consistency is key: creating a few well-optimized pins each week and engaging with trending topics in your niche can yield long-term results. Start by setting aside just 1-2 hours each week to plan and create pins. As you see what resonates with your audience and your content gains traction, you can adjust your schedule based on the results. This approach keeps your presence steady and manageable while maximizing reach.

  • How Can I Best Use My Book’s Visual Elements on Pinterest?

    While visual appeal is essential on Pinterest, don’t worry if your book isn’t filled with illustrations—there are plenty of ways to create captivating pins. Text-based pins, such as quotes, reviews, behind-the-scenes insights, or even mood boards, can all effectively spark interest and drive engagement. To get started, identify 5-10 unique visual elements related to your book, like key settings, memorable character quotes, or central themes, and turn these into pin ideas. You might create “chapter teasers” or graphics that showcase inspiring quotes or imagery from your book, giving potential readers a taste of what they’ll find within its pages.

  • Can Pinterest Help Me Build My Brand?

    Pinterest is an ideal platform for sharing far beyond just your book covers. By posting behind-the-scenes glimpses, insights into your creative process, or educational content, you’re able to build authority in your niche and create a memorable brand that resonates with your audience. To get started, list three unique elements of your creative journey or brand—these could be aspects of your writing style, the inspiration behind your stories, or themes you’re passionate about. Use these as the foundation for your Pinterest boards and pins, ensuring that each post aligns with your values and speaks directly to the readers you hope to connect with.

  • What’s the Investment for Setting Up a Pinterest Strategy?

    Getting started on Pinterest is free, but many creators find that using promoted pins adds value by reaching larger, more targeted audiences. However, to make the most of your Pinterest strategy, an investment of time is also needed to create consistent, high-quality content that engages viewers. Start by posting organic pins to see what resonates most with your audience. If you notice certain pins gaining traction, consider running small-scale ads to further boost their reach. At Pin Lit Marketing, we can help you design budget-friendly strategies tailored specifically to book creators, ensuring your content reaches the right readers.

  • What if My Platform Isn’t Growing as Quickly as I’d Hoped?

    Achieving success on Pinterest is a gradual process, as it can take weeks or even months for pins to gain traction and become fully indexed by Pinterest’s search engine. The key is to remain patient and consistent with your efforts. To stay on track, regularly review your Pinterest analytics to measure growth and understand what content resonates most with your audience. Use your top-performing pins as inspiration for future content, keeping your strategy responsive to what works best. At Pin Lit Marketing, we’re here to help fine-tune your approach along the way, ensuring your audience remains engaged and your goals stay within reach.

Pinterest is a powerful marketing tool, especially for book creators looking to establish an evergreen presence online. By addressing these questions and implementing a consistent, strategic approach, you’ll be equipped to decide whether Pinterest aligns with your goals. Pin Lit Marketing is here to support you every step of the way, helping your books get the visibility they deserve!


Pin Lit Marketing is the premier Pinterest strategist for books, blending literary insight with unmatched expertise in captivating young readers. Your new audience awaits! Sign up for a Fit Call today!

 

Unbranded Searches Make Pinterest Anybody’s Game

Last week, while attending a Pinterest managers round-up meeting, the speaker commented that 97% of the searches on Pinterest are “unbranded.” Dang! That’s an impressive percentage of users, but what does that mean for authors, illustrators, and book creators everywhere? 
 
An “unbranded search” is a detailed description of a Pinterest user’s desire for exploration. These searches reflect how Pinterest users behave on the platform. Here’s what Pinterest has to say about this:
 

Such a high percentage of unbranded searches is a strong indication that Pinterest users are on the platform to seek inspiration and discover new ideas.

 
Anticipating unbranded search trends does require a bit of finesse, but the effort is well worth it. For example, some topics are seasonal, such as “Earth Day”, “Hanukkah”, and “Back-to-school”. Other topics like “middle grade nonfiction books about space”, “early literacy for toddlers”, or “gift books for baby showers” are on-going topics, searched as the Pinterest user sees fit. 
 
The ultimate challenge for us all is to anticipate the needs and desires of our intended audience. All we must do is discover ways that our books, programs, and products might inspire, educate, or encourage them. And then creatively create graphics and concise context that will help them find us on the platform. Build it and they will come, right?
 
The fun never, ever ends! For sure.
 
Need help with your presence on Pinterest? Like an unbranded search, we’re here whenever you need us.
 

Lasting Reflections Of Self Expression: The Idea Pin

We’re so excited to announce the Second Annual Pinterest Pals Summer Reading Book Club is off and running! The Landing Page is launched. Clients’ video and static organic pins are scheduled on my platform and Tailwind. We’re even making our mark over on Instagram. Now, we have one more aspect of the campaign to create – The Idea Pins. The Idea Pins I made for last year’s campaign have brought in over 7K impressions, thus far (Which means that over 7,000 sets of eyes landed on them! Yay!). I’d like to double that number this year.

With Idea Pins, we discover ways to inspire, educate, and inform our audience with videos, stills, animation, text overlays, and audio. Once known as the Story Pin, the intent of Idea Pins is to tell the story of you. They’re evergreen flickers of color and movement revealing who you are, what your stories are about, and ways your audience can build a relationship with you. Imagine constructing something original, genuine, lasting, and wildly creative that doubles as a marketing tool. Cool, right?

Please be our guest and tour the Pinterest platforms linked to the Second Annual Pinterest Pals Summer Reading Book Club Landing Page. There you will discover how a poet, a historian, a writing coach, a yogi, a literary activist, and others are telling their stories with Idea Pins.

Contact me if you want to know more about building a Pinterest platform founded on you and your authentic messaging. Let’s explore creative ways to enhance your reach with Pinterest.

Also, you conference planners, consider adding Pinterest to your marketing panel discussions. Your attendees will be very glad that you did.