The Secret to Viral Pinterest Pins: How to Spot Them and What to Do When It Happens!
In the world of social media, going viral is often seen as the ultimate achievement. For platforms like TikTok or Instagram, virality usually happens fast—within hours or days of posting.
But Pinterest is a different beast altogether. Here, virality can be slow-burn, sometimes taking weeks, months, or even years for a pin to catch fire. But when it does, the results can be astonishingly rewarding.
If you’re a blogger or online entrepreneur, mastering the art of viral Pinterest pins can be a game-changer for your traffic and brand. However, recognizing when a pin has gone viral, understanding the factors that contributed to its success, and knowing what to do next are crucial steps in maximizing the impact of that virality.
Let’s dig into how to identify a viral Pinterest pin, what actions to take when your pin goes viral, and how to set yourself up for success to increase the chances of it happening again.
4 Ways to Make a Pin Go Viral!
Before diving into how to identify and leverage a viral pin, it’s essential to understand what makes a Pinterest pin go viral in the first place. Pinterest is a unique platform that functions more like a search engine than a social network. It’s driven by visual discovery, where users search for inspiration, ideas, and solutions.
1. Quality Visuals
The first and most obvious factor is the quality of your visuals. Pinterest is a highly visual platform, and pins that stand out usually have high-resolution images, eye-catching colors, and clear, easy-to-read text overlays. Canva and Adobe Spark are popular tools for creating such images.
2. Relevance and Timeliness
Your pin’s content needs to be relevant to your target audience and ideally, it should tap into current trends. For example, a pin about holiday recipes is more likely to go viral if posted a few months before the holiday season. However, evergreen content that remains relevant year-round also has a strong potential for viral success over time.
3. Engaging Descriptions and Keywords
The description of your pin and the keywords you use are crucial for discoverability. Pinterest’s algorithm relies heavily on keywords to match your pin with users’ searches. Crafting a compelling description that includes strategic keywords will increase the likelihood of your pin being surfaced to the right audience.
4. Consistency and Patience
Virality on Pinterest often rewards consistency and patience. Regularly pinning and engaging with the platform boosts your overall visibility. And remember, Pinterest is a long game—what doesn’t take off immediately could still go viral months or even years later.
How to Identify a Viral Pinterest Pin
Spotting a viral pin is not always straightforward, especially because Pinterest virality can occur gradually. However, there are clear indicators that your pin is gaining significant traction.
1. Spike in Impressions and Saves
One of the first signs of a viral pin is a noticeable spike in impressions and saves. Impressions refer to how many times your pin has appeared in users’ feeds or search results, while saves indicate that users have added your pin to their boards. A sudden increase in these metrics suggests that your pin is resonating with a broader audience.
2. Increased Click-Throughs to Your Website
If your pin is linked to your blog or website, you might notice a surge in referral traffic from Pinterest. Google Analytics is a great tool for tracking this. When you see a significant increase in traffic from Pinterest, especially from a specific pin, it’s a good indication that it’s going viral.
3. Sustained Growth Over Time
Unlike platforms where virality is often short-lived, a viral Pinterest pin can continue to grow in popularity over time. If you notice that a pin is consistently gaining impressions, saves, and clicks over weeks or months, it’s likely gone viral—or is on its way.
For example, a Christmas-themed pin might not see much activity until November rolls around, at which point it could skyrocket in popularity. Similarly, a pin about organizing your home might gain traction during spring cleaning season, even if it was posted the previous year.
What to Do When Your Pin Goes Viral
So, you’ve noticed that one of your pins is going viral—what’s next? Maximizing the impact of a viral pin can significantly boost your blog traffic, brand awareness, and even sales. Here’s what you should do:
1. Capitalize on the Momentum
When a pin starts gaining traction, it’s crucial to capitalize on that momentum. First, ensure that the link attached to your pin leads to a well-optimized page on your website. If it’s a blog post, make sure it’s up-to-date and provides high-quality content. Consider adding a call-to-action (CTA) that encourages visitors to explore more of your site, sign up for your newsletter, or purchase a product.
2. Create Related Content
Use the success of your viral pin as inspiration to create related content. For instance, if a pin about “10 Easy Keto Recipes” goes viral, consider creating more pins and blog posts around keto tips, meal plans, or shopping lists. This strategy not only provides more value to your audience but also increases the chances of additional pins going viral.
3. Engage with Your Audience
Engagement is key to sustaining virality. Respond to any comments or messages that users leave on your pin. This interaction signals to Pinterest that your content is valuable and active, which can further boost its visibility.
4. Analyze and Replicate Success
Take the time to analyze why your pin went viral. Look at the image design, keywords, description, and timing. Understanding these factors will help you replicate the success with future pins. If possible, try testing variations of the viral pin to see if different approaches (like changing the text overlay or pin title) can drive similar results.
How to Maximize Your Chances of Creating a Viral Pin
While there’s no surefire formula for creating a viral Pinterest pin, certain strategies can increase your odds. Here’s how to set yourself up for success:
1. Focus on Evergreen Content
Evergreen content—topics that remain relevant over time—has a higher likelihood of going viral on Pinterest. Think “How to Start a Blog,” “10 Healthy Recipes,” or “Best Productivity Tips.” These types of content are always in demand, which means your pins have a longer shelf life and more opportunities to gain traction.
2. Design for Pinterest’s Best Practices
Pinterest favors vertical pins, ideally with a 2:3 aspect ratio (e.g., 1000 x 1500 pixels). Use clear, high-contrast images and make sure any text overlay is easy to read, even on small screens. Eye-catching colors and fonts can also make your pins stand out in crowded feeds.
3. Leverage Trending Topics
While evergreen content is crucial, don’t overlook the power of trending topics. Pay attention to seasonal trends, holidays, and current events, and create pins that tap into these popular themes. Pinterest’s own “Pinterest Predicts” report can give you insights into emerging trends.
4. Optimize Pin Descriptions and Keywords
As mentioned earlier, the description and keywords are critical for your pin’s discoverability. Use Pinterest’s search bar to find popular keywords related to your content, and incorporate them naturally into your pin’s description. However, avoid keyword stuffing—Pinterest favors descriptions that sound natural and provide value.
5. Be Consistent
Consistency is key on Pinterest. Regularly pinning—ideally daily—keeps your account active and increases your chances of pins being seen. You can use scheduling tools like Tailwind to maintain a consistent pinning schedule without having to be online constantly.
The Long Game: Patience Pays Off
One of the unique aspects of Pinterest is that virality can happen long after a pin is posted. Unlike the instant gratification often associated with TikTok or Instagram, where posts go viral within hours, Pinterest is more of a slow-burn platform.
A pin you posted months or even years ago can suddenly gain traction and go viral, especially if it’s seasonal or evergreen content.
This is why patience and persistence are so important on Pinterest. Don’t be discouraged if your pins don’t take off right away. Continue to create high-quality content, pin consistently, and optimize your pins with relevant keywords.
Over time, these efforts can lead to viral success, sometimes when you least expect it!
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As always I’d love to hear from you – let me know in the comments below any tips and strategies you’ve used to help make your pins go viral!
