THIS IS HOW TO CREATE PINTEREST IMAGES THAT GET CLICKS!

November 25, 2016

This is how to create Pinterest images that get clicks!

This is how to create Pinterest images that get clicks! - A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. There are, of course, other attributes that contribute to the success of a pin. However, this blog post is focussed uniquely on the image itself, how to optimise it and maximise your chances of conversion. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins.

Be their next great find!

Want to show up in a positive space where people LOVE to discover new ideas? We help e-commerce and travel brands, generate brand awareness, traffic and qualified leads with Pinterest. Not reaching them there yet? Let's talk!

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The basic principles of highly pinnable images

Let’s start with the image guidelines provided by Pinterest in their guide Make great pins:

  • Use compelling, high-quality, high resolution images.
  • Use a vertical aspect ratio, 2:3 is ideal - 600 x 900 pixels is the ideal size recommended by Pinterest.
  • Add tasteful branding.
  • Consider text overlays for clarity.
  • Show them how. Feature how-to’s or step-by-step guides.
  • Show multiple products in a single Pin (max: 4).
  • Use real-life settings and models to show how your product or service can be used.
  • Focus on the object or objects you’re promoting. Avoid cluttering your image.

Research done by Curalate into the characteristics of a successful Pinterest image found that:

  • Images without faces get repinned 23% more often than images with faces.
  • Minimalist backgrounds work best. Images composed of 40 percent or more background receive 25-50% fewer repins.
  • Images with multiple, dominant colours receive 3 times more repins per image than those with a single dominant colour.
  • Predominantly red or orange images receive twice as many repins as predominately blue images.
  • Very light and very dark images are not repinned as often.

So, now that you know the basic principles, let’s take a look at some examples to see what works and what doesn’t.

Make them vertical!

Images are displayed in columns on Pinterest. If you want your image to stand out, a vertical format is the only way to go! Recommended width is 600 pixels. The maximum image size recommendation is a ratio of 1:2:8. Anything longer than a 1:2:8 ratio may be cut off in the feed and displayed with an “Expand” overlay. 

THIS IS HOW TO CREATE THE MOST HIGH-CONVERTING PINTEREST IMAGES! – A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins.

Uncluttered images with a clear message

Pins should be eye-catching and uncluttered. If using text, it should be simple and tidy. The image should have a clear message of what the reader will find when they click on the pin. Entice the viewer with a message that will make him or her want to click and find out more. 

THIS IS HOW TO CREATE THE MOST HIGH-CONVERTING PINTEREST IMAGES! – A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins.

Lighten up!

Most graphics tools enable you to lighten your image. Experiment with lightening your image and pick the best exposure and saturation. It can make a big difference to the success of your pin!

THIS IS HOW TO CREATE THE MOST HIGH-CONVERTING PINTEREST IMAGES! – A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins.

Font pairing

You can use different fonts on an image to make it stand out more. Use a light coloured font on a dark image and vice versa. Never use too many different fonts in one image. It is probably best to stick to a maximum of two fonts. The image text must be easy to read, so avoid overly decorative fonts, shadowed or 3D fonts. Beware that not all fonts go together. Generally, you should never pair fonts from the same font family (serif, sans-serif, script, decorative). If you want to learn more about fonts, I recommend Canva's ultimate guide to font pairing or 10 ways to pair fonts for maximum impact.

THIS IS HOW TO CREATE THE MOST HIGH-CONVERTING PINTEREST IMAGES! – A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins.

Examples of images with font pairing, spacing and character size issues vs images that use appropriate fonts, colour and spacing.

Show them how!

Images showing a product being used and how-to pins are extremely successful on Pinterest. Many of the images that go viral are those that show an item in action or that give helpful instructions. Showing your audience how to do something is a great way to increase clicks on your images. Take care to space out your images when you create collages.

Here are some great examples of both product demonstrations and how-to pins:

THIS IS HOW TO CREATE THE MOST HIGH-CONVERTING PINTEREST IMAGES! – A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins. | BornToBeSocial, Pinterest Marketing & Consulting | Your Pinterest Partner

Tools

You don't need to be a graphic designer to create beautiful images. There are many graphics tools out there that will help you create professional images very easily. I love the simplicity of Canva. One of my favourite chrome extensions is Eye Dropper. It allows you to pick the HEX colour codes from web pages by just hovering your mouse over it. It's a great way to pick colours for text on your image. I use compressor.io to reduce image file size. If you want to discover other visual content creation tools, head over to this excellent article by Buffer23 Tools and Resources to Create Images for Social Media.

Are people clicking on your images? Follow the guidelines above and watch your image click-throughs go up. It's time to get creative! Over to you!

Be their next great find!

Want to show up in a positive space where people LOVE to discover new ideas? We help e-commerce and travel brands, generate brand awareness, traffic and qualified leads with Pinterest. Not reaching them there yet? Let's talk!

Shopify Partner Logo
THIS IS HOW TO CREATE THE MOST HIGH-CONVERTING PINTEREST IMAGES! – A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins.

Sources:

2016 Ahalogy Media Consumption Study 

Kleiner Perkins' 2016 Internet Trends report

Blog du Modérateur - Où en est Pinterest sur le marché français ?

Mary Lumley - Conversion Focused Pinterest Marketing
This is how to create Pinterest images that get clicks!
Convert your pins into clicks! Here’s how to create images for Pinterest that will make people click. #PinterestMarketing #PinterestTips

A picture speaks a thousand words, especially on Pinterest. To attract attention, compelling images are key. Pictures that stand out in the feed are your currency on Pinterest. There are, of course, other attributes that contribute to the success of a pin. However, this blog post is focussed uniquely on the image itself, how to optimise it and maximise your chances of conversion. Here’s what you need to know to get people to click and share your pins.

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