Last updated on 9th January 2024
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok…
There are a lot of social media networks out there these days. So you can be forgiven for letting Pinterest slip under your radar.
But with 443 million active users (at time of writing), maybe it’s time you start giving Pinterest your attention – especially if you’re into video content because Pinterest users watch almost one billion videos every day!
In this article we’re going to cover everything you need to know about Pinterest Video.
What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is self-described as a visual discovery engine, made for finding ideas and inspiration.
It’s a social media network that primarily enables image sharing – and now also video sharing – in the form of pinboards. Whenever you see something you like, you ‘pin’ it to your board.
The site was founded in 2010, so it’s well established as far as social networks go. And, at the time of writing, it’s worth almost $17 billion.
Is Pinterest still relevant?
So, at over a decade old, is Pinterest really still worth your time?
Well, it’s true that in terms of global active users it’s being beaten by more popular social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. However Pinterest still outranks many other sites in terms of popularity, including Reddit and Twitter.
If that’s not enough to convince you, in Q4 of 2021 Pinterest’s total revenue increased by 20%.
Plus, Pinterest tends to have a more ‘positive feel’ than other social networks. Facebook has seen a drop off in users recently due to privacy concerns, and a lot of the people that stopped using the site said they felt “Facebook was having a negative rather than a positive effect on their psychological wellbeing.” Meanwhile, a 2020 report found that 50% of UK users refer to Pinterest as an “online oasis”.
With all that in mind, it’s safe to say Pinterest is still relevant and may even become more relevant in the future as the landscape of social media shifts.
Why use Pinterest?
As we’ve already established, Pinterest is still a popular and relevant platform. But one of the best things about Pinterest if you’re a video marketer is that it’s a visual-first platform. It’s one more place to promote your video so you can increase engagement and ROI.
Not only that, Pinterest offers great visibility when it comes to video content. Videos autoplay in the Explore section while users are scrolling, and this movement can be really eye-catching and great for exposure.
The mobile app offers even more visibility with a scrollable banner of videos at the top of the search results page:
And even a watch tab (that seems to emulate the full screen autoplay style of Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts) dedicated to video pins:
And make no mistake, Pinterest users LOVE video. According to an article by Pinterest, views of organic video pins have been increasing an incredible 240% year on year.
What’s more, Pinterest rewards video creators for this engagement. If a user saves your video to their board then this tells the algorithm that your content is relevant, giving it a boost and ensuring even more people see it!
How to post a video to Pinterest
You can post videos to Pinterest in a couple of different ways. If you’ve already posted your video to a hosting platform, like YouTube or Vimeo, then all you need to do is click “share” and then hit the Pinterest logo:
Or you can use the Pinterest Chrome extension to pin anything on the web. After installing the extension just go to the site that’s hosting the video you want to share, and click the Pinterest icon:
Another way to share a video on Pinterest is by creating an Idea Pin. From you profile, tap the plus button and then select Idea Pin:
From there you can record a 60 second video:
And then edit the video to add text, stickers, and even a soundtrack. If you’ve used Instagram Reels or TikTok, you’ll notice it’s very similar:
So those are 3 ways you can share video content to Pinterest. However, if you want to improve your reach and gain insights into the success of your video content on the platform, then you’re probably going to want to get a business account.
How to create a Pinterest business account
Creating a Pinterest business account allows you to promote your videos and start building your brand presence on the platform.
It’s easy (and free) to sign up. All you need to do is visit the Pinterest Ads Manager and click “create business account”:
From there, you’ll be entered into a sign up flow where you can add more information about your business:
After signing up you have 3 options for what to do next:
Click “create ad” if you want to post a promoted video to Pinterest. And from there it’s pretty easy to upload your video:
Don’t forget to optimise your title, description, and thumbnail! Video adverts appear on the Explore page with a small “promoted by” tag below:
We could go into more detail, but this video about Pinterest Premiere does an excellent job of telling you everything you need to know in just 60 seconds:
How to get more views on Pinterest
1. Optimise your video
As with any online platform, it’s important to optimise your content to increase visibility. On Pinterest you can optimise your videos in a few different ways, but perhaps the most important is your thumbnail.
Pinterest is all about the visuals so you’re going to need an intriguing thumbnail that grabs the user’s attention away from all of the other pins on screen.
Here’s a good example:
This thumbnail ticks all the boxes. The bright colours attract attention and the text on screen tells potential viewers exactly what the video is about. It’s also somewhat of an action shot which can be a great way to draw viewers too.
Other ways to optimise your video include putting keywords and popular search terms in your video title and description.
You can also tag your video posts using relevant hashtags, just like on any other social media site:
2. Make sure you have a strong hook
One of the best things about posting videos on Pinterest is the autoplay functionality. This gives you a fighting chance of people watching the video you spent so long making. And the best way to increase those chances even further is with a strong hook, like this video that starts by showing a beautiful finished product:
By capturing viewers’ attention from the very first second you have a better chance of people clicking on your video, watching to the end, and then maybe even visiting your website or making a purchase.
3. Focus on aesthetics
Pinterest is ALL about the look so make sure your video is beautiful before you post it! Think about colours, lighting, and fonts. Here’s an example:
It’s clear that the person who posted this video has thought about everything in the frame. The colours complement each other. The camera angle is just right. This goes to show you don’t need to have textbook aesthetically beautiful content to make a video that looks good.
4. Add text
According to a report by Verizon, 83% of people watch all videos with the sound off (regardless of what device they’re using). That’s a huge amount of people that are probably going to skip your videos if they don’t see text or subtitles.
Videos like this one include simple text boxes that give context to the visuals and also help to keep viewers engaged while watching.
5. Add a great soundtrack and/or voiceover
Just because most people watch videos with the sound off doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to delight people who watch with the sound on!
Adding a great soundtrack and voiceover can really elevate your video, not only making it more engaging but more professional too.
6. Get the dimensions right
It’s important to stick to the recommended video pin dimensions so that your video looks great on Pinterest. Here’s a quick list of rules to stick to when it comes to Pinterest Video:
- Video length – minimum 4 seconds, maximum 15 minutes
- File type – .mp4, .mov or .m4v.
- Max file size – up to 2GB.
- Aspect ratio – Pinterest recommends making your videos square (1:1) or vertical (2:3 or 9:16)
7. Play to the strengths of the platform
People on Pinterest are usually looking for inspiration or ideas on how to do something, so educational content usually performs quite well on the platform.
It’s important to lean into this if you want to increase your views on Pinterest. Consider posting how-tos, demo video productions, or educational videos that people can pin to their boards and refer back to time and time again.
Final thoughts
Pinterest is an exciting platform for video marketers, and we hope the information in this guide helps you to increase engagement and boost the reach of your video content.
For more information on social media videos, or to create one of your own, click here to visit our Social Media Videos page.
