Pinterest Strategy: Manual Pinning vs Scheduling

Published initially on Junelevenco.

This post will attempt to analyze one of the most important Pinterest marketing strategies: manual pinning vs. scheduling.

Lately, there has been much discussion about the pros and cons of manual pinning vs. scheduling.

Some people believe that a strict manual pinning strategy produces the best results.

While some absolutely swear by Tailwind.

Others, like me, use both strategies to achieve the best results.

But I have noticed during this period that one size doesn’t fit all.

In other words, one strategy might not work for everyone.

Many bloggers and brands have spent years perfecting their Pinterest strategy to find what works for them.

You can do so or follow one blogger’s strategy (EllDuclos‘s a fave) to get the fastest results.

It all depends on you.

Overview: Manual Pinning Pinterest Strategy

 

As the name implies, the Manual Pinning Strategy involves uploading a pin directly into Pinterest without a scheduler.

You manually upload your Pin, write the title and description, add hashtags, and pin it to the most relevant board.

Before now, Pinterest allowed you to recycle your pins for as long as you wanted.

So, there wasn’t that much emphasis on daily manual pinning.

But, at the beginning of 2020, Pinterest clamped down and changed its algorithm to favour fresh pins.

This means your pins would get more impressions, engagement, and link clicks if they’re new and have never been posted.

This suddenly saw an increased emphasis on manually pinning fresh pins daily.

All in the name of maximizing the potential of a fresh pin.

Based on my experience, manually pinning fresh pins daily spiked my stats.

That was the first time I got a massive spike in Pinterest traffic.

So, it definitely works.

The problem is that you must be consistent and keep at it.

This is only possible if you are a full-time blogger.

Yes, a lot of us are in lockdown and have so much time on our hands.

This makes it seem like the manual pinning strategy is the best.

But I’m afraid people are not considering the situation post-lockdown.

Most people will go back to work and will not have time to be consistent with that strategy.

It’s just not sustainable.

This is where a scheduling strategy will come in handy!

Overview: Scheduling Pinterest Strategy

Scheduling involves the use of a tool to post and schedule pins into Pinterest.

Instead manually pinning, a software is doing the job for you.

All you need to do is to upload your pins and it will post for you.

It has even gone as far as posting your pins at the most active times when your audience is awake, thus increasing your reach.

Over the years, quite a few schedulers have come and gone, but Tailwind seems to have withstood the test of time.

Many people like me are in a love-hate relationship with Tailwind for different reasons.

But there’s no doubt that it works and is still useful in 2020.

As I mentioned in that post, quite a number of people have started to ditch the tool.

For reasons ranging from the platform’s user experience to the lack of results, some people have opted for the native Pinterest Scheduler within the app and a manual pinning strategy.

Again, I still believe these actions are a side effect of the lockdown.

Post on Pinterest at the best times if you want the best results.

The only way to keep track of that is through a scheduler.

My Personal Verdict

I started my Pinterest strategy with a manual pinning strategy.

I got a nice spike in my stats, even a few viral pins.

It was nice to have.

But then, I realized I wasn’t maximizing my Pinterest potential to the fullest.

For April, I got about 6,500 views manually pinning alone.

But then, by May, I paid for my abandoned Tailwind account, made some changes to my strategy and ended the month with 16,000 views.

I reached this goal by combining a strategy of manually pinning 3 fresh pins and scheduling 25 pins with Tailwind daily.

Scheduling brought me 10,000 extra views, which, to be honest, felt really good.

In conclusion,

if you want to take your Pinterest efforts to the next level, I suggest you invest in Tailwind.

It might seem like a lot, but when the results flood, you’ll feel outstanding about making that decision.

If you’re unsure how to get DAILY traffic from Pinterest, start with the Pinterest Optimization Worksheet.

When you’re done, use Ell’s Course (affiliate link) to take your Pinterest efforts to the next level.

If you’re ready to still give Tailwind for Pinterest a chance, try them for free. (affiliate link)

What is your current Pinterest Strategy?

Manually Pinning or Scheduling?