Is Pinterest for musicians? It may not be as common as Instagram, but it can be a great place to grow your music biz.
You can use it for a lot of things, and it’s not as time-intensive. Read on to learn why and how you can use Pinterest.
What Is Pinterest?
Pinterest is part social media part search engine. You can share links to your blog and website using pins. As those pins circulate the platform, you can get people to save your content or click on your links.
It’s a very visual platform, and you can use it on your computer or via the mobile app on your phone or tablet. After search engines, Pinterest is the top traffic source for my website.
Why You Should Use Pinterest
It can seem unnecessary to use Pinterest for musicians. But this platform offers a lot of benefits that you either won’t get elsewhere, or it will take a lot more time and effort to achieve results.
Consider the following benefits of using Pinterest.
Increase Web Traffic
Unlike other social media platforms, the point of Pinterest is to find websites and blogs to visit. That can make it a lot easier to get a decent amount of traffic from your Pinterest content.
With the exception of Idea Pins, all normal pins have clickable links. That means it’s super easy for someone to find one of your posts and get to your website.
Then, you can use your website to convert those visitors into loyal followers or paying customers.
Repurpose Content
If you make a lot of TikToks of Instagram Reels, you can share them on Pinterest as Idea Pins. You can also download your Instagram Stories and share them as Idea Pins.
And you can share your regular Instagram posts as regular pins. Then, you can not only build awareness of your website but also of your other social media platforms.
That can help you grow your online presence. Plus, you won’t have to create content from scratch.
Minimal Time Commitment
Growing on Instagram takes a lot of time and effort. Even then, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get new followers that you can turn into fans or customers.
Of course, there’s no guarantee of Pinterest growth either. But you can get much better results without needing to spend as much time creating content and interacting with other users.
That makes it an amazing choice for busy people. You can share a pin for your latest blog post and let the Pinterest algorithm share it for you.
More Traffic for Your Time
If you’re willing to spend a bit more time on your Pinterest strategy, you can start to get more traffic than before. Even if you do the bare minimum, you’ll probably get more traffic from Pinterest than other platforms.
For example, in February 2023, I got over 5.5 times as many visitors from Pinterest as Instagram. But I can guarantee that I spent way more time on Instagram.
So if your goal is to grow your website, Pinterest may be the better choice. It’s not for everyone, but it can be a suitable choice.
Long-Term Traffic
Another thing I love about Pinterest for musicians and creatives is that you can get long-term results. Even if you stop posting new pins, your old ones are still circulating around the platform and getting impressions, saves, and clicks.
Compare that to Instagram, which is very much a short-term platform. If you take a break from posting, you’ll have to spend a lot of time getting back into it to have the Instagram algorithm start to favor you again.
I like to take the occasional social media break. Pinterest makes it much easier to do that without seeing a massive drop in traffic. Some of my top pins are ones I shared months ago.
Purpose of the Platform
Then there’s the fact that Pinterest is perfect for sharing links to different websites and blogs. When you share a pin, the goal of that content is to get clicks.
But if you share an Instagram post, the goal is to get likes and comments. Sure, you may get the occasional follow or website click. However, people don’t go to Instagram when they’re looking to read a blog post.
They do go to Pinterest though. So if you’re struggling to get web traffic from other social networks, give Pinterest a try.
How to Use Pinterest for Musicians
If you want to make the most of this social platform, consider how to set up and optimize your account. Then, you can start to post excellent content.
Create a Business Account
First, you should create a business account or convert your personal Pinterest account into a business account. This will give you access to analytics to track which pins are performing best.
You can also pay for ads if you want to increase your reach. But paying isn’t necessary to see some success on the platform. I’d also recommend changing your handle to your brand name if it’s not already.
Optimize Your Bio
You’ll want to choose a good display name, such as the name of your business. But you can also include keywords, like the topic you focus on. Then, your profile may show up in relevant search results.
Don’t forget to include a professional photo. Finally, write a good bio that explains what you do and who you help. That can get people to want to follow you and your content.
Set Up Pinterest Boards
Next, you should create a few Pinterest boards where you’ll save your own content and content that you like from other creators. I’d recommend making your first board one based on the name of your brand.
Share all of your new blog posts to that brand. Then, you can come up with a board for each of your brand pillars. Use the same ones across social media to keep things consistent.
If you sell digital products, you can also create a board for that. Choose at least 5 to 10 boards to start. You can always add more later. And if you want to have a few personal boards, make them secret so that they don’t clutter your page.
Design Pin Graphics
The next step in using Pinterest for musicians is to design some pin graphics to share. I use and love Canva for this because it’s super easy. You can choose from templates or design your own.
When I write a new blog post, I copy my blog graphic template. Then, I’ll change the text to match the new blog title. That makes it super easy to get the blog post up on Pinterest.
You may also want to design some graphics for your products or services. That way, you can link directly to those pages.
Start Pinning Content
Now, you’re ready to start sharing content. The easiest option is to re-pin what’s already in your Pinterest feed. You can look for people in your niche and share their content to your boards.
However, you may need to upload your own pins to share your content. You can do this on your computer or in the mobile app. Make sure you have a link ready and that you connect it to the right graphic.
Follow Other Musicians
There isn’t a huge community of musicians on Pinterest, but there are some people on there. Look for other musicians from your home feed or by using the search bar.
Follow people that you really like. Then, their content will show up in your feed, and you can share their posts to your boards. You can also use other musicians for inspiration when brainstorming content ideas.
Download Popular Reels
If you have some Reels or TikTok videos that are performing well, download them to your phone. You can then upload them as Idea Pins and share them to your Pinterest account.
I’ve found that Idea Pins get more impressions than regular pins. They can be a great way to get new followers and grow your account. But I’ve never made an original Idea Pin.
The main option I’ve used is existing Reels. Occasionally, I’ll turn good Instagram stories into a video for Pinterest as well.
Promote Affiliate Links
If affiliate marketing is part of your business, you’ll love using Pinterest. You can share your affiliate links directly on the platform as regular pins. So make sure to create a few graphics for each of your main links.
Now, you may not want to do this with Amazon. In the past, the program prohibited sharing their links right on Pinterest. But you can get around this by linking to a relevant blog post or your resource page.
Track Your Analytics
Every month or so, go into your analytics to see which pins are performing well. Use that to adjust your strategy for the next month. For example, if pins with bright colors get more clicks, do more of that.
If pin graphics with lists on them do well, create more. Then, you can try to increase those results to get even more follows, impressions, and website clicks the following month.
You can also get rid of any strategies that aren’t working. But give those things a few months to see results. If they still don’t work, drop them in favor of what does work.
Is Pinterest Good for Musicians?
Pinterest for musicians can be a great way to grow your business and get traffic to your website. While it’s not as popular among musicians, don’t be afraid to give it a try.
Does Pinterest Take a Lot of Time?
You can spend as much or as little time on Pinterest as you want. The more time you dedicate, the faster you’ll see results. But if you’re busy with gigs or other things, you can still use it in your free time.
Final Thoughts
Pinterest for musicians is an underrated social platform. You can use it to promote your blog posts or other social media content.
If you want help creating blog posts to share on Pinterest, let’s work together. Learn more about my content creation services now.