If you think Pinterest is all about crafty DIYs, cool recipes, and flashy photos, then you are all wrong! Pinterest is probably the best place to get your videos noticed by a large audience. So if you are still ignoring this engaging social media platform, gear up. Learn some of the Pinterest video pins best practices, and use the visual platform to drive quality leads.
Rolling out with Ads
Initially launched in 2016, Pinterest promoted video ads bring exceptional competitive edge for users who use them wisely. In fact, the early adopters of Pinterest video pins have gained a fairly high rate of conversions than those who didn’t. And last year, video content was a rage on Pinterest and video pins rapidly became one of the most sought-after tools for brands and content creators alike.
Owing to the fact that they offer highly valuable information at one glance, which enhances the exposure of the original content author. These video pins tell, teach, inspire, and engage the target audience, eventually converting them into paying customers.
Pinterest – How it Differs
Pinterest has always stood out from other social media platforms as a community with meaningful user engagement and user-generated content. And it is evident from the fact that Pinterest users spend more time on this social discovery platform than other social media networks. With more than 400 million monthly active users, Pinterest is clearly the second-largest driver of traffic and highly optimized for the SERPs.
What started primarily as sharing vacation plans, solo travel itineraries, meal recipes, gym routines, skin-care regimes – have gradually transformed into something bigger, something much more aspirational. This culminated in introducing video pins, comprising of ‘pinnable’ videos from other sources or sites, then the promotional video ads, and now Pinterest offers user-generated video content to upload to respective handles directly.
How Pinterest is Changing the Video Marketing Game
But why would anyone go for video pinning on Pinterest? Or, how to use Pinterest video to promote your brand? Well, the answer is pretty simple. These animated pins help tell your brand story more effectively than images pinned there. The key purpose of video pins is to showcase high-quality content to the users, and also to inculcate an idea within a matter of seconds.
These have a cover image that attracts the attention of the onlookers, increasing the engagement quotient. Undoubtedly, video pins are the new superstars of social media, changing the entire ball-game of social media marketing.
As expected, Pinterest videos also have certain guidelines and best practices to follow. And before embarking upon video marketing through Pinterest, any content creator or marketer must be aware of these best practices.
Amongst many, we have jotted down a few essential tips for great pins that would help a novice to make the most out of Pinterest. Let’s dig in!
1. Hook Viewers within the First 3 Seconds of the Video to Grab AttentionEarly
This is the golden thumb rule for your Pinterest video pins to start with. Try to hook your audiences’ attention within the first 3 seconds with a brilliant start. Online viewers tend to have an attention span lesser than a goldfish; hence you have got only a very few seconds to capture their attention and make them watch the video till the end.
One way to do this is to showcase the purpose of your video pin within the first few seconds, either through a compelling intro text; or an eye-catching visual.
2. Tell a Story with a Compelling Pinterest Video Pin even without Audio
A very crucial detail to keep in mind while you create video pins for Pinterest for video marketing. A chunk of your target audience will watch your video without the sound. While scrolling through their feed, if your video shows up, it’s quite natural that the sound might be off. This makes it uber essential to ensure the actual message gets conveyed despite ‘no audio’.
Instead, incorporate subtitles and keep your visuals strong and compelling. This would still impress the audience, most of who would consume online content through their Smartphones. Also, an audience with hearing impairment can still watch your videos and understand your message appropriately.
3. Incorporate Text Overlay within your Pins
Adding text overlays to your video pins is a great strategy to be featured in Pinterest search results. And this works the best with instructional videos or listicle videos. It embellishes the pin, adds context to it, and helps to stand out.
With proper text overlay, you can enhance the overall messaging of your content. You can add it either at the beginning of the video or at the end.
4. Allow Viewers to Take Action with Persuasive CTAs
Anything that inspires your audience and compels them to take action, like hit the ‘Request Callback/Request Quote’ or the ‘Subscribe to our Newsletter’ button.
While this is true for any kind of online marketing activities or ad campaigns, it is more applicable for Pinterest. Because Pinterest being a visual search engine, features the images of your products giving them a closer view of your product. It is mandated to make your pins adequately actionable for your audience to act fast and convert.
5. Keep your Messaging Straightforward and Convincing
Be very succinct and crisp with your messaging, avoid redundancy and ambiguous content. Do not get carried away with your message and be out of focus from your actual standpoint.
Your first and foremost strategy should be to sharpen the messaging in your video pins, following which you may focus on the UX of your app or beautifying your product image.
Take time to draft an apt script for your video pins from a consultancy standpoint. Tell your audience how your product/service can solve their pain-points, and what further value addition it can do to them.
6. Put a Creative Cover Image with Strong Visuals
Your video pins are no exception than any normal pins, which have got only a few seconds to hold the gaze of a viewer. That said, find out ways to be creative with your cover photo.
A highly visual platform as Pinterest is, stick to the mantra – “show, don’t tell”; instead of ‘storytelling’, think of ‘showing’ them the story. Spike up the effectiveness of your content with compelling visuals that hook them at first sight.
Once they freeze upon your video, you have got another 3-4 seconds to pique their engagement (referring to point number 1). This is one of the key Pinterest video pins best practices to be adhered to.
7. Keep your Pins Short, Compelling, yet Educative
According to the latest stats, if you want to ensure your Pinterest video content or pins perform well, keep them short, which may be a maximum of15 seconds, but not less than 4 seconds.
As per human psychology, it’s always a great idea to give less; this creates a sense of curiosity and want. So think of making your video out-of-the-box, able to spark curiosity, yet short. This will keep your audience wanting for more. And eventually, make them visit your site or follow the rest of your pins.
8. Craft Captivating Post Copies to Support your Video Pins
Post captions or post copies offer a direct line of communication to your followers and play a great role in social media marketing. Whether you tell more about your service, explain your product, or simply elaborate your image – your post copy makes it easy to understand for your audience. Also, it optimizes your video for search.
Make sure you incorporate the backlink to your website or landing page.
9. Leverage Online Video Creating Tools to Save Resources
Usually, any kind of official brand video marketing activities must be carried out by a professional team. As this is about your brand. However, if you are skeptical about hiring a professional agency or have a shoestring budget, you can always make things your way.
But, before moving forward, select a tool for the task. There are a plethora of tools available online that can help you edit your video pins. Most of these tools are subscription-based, or they charge you per project.
There’s Biteable, wave.video, Animoto, VIDDYOZE, Movavi, Promo – and more to help you make viral Pinterest video pins for your business. You can try the trial, create your video, promote, and then unsubscribe if the tool doesn’t work out.
10. Ensure your Video Pins are SEO-friendly and Optimized for Social Media Platforms
Your video pins must be appropriately optimized for SEO in a bid to be discovered by a vast number of audiences and create a chain reaction of social media activity. This is also vital not just for your video pins, but for your overall Pinterest profile.
Ensure you have proper hashtags, titles with relevant keywords, meta descriptions to improve the ‘discoverability’of your pins. You can also make use of Pinterest’s auto-suggest tagging feature to further boost up the SEO quotient of your pinboards.
Final Thoughts!
Presently, video pins, vital elements of Pinterest’s video-first feature, are undoubtedly one of the most happening things around you right now. Proper use of the platform can assuredly take your business one-notch up. It’s just a matter of following these Pinterest video pins best practices and keep experimenting.
And apart from the ones mentioned above, there’s one more rule of thumb marketers, and content creators must be mindful of. Pinterest video pins specs! These specs can help you optimize your content more and more, making them ideal for brand promotion and lead generation. We shall talk about the specs more in one of the upcoming Blogs posts. Until then, keep pinning and keep winning!
