3 Pinterest Marketing Mistakes and Why It Isn’t Working for Your Business
If you’ve ever wondered why Pinterest marketing isn’t driving results for your business, you’re not alone. Whether you’re a real estate agent, service provider, or digital product creator, Pinterest has massive potential—but only when used strategically.
In this post, I’m breaking down the three biggest Pinterest marketing mistakes in your business—and what to do to fix it.
📥 Want to skip ahead and get my free Pinterest SEO Checklist? It walks you through optimizing every pin for search traffic and clicks.
1. You’re Not Using Pinterest SEO
The #1 reason Pinterest doesn’t work for many real estate agents or service-based businesses?
You’re not using Pinterest SEO.
Pinterest is not a social media platform—it’s a visual search engine. That means your pins need to be optimized for the words, phrases, and questions your ideal client is actually searching for.
If you’re not integrating keywords into your:
- Pin titles
- Descriptions
- Board names
- Image text (yes, even this matters!)
…then Pinterest has no idea what your content is about—and neither do the people searching.
Want to learn exactly how to optimize your pins to show up in search? Get the Pinterest SEO Checklist now.
2. You’re Not Giving Pinterest Enough Time to Work
Pinterest is a long game, and that throws a lot of people off. Unlike Instagram or TikTok, where you might see instant feedback (instant likes or lack of engagement), Pinterest takes time—6 to 9 months, in fact—to build up traction, traffic, and search rankings.
Here’s why:
- Pinterest needs time to understand your content and who it’s for.
- The platform looks at SEO signals and user behavior to decide when and how to surface your content.
- It builds slowly but compounds over time, especially if you’re consistent. Then, that content is searchable for longer (multiple years even).
So if you pinned something last week and expected a traffic spike—don’t worry, that’s totally normal. But it’s also why Pinterest only works if you’re committed for the long-term.
3. You Don’t Have an Evergreen Content Strategy
The biggest mistake I see from agents and online business owners is trying to drive traffic from Pinterest to short-form content like Instagram reels or 7-second videos.
That won’t cut it.
Pinterest users are planners. They’re searching for solutions to long-term goals—whether it’s buying a home, planning a wedding, or building their dream life. They expect to land on helpful, long-form content when they click through a pin.
That means you need an evergreen content strategy—like:
- YouTube videos
- Blog posts
- Resource-rich landing pages
Without this foundation, your Pinterest efforts will fall flat.
If your current content strategy only includes social media trends and daily reels, it’s time to shift your focus. Pinterest marketing only works when paired with strategic, searchable content.
Pinterest Can Work for Your Real Estate or Service-Based Business
If you’re a:
- Real estate agent
- Lender
- Local service provider
- Coach or online educator
- Digital product creator
…Pinterest can absolutely drive traffic and clients to your business.
But you need:
- A search-optimized content strategy
- A commitment to consistency
- A plan to guide cold leads into your world
The good news? You can start improving your strategy today.
💡 Click here to grab my FREE Pinterest SEO Checklist and start getting found on Pinterest—without wasting time on design tweaks or guessing what works.
Final Thoughts
Pinterest isn’t about quick wins—it’s about building long-term, sustainable visibility. And when you approach it with the right strategy, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your marketing toolkit.
Make sure to subscribe to stay updated on content marketing strategies that work (even while you’re offline), and don’t forget to download your [Pinterest SEO Checklist] before you go.
