01
What shape suits a Pinterest video?
Vertical, and both 9:16 and 4:5 are here. The bigger consideration is that a pin often surfaces with no context and no sound attached to it, so the words need to be inside the picture. That is how they are rendered, which means the pin still explains itself wherever it turns up.
02
Writing pins people search for
Pinterest works more like a search engine than a feed. People type what they want to make, cook, buy or learn, and pins surface in the results. Write titles and descriptions using the words people would search for, such as easy weeknight pasta or small balcony garden ideas, rather than clever phrasing.
Put the most important words at the start of the title. Long descriptions are fine, but the opening words carry the most weight.
03
Choosing clips that suit the platform
Pinterest audiences often look for ideas and how-to content. Clips that show a result, a quick technique or a before and after tend to do well. Pure conversation or opinion clips can work, but they usually do better when paired with a clear, practical takeaway on screen.
Visual appeal matters. Bright, clear footage with a tidy background stands out among the images in search results.
04
Boards and organisation
Organise pins into boards with descriptive names. Boards help Pinterest understand what your content is about and help visitors find more of it. A board named after a specific topic works better than a vague one.
Pin each clip to the most relevant board first, then to others where it genuinely fits.
Keep the number of boards manageable. A handful of well-named boards, each with a steady flow of fresh pins, looks more trustworthy to visitors than dozens of boards with two or three pins each, and it makes your own profile easier to maintain.
05
Linking pins to somewhere useful
Pins can link to a website. If you have a blog post, a recipe page or a product related to the clip, link to it. Visitors who click are usually interested in doing something, which makes Pinterest traffic particularly valuable.
Make sure the page they land on matches the pin, with the same topic and visuals near the top.
06
Patience with results
Pins can take weeks or months to gain traction, and they often keep bringing visitors long after posting. Judge results over a longer period than you would for other platforms.
Keep pinning regularly; a steady flow of relevant pins builds momentum.
07
Turn one recording into a set of pins
- A file, or a link. Any long recording is usable source material.
- It favours the self-contained. A pin arrives without a lead-in, so segments that resolve inside themselves rank higher.
- Export 9:16 or 4:5. Both vertical, both on every plan including the free video.
Upload something long and see how it breaks up.
Questions people ask
- Which of the two should I pick?
- 9:16 for maximum height, 4:5 when the frame needs a bit more width to make sense.
- Do the words appear automatically?
- They are rendered onto the picture, so nothing has to be switched on by the viewer.
- Can I match my colours?
- Design and preview on any plan. Saving the setup as a brand kit is a paid feature, three on Lite 10 and up to ten on Lite 50.
- How long should a pin be?
- Short. Past ninety seconds a clip doubles what that video costs.
- Will a badge show in the corner?
- Only the free video carries a mark.
- Does a pin keep working after the first week?
- Longer than on most feeds. Pins keep surfacing through search well after they go up, which rewards a clip that answers something over one that reacts to something.