Idea pin mistakes are bound to happen considering how new they are. Pinterest story pins are the new thing on the platform to take use and sometimes it can feel overwhelming. We are going to breakdown the idea pin mistakes I’m seeing happening so you can try to avoid them.

Before we get started you may be wondering what story pins even are so let’s cover some of that then dive into the mistakes.

What are Pinterest Idea Pins?

Idea pins are a native pin that doesn’t link out to anything with the goal of building engagement and followers on Pinterest. If you use these you need to understand the goal of this content type.

They really can be a great resource for your brand if you use them correctly!

So let’s dive into the story pin mistakes I’m seeing & I’ll give you additional ideas of how to use these at the end.

Idea Pin Mistake #1: Using Bad Photo or Video Quality

The last thing you want to do on a platform that is completely visual to use bad video or photo quality. This just isn’t the place for a low resolution quality.

If you’re repurposing content from other platforms when you download from their platform it may compress the size. Be sure that the quality looks sharp before you upload to Pinterest.

What I like to do especially when repurposing from TikTok is to screen-record the final version before uploading to the platform.

Then I don’t have a watermark and it’s full resolution on my device.

Idea Pin Mistake #2: Not Using a CTA

I’m seeing a lot of story pins that are really well done but they lack a call to action and leave the end user just feeling confused.

Whether your call to action is as simple as follow us for more tips or shop our collection definitely make a slide to add to your story pin.

Don’t be afraid to put a full URL on the slide and in the description so people can go find you.

Other Call to Actions:

1. Shop our store for more
2. Read the full post
3. Click the link in our bio to visit us online
4. Buy XYZ now
5. Watch the full video

Using a call to action will make your story pin viewers a lot less confused and feeling like the story came to an abrupt end.

Idea Pin Mistake #3: Not Giving Context to Your Story

Just putting slides up of your products but not telling people why is really confusing for user experience.

In the video, I mentioned a swimsuit brand and how they just placed swimsuits on the slides but didn’t say “Spring 2021 Swimsuits” or anything like that.

It was just swimsuits with no call to action.

Am I looking at this for the style of suit, the fabric, is it eco-friendly… give context to the user so you’re attracting buyers.

Idea Pin Mistake #4: Not Embracing in-app Features

This is another thing a lot of creators are just neglecting. We create content and often repurpose content, we complete the design on our desktops but never take the time to look at it on our phones.

If you create your designs on desktop try to pull them up on your phone if possible and upload via the story pin builder on the app.

This gives you the ability to add native text overlays, music, filters, tag other creators, etc.

Pinterest seems to be giving preference to those pins that are using the native app features.

Mistake #5: Only Repurposing from Other Platforms

This goes right along with not using in-app features but only repurposing content from other platforms.

If you’re only using repurposed content you’re really missing out on the value of creating story pins natively in the app.

For your videos like TikTok & Reels you should try repurposing those as video pins instead of story pins. If you do want to use them as story pins then make sure you’re adding additional content behind that slide to give more context.

Pinterest Idea Pin Examples

1. Plant bloggers can show the process of repotting a plant like Clever Bloom did with hers.
2. Makeup influencers can show how they apply makeup in a certain way. For example, contouring your face.
3. Fashion creators can show how to style an outfit like a skirt in multiple different ways.
4. Content creators can share a tip on how to do a specific task. For example, I create story pins on how to do specific Pinterest marketing things like finding keywords.
5. E-commerce shop owners can showcase how their product is used by their customers. For example, a homegoods brand like Standard Wax can showcase the product they sell & tell the story of how the customer chooses the fragrance & artistic label.

If you need more story pin inspiration then head over to my story pins board and take a look at the examples I have collected there.

Should You Use Idea Pins?

A lot of creators are asking whether or not they should even use story pins on Pinterest because they don’t drive traffic to your site.

My suggestion is to use them only if you have the bandwidth to create them well. If you are still getting into a routine and developing your Pinterest marketing strategy please do not overwhelm yourself.

Remember: quality is better than quantity on Pinterest.

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