If you think Pinterest group boards are dead, you’re in for a surprise.
We’ll prove to you why these misunderstood channels are still worth your time in this cheat sheet. You’ll learn how to find the best group boards to join, how to evaluate them (spoiler: it involves basic math), and how to make them work in your overall traffic strategy.
There’s more. You’ll also discover various tips (tried and tested by successful solopreneurs!) on growing your business with these group boards. Ready to level up your Pinterest profile? Let’s get started.
(New Pinterest? Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Pinterest.)
What Are Pinterest Group Boards?
Pinterest group boards are collaborative boards for members to share ideas. They look like regular boards, except that they include multiple contributors and the option to join the community. Depending on the board settings, you, the contributor, can: organize Pins, comment, and react (e.g. clap, heart, thumbs down), to name a few.
Why Are Pinterest Group Boards Useful?
Thanks to their collaborative nature, these group boards allow you to engage with an untapped audience, which leads to you driving targeted traffic back to your website.
Are Pinterest Group Boards Worth It?
Back in 2018, Pinterest announced they were going to deemphasize group boards. Now Pins only pop up in the feed if the follower saves it to one of their boards.
Disappointing? Definitely.
And yet, this comes as little surprise. Pinterest never built these group boards for marketing in the first place. They built them for people to collaborate and make boards for events, redesign, gift ideas, and recipe sharing.
Nonetheless, it worried users. Now that Pin distribution has changed drastically, does this mean group boards are a waste of time?
Far from it! (We’ll get to this in detail in a minute.)
But first, let’s get this out of the way.
Should You Join Pinterest Group Boards or Create Them on Your Own?
We’ll tell you straight.
If you’re new to Pinterest marketing, it’s easier to join existing group boards than it is to set one up from scratch. As a time-strapped solopreneur, your time will be better spent on low-effort (but effective) marketing strategies.
Sarah Anne from Good Life Marketing explains it well, “Creating your group board requires a bit of effort and upkeep to gain traction. For it to be productive, you’re going to need contributors who consistently pin to the board.”
However, there’s an exception.
If you notice there’s no group board in your niche — say, vintage minimalist clothing in the 40s era — you might want to set up one. Think of it as a way to fill in the gap in an established market.
Fair warning though, you’ll need to invest a ton of time and resources to keep it running. Make sure you weigh the pros and cons before committing to creating one.
How to Create a Group Board on Pinterest
Create your board and name it. Underneath the board name, click the + symbol. You will then be able to add people from your Pinterest network or use email addresses to add people. You can also copy a link to share with potential collaborators.
How to Find Pinterest Group Boards
It’s easy to find group boards when you know what you’re looking for. The simplest way to search boards on Pinterest is to type a keyword relevant to your interest in the search bar. Select ‘boards’. You can then look for boards with multiple profile images. Go wide in your search. Start with a broad keyword (e.g. freelance writing) and branch out.
Tip: Leverage Pinterest’s autosuggest and related search terms if you run out of ideas.
How to Find Group Boards On Pinterest: 4 Easy Strategies
Now the basics are out of the way, let’s dive into the tried-and-tested tips on how to find group boards on Pinterest relevant to your business. Try creating a spreadsheet with five columns for board title with URL, number of pins, number of members, and number of followers. Each time you spot a group board you want to join, include it in this spreadsheet.
1. Peek At Competitors And Influencers
What works for your competitors and influencers in your niche could work for you.
Search for their names on Pinterest to see what group boards they’re a member of (e.g., if you’re a freelance interior designer, check out micro-influencers like Arianne Bellizaire and Jenna Sue).
Next, click Saved in their profile. Scroll down and look for boards with multiple profile icons. That tells you the group Pinterest boards they’ve joined.
See a group board you like? Include it in the spreadsheet.
2. Use PINGROUPIE
It’s tedious searching for group boards on Pinterest. You need to scroll through multiple boards and see which accept contributors. Who has the time for that?
Luckily, there’s an easier way.
PINGROUPIE is a directory that shows you important information (e.g. recent activity, number of followers) about a group board right away.
Type your keyword in the search engine.
Next, click Request To Join Button. This will filter the boards that accept contributors.
Select your search criteria as you see fit.
Wait for a few seconds for PINGROUPIE to reload. You’ll end up with something like this:
Once you spot a group that tickles your interest, click it. You’ll see a pop-up box. Click View this Board on Pinterest.
PINGROUPIE will direct you to the group board in a new tab.
Include it in your spreadsheet.
3. Refer to Pinterest Business Account
Pinterest Analytics is a goldmine for audience insights.
Lucas Robinson, CMO of Crediful, a personal finance website with 30,000 Pinterest followers, recommends an excellent approach: Check out the audience affinities section.
You’ll see a list of business accounts your audiences follow. Odds are, you’ll spot a few interesting group boards you haven’t heard of!
Include the ones you like in the spreadsheet.
4. Use Blog Posts
Use a roundup list of boards from other people in your industry. Try searching ‘Pinterest group boards for (enter your niche)’ and you should find posts like this one that list out all the boards you should join.
Include the group boards you like in the spreadsheet.
All right.
By now, you should have a solid list of Pinterest groups you want to join.
Next, it’s time to evaluate them and narrow down your list.
In your spreadsheet, sort your list by the follows-to-pin ratio. This way, you quickly see which group boards are the most productive.
You should have something that looks like this:
The higher the follows-to-pin ratio, the likelier you’ll succeed on the board. In other words, these are the groups you want to join. There’s less competition, and you’re more likely to capture the right traffic.
Another pro tip: Look at the group boards to see if it has a good variety of people pinning to it. Sue Crites, a Pinterest Ads Strategist, warns, “If there are only one or two active contributors, that’s a red flag.”
Now that you’ve figured out the best places to find Pinterest group boards and narrowed down your list, what’s next? Easy, you’ll learn a foolproof way to join these boards and get approved fast after sending your board requests.
How to Join Pinterest Group Boards
You need to request to join Pinterest group boards. The easiest way to do this is by clicking Join underneath the board’s follower count. You may want to send a personalized message to the board owner to tell them why you should join the board and what you can contribute.
How to Send the Pinterest Group Board Owner a Message
Don’t know how to locate the owner of the group board you want to join? We got your back. Click the first name or the first picture on the group board. Both are below the board title.
Pinterest will direct you to the owner’s profile.
Next, look at the URL of the owner’s profile. Copy their username handle (Tip: It’s before “/_created/”).
Click the Message icon on the top right corner, and paste the owner’s username handle in the search bar.
You should see the owner appear in the dropdown list.
Click their profile and start writing your message.
If you want to further raise your chances of getting accepted, get on the board owner’s radar before joining the group board.
Freelance writer and blogger Elna Cain would follow these group board owners on Pinterest and other social media channels. She’d then comment on their blog posts and subscribe to their email list.
That’s not all. She’d even feature them in a roundup post on her blog:
She shares, “Once I get to know the blogger, and I’m on their radar at some point, I’ll reach out to them and ask if I can join their group board. This strategy has worked for me time and time again.”
What Should You Pin to Pinterest Group Boards?
Getting accepted to Pinterest groups is just the beginning. Now, the fun begins.
What types of content should you post to attract engagement and traffic?
First things first, consider your goals. Ask yourself these questions:
- What do I want users to do when they land on my Pin?
- What needs to happen for them to take action?
- What are the multiple steps they need to take to get there?
Sue Crites explains, “If you want email sign-ups, share a great opt-in freebie. If you want to showcase your services, send them great content (e.g. client success stories) that shows what you can do. If you want more product sales, share Pins for that product.”
Whatever your goal is, lay the groundwork so conversions can happen down the road.
How To Pin To A Group Board On Pinterest
Once you’ve figured out your goal and strategy, start pinning in these group boards in a slow-and-steady fashion.
“The last thing you want to do is spam group boards with your content,” warns Dave Bowden of Irreverent Gent. “I’ve found it’s much more effective to drip your content to a new board slowly. You get to build trust and rapport with a new audience.”
Psst, looking for a fuss-free way to post your content on Pinterest? Check out Edgar — Edgar automates all of your social media scheduling in just a few clicks.
(Learn how to schedule Pins with Edgar step by step here.)
Next, repost the content from these group boards to your boards. This tells Pinterest that you’re an active user, which — in Dave’s words — helps you stay in good standing with the algorithm. Learn how to share a Pinterest board with your followers too.
Dave’s approach also fosters goodwill with group board members. So take a leaf out of his book! They’re more likely to reciprocate and share your content with their audience.
And, of course, create high-quality Pins. Focus on consistent branding, so users will begin to recognize them.
Most importantly, share only relevant Pins. Refer to the board description to double-check if your Pins fit with the board’s content.
Sarah Anne advises, “Don’t be tempted to flood the board with everything you created. Be respectful and stick to the board topic. If you’re producing high-quality content consistently, you won’t run out of content.”
Tip: Track what you’ve pinned to each board in a spreadsheet, including the dates for each Pin.
Sarah Anne shares, “Each day or week, pin different Pins to each board, rather than the same Pin to each board. That way, you’ll be able to track which group boards are creating the most impact and growth for your business.”
“I’ve experimented wildly with Pinterest over the last seven years, and I’m surprised that group boards continue to outperform most social media tactics for business growth. Pinterest group boards are not dead, far from it. They’re highly productive and low effort with the help of a simple spreadsheet.”
Enhance Your Marketing Strategy With Pinterest Group Boards
And there you have it.
Pinterest group boards are valuable channels in your overall traffic strategy. Like all social media platforms, Pinterest requires a lot of time and a strategic process.
Use spreadsheets as you evaluate these quality boards. Share consistent Pin designs. And above all else, build goodwill by reposting fellow members’ content to your boards.
Better yet, feature them on your blog.
Do it repeatedly, and you’ll raise your chances of success on Pinterest.
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