PostEaseThe short answer
Make Pins people want to keep for later: how-tos, ideas to try, lists, plans and products in use, each about one clear, searchable topic. Pinterest’s own business guide says it shows content by engagement signals and topics rather than in date order, and calls saves the strongest measure of how people engage with a Pin. A Pin that is worth saving is a Pin that keeps being shown.
Video Pins earn more among the people who see them. In Buffer’s 2026 engagement report, the median Pinterest video earned 5.75% of reach, against 3.15% for image Pins. Images are still quicker to make in volume, so most accounts mix both.
Twenty ideas, by pillar
Each idea is something a person planning a project, a purchase or a change would save.
| Idea | Pillar | Why people save it |
|---|---|---|
| A step-by-step how-to in one tall image | Teach | They will need it when they start |
| A checklist for a common project | Teach | Reference for later |
| A recipe, a pattern or a formula | Teach | Made to be kept |
| Mistakes to avoid, in a list | Teach | Saves a bad result |
| A short video demo of one technique | Teach | Video earned most in Buffer’s data |
| Ten ideas for one room, event or season | Inspire | Planning boards collect these |
| A colour palette or style guide | Inspire | Used again and again |
| Before and after of a project | Inspire | Shows what is possible |
| A finished project with what it took | Inspire | A plan they can follow |
| A gift guide for a person or a budget | Plan | Saved ahead of the occasion |
| A seasonal plan: what to do this month | Plan | Saved a month or two ahead |
| A packing list, shopping list or schedule | Plan | Practical and reusable |
| A comparison: which one to choose | Plan | Helps a decision |
| Your product in use, in a real setting | Product | Shows how it fits their plan |
| Three ways to use one product | Product | More reasons to keep it |
| A customer’s project, with permission | Product | Proof from someone like them |
| A new item, framed as an idea | Product | Inspiration first, product second |
| A blog post or video, turned into a tall summary Pin | Repurpose | Brings the full version traffic |
| An old popular post, with a fresh image | Repurpose | Proven topic, new Pin |
| A board for each pillar, kept current | Organise | Helps people browse your ideas |
Make it searchable
Pinterest places Pins by topic, so say plainly what each one is about. Use the words a person would type when searching (“small balcony garden ideas”, not “weekend vibes”) in the Pin title and description, on the image itself, and in the board name. One topic per Pin helps Pinterest match it to the right people.
Design for the save
A few habits that make a Pin worth keeping:
- Tall, vertical images with large, readable text on top.
- The result or the promise on the image: “5-minute breakfast ideas”, not just a photo.
- Enough on the Pin to be useful, with more at the link for those who want it.
- A clean look you repeat, so people recognise your Pins in a grid.
Link every Pin somewhere useful
Pinterest is one of the few platforms where a link is the point: people save an idea and come back to act on it. Send each Pin to the page that delivers what the Pin promised, such as the full recipe, the product, the guide, rather than a home page. A Pin that keeps its promise after the click is one people save again and share with others planning the same thing.
Plan ahead of the season
People use Pinterest to plan, so they look early: gift ideas before the holidays, garden plans before spring, outfits before a trip. Publish seasonal Pins well ahead of the date, and keep evergreen how-tos running all year. A Pin can keep being saved for months, so a good one is worth more than a timely one that fades.
How often to pin
Buffer’s 2026 frequency guide cites Pinterest’s own advice of 15 to 20 times a day, or at least once a week, and Tailwind data on its most successful users, and warns that pinning over 50 times a day can hurt. For most accounts, steady matters more than volume: a few fresh Pins a day, or a batch each week, scheduled ahead.
Where to find more ideas
Pinterest publishes its own idea sources. Pinterest Trends shows what people search for and save, by region, over up to two years, so you see a season coming before it arrives. Pinterest Predicts, its yearly report, names trends it expects to grow; the 2026 edition lists 21. Your own Pinterest Analytics shows which Pins people save, and a saved Pin is one worth making again in a new version.
Questions
What kind of Pins get the most saves?
Useful ones: how-tos, checklists, recipes, lists of ideas and plans. Pinterest calls saves its strongest engagement signal.
Are video Pins better than image Pins?
They earned more in Buffer’s 2026 data: a median 5.75% of reach for video against 3.15% for images. Images are quicker to make, so mix both.
What are good Pinterest content pillars?
Teach, inspire, plan and product, with repurposed posts from your site or channel as a fifth.
How often should I pin?
Buffer’s 2026 guide cites Pinterest’s advice of 15 to 20 times a day, or at least once a week, and warns against more than 50 a day. Pick a steady rate you can keep.
Sources
- Pinterest, Browse Pinterest Trends, checked October 2026.
- Pinterest, Pinterest Predicts: 21 trends for 2026, December 2025.
- Pinterest, A beginner’s guide to Pinterest content, October 2022.
- Buffer, The state of social media engagement in 2026, March 2026.
- Buffer, How often to post on social media in 2026: a data-backed guide, January 2026.