Did you know Pinterest allows you to post short-form videos? It’s true! If you’re not repurposing the video content you use for other platforms on Pinterest, you should be. While photo pins will always be the staple in this space, Pinterest video pins are certainly in the future for this platform.
Video pins on Pinterest show higher engagement levels than photos and infographics. This shouldn’t be surprising—short-form videos, in general, have more engagement as they spark more emotion, are easy to digest, and can be binged without reading long captions. Plus, Pins have a shelf life of more than just a few minutes—some Pins have been relevant and searchable for years. If you can create a strategy with high-quality video content for Pinterest, your potential for engaging with a loyal audience is fantastic.
You can’t just post any video on Pinterest and expect engagement. There are some best practices to consider, some of which are specific to the platform. Before implementing Pinterest video pins into your content schedule, let’s learn more about what makes a successful video.
Short-form video best practices
Some steps to creating compelling Pinterest video Pins for publishers will be similar to video content for other platforms. This means publishers use the following techniques on videos they create for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook without having to make entirely separate content. Here are some of those best practices.
Focus on your hook
Most users will swipe away from your video within the first few seconds. This is where your content needs to shine. Incorporating visually compelling scenes is a great way to convince your reader to watch the entire thing. If you’re going for more of an informational, educational tone, make sure your audience knows the topic right away so they know what you’re about to get into.
Add captions
Do not forget to enable or add captions to your Pinterest videos. Yes, they could distract from your aesthetic; however, not including captions also excludes many people with disabilities, preventing them from watching your video. Even without disabilities, a large portion of the social media audience listens to videos on mute and can benefit from text on screen. You can find different styles of captions to fit your style, but whatever you do, do not discount their importance on all platforms.
Identify your goal
Posting videos on Pinterest to check the box that you posted will not get you the loyal audience you’re looking for. Before you create video content for social media, you should always identify your goal. Do you want your video to inspire? Drive traffic to your website? Gain more subscribers? Establishing a goal will help keep you on track to reaching your audience far more than just shooting random videos into the void.
SEO headlines and descriptions.
Your video quality is essential, but equally critical when posting videos is the words you use to describe and categorize them. Pinterest may seem like a flowery platform, but behind the scenes, it’s still a social media platform that uses algorithms to push content out to audiences. Skip the fluff when writing headlines and descriptions. Your text should include rich, precise keywords that help the algorithm find your audience and lead your audience to your content.
If you need help determining your Pinterest audience, check out your Pinterest Analytics to learn more about who you’re trying to reach.
Pinterest-specific best practices
Unfortunately, depending on their style, format, and length, you may not be able to use all your short-form videos on Pinterest. Every platform has its sweet spot regarding the demographics you serve and the requirements for posting content. Here’s what you need to consider before posting videos on Pinterest.
Format requirements
Resize your videos specifically for Pinterest to make sure they show up in high quality. Pinterest videos should meet the following aspects:
- Aspect ratio: (2:3) or (9:16) vertical
- File type: .MP4, .MOV or .M4V
- File Size: up to 2GB
- Time: 4 seconds to 15 minutes
Vertical videos
TikTok and YouTube promote landscape videos that do quite well. Pinterest, however, is all about the vertical setup. Make sure you shoot your videos vertically. These videos can increase engagement, making users more likely to save and share. If you want to use a video of a different size, reformat it to 2:3 or 9:16 to see if it is appropriate for the platform before posting.
Add a link
You want your audience to watch your video, but that’s not all. Users often use Pinterest as a search engine for more of what they love. Inspire more action from your audience by adding a link to your store, website, or other social media platforms to funnel users to more of what you offer. This is a perfect tool for e-commerce/affiliate content; you can drop your affiliate link right in.
15 minutes or less
Pinterest has a video cap of 15 minutes, but this doesn’t mean you should meet it. Unlike YouTube, Pinterest users are not interested in staying on one piece of content within the platform for hours. The average user will give you about 30 seconds. Try to keep your videos short and to the point.
Pinterest aesthetic
Don’t forget–Pinterest is rooted in being a platform for aesthetically pleasing images, and video pins on Pinterest are no exception. To catch loyal users, your videos must be eye-catching. Put your best foot forward by prioritizing quality and sharp shots in all your videos.
True Anthem can help with Pinterest
Are you looking for more support with growing on Pinterest? We got you. Here are some other articles that can help you create a strong, optimized account:
Consistency is the most important step to growing on Pinterest, regardless of your niche or size. Whatever your social media team determines it can produce on Pinterest per week is what you should be sticking to day after day.
Our AI-powered social media tool helps publishers stay consistent with posting by providing the ability to schedule future posts and monitor post-performance. Plus, our dashboard supports all the video specs Pinterest is looking for, making it possible to post on your Pinterest platform and all your other accounts in one place.
Request a demo to see how True Anthem’s tool can help you stay consistent on Pinterest, or contact us for more information.
