9 Proven Strategies to Become a Pinterest Manager

Pinterest is the next frontier when it comes to advertising, and businesses are starting to see its potential. However, a lot of business owners find themselves not knowing how to build their reach and market themselves on Pinterest. Even those who are comfortable creating blog posts and things like Facebook updates may not have a handle on Pinterest.

This is where becoming a Pinterest manager comes in. Companies need a Pinterest marketing strategy, which you can provide. You’ll just need the right knowledge to get started!

Why is Pinterest such a great place for businesses? Well, 97% of searches on the platform are unbranded. That is, instead of searching for a particular brand, people are searching for ideas and inspiration.

This means that when a particular brand can offer that, they are likely to gain a new customer – and if you’re just the person to give a brand that reach, clients will be busting down your door to pay for your Pinterest management services.

What is a Pinterest manager?

A Pinterest manager is someone who helps businesses meet their online marketing goals using Pinterest. They understand the platform and the marketing techniques that work to drive traffic to a client’s site or to convert sales for clients’ products and services.

Basically, they ensure that a client is getting traffic from Pinterest, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on other aspects of their business.

This means that they’re essentially a virtual assistant whose work includes – or, better yet, exclusively provides – Pinterest management services.

Because of this, you’ll often see references to someone being a Pinterest virtual assistant rather than a Pinterest manager – but don’t worry, they’re basically different names for the same thing.

What does a Pinterest manager do?

A Pinterest manager handles many aspects of a business’ Pinterest account. This includes setting up the account if needed, keywording their profile, and ongoing keyword research. Pinterest manager services also include creating boards, pinning and designing pins, and monitoring analytics through Pinterest and Google to measure marketing success.

Essentially, as may be clear from the job title, you’re going to be responsible for managing someone’s entire Pinterest account, including likely creating their overall strategy.

The exact way that this will look will depend on your client’s overall goals. For example, are they trying to generate traffic to their site? Or are they looking to market a particular product or service they’re selling? Either way, discussing this with your client will help you craft the strategy based on this.

FYI: If you want some more ideas on the kinds of services you can offer as a Pinterest manager, check out this list of over 275 services to see the direction you want your new Pinterest management business to take.

How to become a Pinterest manager

If you want to become a Pinterest manager, there are some steps you can take. These include gaining a working knowledge of Pinterest for marketing and marketing yourself!

1. Learn Pinterest marketing

The truth is, using Pinterest for business is different than using it for pleasure. It’s the same with any social media platform. This means even if you are an avid Pinterest user, there’s a learning curve.

You can learn the ins and outs yourself, but it can be time-consuming. You may also realize there are knowledge gaps when you begin your career as a Pinterest manager.

This is where specialized training comes in through doing a Pinterest manager course that’s specifically targeted at helping you hit the ground running in your new VA business.

That is, if you want to learn everything you need to know to be a successful Pinterest manager, the Become a Pinterest VA course is easily my pick for the best online training in this field.

This training includes all the skills you’ll need to be a Pinterest manager. This includes everything you need to know about Pinterest, such as designing pins, doing keyword research and monitoring analytics.

But, importantly, it also goes in-depth into growing your understanding of the business side of things – which is often something more of us struggle with when trying to launch a business in this field. It covers topics like:

• How exactly to find clients and land a Pinterest manager position
• The best strategies for onboarding and working with clients
• The fees you should charge so you’re not being underpaid
• Carefully refined templates you can use to launch your services with clients, invoice them and more

Find out more about the Become a Pinterest VA course here.

2. Create a website promoting your services

If you already have a website as a virtual assistant, it’s time to add Pinterest project management to your list of services. On the other hand, if you are just entering the field, you’ll need to create a website.

Include your skills and links to your Pinterest portfolio to show off the kind of work you can offer potential clients. You should also display any qualifications you have (including any Pinterest VA certifications you’ve worked for!) and, once you have previous clients, analytics and testimonials from previous them as examples of your success.

3. Create a Pinterest portfolio

This is a great way to show off your Pinterest management skills. If you haven’t created a Pinterest page, now is the time to make one. If you already have a page, it’s time to take it more seriously.

Manage and grow your page. Keep track of the analytics. You should see your page performing better over time. This shows your Pinterest management skills to potential clients.

(And if you’re not sure exactly how to do that, I can’t recommend highly enough the course Pinteresting Strategies. Not only is it seriously good value based on the huge amount of information it covers, the course developer, Carly, is fantastic at what she does and continually updates it to ensure you’re learning about current best practices at all times.)

4. Check out the competition

Before you begin pricing, it’s helpful to check out your competition. Look at Pinterest managers of all skill and experience levels. This not only helps you decide what to charge now, but it gives you an idea of what you can expect to make in the future.

It’s usually best to price in the middle, so don’t charge the lowest prices or the highest. Instead, aim for an equilibrium between the two. However, don’t forget to charge what you are worth.

Take a look at these virtual assistant websites for some ideas of what the competition is asking for – although noting that many of these are more general VAs rather than Pinterest-specific.

5. Research and create pricing packages

Before you begin searching for clients, you’ll need to know what you are offering and what you will charge.

Imagine going into a store and asking if they have an item in stock. They reply with a maybe. You ask how much it costs, and they say they haven’t priced it yet. You’ll walk out and make the purchase at another store.

The concept is the same when you are offering services as a Pinterest manager. Potential clients want to know what they can expect.

6. Find a beta client

Before you go live as a Pinterest manager, it can be helpful to find a beta client. It’s best to have your pricing packages laid out beforehand, but you may do some tweaking after working with your beta client.

Offer your beta client a discounted rate, but don’t work for free. You should also let them know that the discount is contingent on them giving you a testimonial.

You’ll need to work with them for at least 30 days to see results, but even up to 90 days is better. Pinterest is a slow moving platform, so results take time.

Now you have valuable experience working with an actual client. This means you’ll have a better idea of what your particular skill set is, including what you enjoy doing and what you don’t. You’ll also have a working knowledge of how long tasks will take, which can help you streamline your pricing structure.

Want to see just how to land your first client – for free? Why not check out the free webinar available here from Kristin, the creator of the Become a Pinterest VA course!

7. Market to acquaintances

Now that you have a public presence as a Pinterest manager, it’s time to start marketing. If you have a virtual assistant business, reach out to current or former clients. You may find many of them are interested in your Pinterest management services.

You should also reach out to friends and family members. In fact, this is a great way to practice your pitch. You’ll likely find you are more confident speaking with people you already know about your business. The more you practice, the more confidence and skill you’ll develop.

8. Cold marketing

To get your Pinterest management business up and running, you’ll likely need to do some cold marketing. One of the best ways to do this is through email.

An easy way to get started with this is to browse Pinterest accounts. When you see one that can benefit from your services, send them an email.

Be sure to include exactly how you can help them by citing specific things you can improve. This also creates a personalized approach that wins many more clients than sending a stock email to all potential clients.

9. Join Facebook groups

A lot of online business owners who are the type to hire Pinterest managers join thriving communities of other website owners. And in many cases, these people can be found on Facebook.

Given that a good strategy to find clients is to go where they are, this means that you should consider doing the same. That said, don’t immediately start marketing yourself. The key here is to build trust in the community, perhaps by answering questions or offering advice that show off your expertise.

Then, once group members start to see that you really know your stuff, that can be the time to drop that, well, actually, you’re a freelance Pinterest manager for hire if they’d like to take a look at your Pinterest management services. This can end up being a great way to build your client list by targeting people who already have some interest in what you’re offering.

How long does it take to become a Pinterest manager?

Setting up your website for your Pinterest management services will only take a day or so. From there, many people land their first client within 30 days of starting, although it can take 6-12 months to make a full-time income as a Pinterest manager.

This means that getting a Pinterest manager position can be a great side hustle at first, as you can accept one or two clients on the side of your main job to build your skills and experience.

That also means that you shouldn’t be completely reliant at first on your Pinterest manager income, which can be tough if you have no other income streams as things can take a while to get moving.

You could even keep this as a part time online job if you prefer. In fact, one of the best parts about learning how to become a Pinterest manager is that you can get to a point where you can choose to work as much or as little as you want. 

That is, the more clients you accept, the more hours you’re dedicating to this work. Want to cut back? Then simply let potential clients know that your books are full at the moment.

How do you become an expert on Pinterest?

Becoming an expert on Pinterest might sound daunting, but it just takes a bit of time and effort. Some tips to do this include:

1. Create or update your Pinterest account: If you don’t have an account, now is the time to make one. If you already have one, it’s time to update it to reflect your skills.
2. Create pins and boards: Get comfortable creating pins and boards. Learn what makes pins attractive.
3. Get training: Get some virtual assistant training to help you learn Pinterest management so you really hit the ground running. As mentioned earlier, my top pick for this is definitely the Become a Pinterest VA course (and its free webinar at that link!).
4. Optimize your portfolio: Use Pinterest SEO to optimize your Pinterest portfolio. Your first client is essentially yourself!
5. Join group boards: Group boards allow you to post pins and view others’ pins. Targeted boards are great for collaboration.
6. Choose a niche: Finding a niche can help you get clients and make more money. It also allows you to focus your efforts.
7. Focus on Pinterest: Don’t try to become an expert in all social media platforms. Instead, focus on Pinterest and, if you really want to, one or two other platforms. It’s better to build your expertise than spread yourself too thinly. That said…
8. Learn about other platforms too: To become a Pinterest expert, you’ll need to focus the majority of your effort on Pinterest. However, Pinterest doesn’t exist in a vacuum. For example, you may want to pin your client’s Facebook post or Youtube video. Perhaps you want to promote Pinterest on Instagram. Choose two other platforms to have at least a working knowledge of while becoming a Pinterest expert.

How do Pinterest managers make money?

Yes, you can make money as a Pinterest manager. It may seem hard to believe that something you enjoy doing can be a full-time career, but it can. Follow these tips to make the most of your Pinterest management career!

1. Create pricing packages: Pricing packages make it easy for clients to see what you offer and how much your services cost.
2. Offer add-ons: Add-ons can help you maximize your profits by providing extra services.
3. Maintain analytics: Keeping track of analytics can show potential clients how you can benefit their business
4. Update pricing: As you gain experience, update your prices. The more experience you have, the more you can charge.
5. Consider a niche: If you have knowledge of a specific niche, consider focusing on that. Having a niche often allows you to charge higher rates.

How much do Pinterest virtual assistants make?

Most Pinterest virtual assistants make between $75 to $100 an hour. You will likely charge less at first but can build this up, with experienced Pinterest managers easily making more than $1,000 each month per client, with a $300 initial set up fee also being common.

Pricing depends on what the client wants, including the extent of the services requested and the time needed for these. 

That is, some clients may only need a few hours of work each month, while others want more services that take more time, like creating new pins and adding these to their account every day.

Of course, knowledge and experience are both important considerations. If you have a good knowledge of Pinterest management, it helps make up for a lack of experience.

You may also be interested in: 31 Best Jobs With No Customer Interaction (That Pay Well)

Should you specialize in a niche?

It sounds counterintuitive, especially if you are trying to land your first clients. Why would you narrow your potential client pool?

Specializing in a niche offers several benefits. First, you can become an expert in one field.

Perhaps you love fashion, so you decide to work with fashion brands and bloggers. If cooking is your forte, you can work with restaurants and food bloggers. Is travel your passion? Work with travel companies.

Your expertise in the field will make you more attractive to clients and help you stand out from other Pinterest managers.

It also gives you valuable experience. Once you learn what works within your specialty, you can apply this to your work for other clients.

Specializing also allows you to charge more money. Clients will naturally want to work with someone who not only understands Pinterest management, but their field as well.

How do Pinterest managers get clients?

There are many ways you can find clients as a Pinterest manager. Remember, perseverance and confidence are key to successfully landing clients. You may get a lot of no responses before you get a yes, and that’s ok!

1. Cold email potential clients. This doesn’t have the highest hit rate but as you start to get a few nibbles on your fishing line, your business will start to find its feet.
2. Network on Instagram and Facebook groups. For example, I’ve seen tons of Pinterest managers find clients in Facebook groups targeted at bloggers and other online business owners. So find a niche or two and connect with people in the niche.
3. Use Pinterest itself: Message or email potential clients you see on Pinterest.
4. Approach companies you love: Most Pinterest jobs are remote, but that doesn’t have to always be the case. For instance, do you frequent a local business that would benefit from a Pinterest account? Is there a small brand that you are passionate about? Reach out to them.
5. Update your LinkedIn profile. Some potential clients search LinkedIn for professional VAs so make sure your LinkedIn profile has all the right keywords for someone to find you.
6. Tell everyone: Tell everyone you are now the best Pinterest manager around. Blog about it. Post it on Instagram and Facebook. Let your family and friends know what you do.
7. Search training job boards: If you choose a training course, you can find clients through their job board or posts. There are lots of clients that hire students who have completed training programs – some of which you can see in our article on virtual assistant websites.
8. Enthusiasm: Be enthusiastic about your new career and your skills. Your enthusiasm is one of your biggest selling points.
9. Find your tribe: You’ll need support on your journey. Find a Facebook group or forum for Pinterest managers. You’ll find sage advice and a sense of community.

Best practices for finding a freelance Pinterest manager job

The easiest way to find a freelance Pinterest manager job is getting client leads through your training program. You’ll want to have your own Pinterest account performing well and have a basic business website.

Remember every interaction with a potential client is a learning experience. Albert Einstein said, “Persistence is the most powerful force on earth, it can move mountains.”

So imagine what success your own persistence can bring you in your new Pinterest manager position!