Pinterest for Nonprofits: 5 Tips On When to Use It for Your Organization

Back in 2012, a new social media marketing platform burst onto the scene. And this one was unlike any other! 

Rather than using likes and comments to engage with other users, this platform involved “pinning” ideas to virtual bulletin boards. 

And it was all the rage. It’s still one of the most popular platforms to use today! 

But can it be used for nonprofit organizations? That’s what we’re discussing in our article – Pinterest for nonprofits! 

 

What is Pinterest? 

Pinterest is still technically a social media platform, just like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. 

But it works much differently. It resembles a “visual Google” search-engine type platform. 

So rather than engaging with other users by using likes and comments, you can search for ideas, information, and inspiration using Pinterest. 

And the main takeaway is that these pins that users create can lead off of the Pinterest site. They can navigate viewers straight to other websites. That’s particularly fantastic for nonprofits who use blogging as a consistent form of marketing! 

 

Is Pinterest for Nonprofits Still Relevant? 

Since it came out about 10 years ago, this is a great question. Is Pinterest for nonprofits still relevant? 

Pinterest currently ranks as the 14th largest platform in the world as of January. It’s not as popular as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok. 

But it does beat platforms like Twitter and Reddit. 

And Pinterest currently has 459 million monthly active users. That means your organization has a wide audience to tap into with Pinterest for nonprofits! 

 

When Might Pinterest for Nonprofits Be a Good Idea for Your Organization? 

While Pinterest for nonprofits is still a valid form of marketing, it may not be the best choice for every single nonprofit out there. 

So how do you know when to consider pursuing Pinterest marketing? 

Here are some of our tips on whether or not it’s a good idea for your organization: 

 

1. If Your Nonprofit Blogs Consistently

One of the main ways users create content on Pinterest is by creating “pins” to promote their recent blog posts. 

Users mainly do this by creating graphic images with the title of their blog post in Canva. 

If your nonprofit uses blogging as a tool for content marketing and sharing information, then you’ll easily have enough content to post to Pinterest! ‘

You can use your Pinterest pins to direct users to each blog post on your nonprofit website. 

 

2. If Your Nonprofit Uses eCommerce for Merchandise

Believe it or not, many nonprofits use Pinterest marketing to promote their merchandise. If you have an eCommerce store that sells merchandise for your nonprofit, you can use Pinterest to market it! 

Pinterest has a section of their site that’s dedicated solely to “shopping.” So you can tag your pins as a “shop” pin. And people can easily shop for items from your nonprofit! 

 

3. If Your Nonprofit’s Ideal Audience Are Women

Our sister site, Nonprofit-Apps, talked about choosing social media platforms for nonprofits based on your target audience. 

There’s no sense in using time, resources, and energy on a marketing tool that doesn’t cater to your audience. Otherwise, your audience will be on another platform – and they won’t see your nonprofit! 

Pinterest users are 81% women! So if your ideal audience primarily consists of women, then Pinterest for nonprofits may be a great fit for your organization. 

 

4. If Your Nonprofit Uses Video or Visual Marketing

Some nonprofits inherently have more visual content to pull from. For example, if your nonprofit primarily focuses on wildlife conservation, then you may have more visuals you can make Pinterest pins out of. 

Nonprofit organizations such as Rainforest Trust and Charity: Water do this on their Pinterest for nonprofits’ marketing plans! 

Or maybe your organization focuses on creating nonprofit videos. If that’s the case, you can repurpose your nonprofit video marketing into Pinterest pins to promote your organization! 

 

 

5. If Your Nonprofit Wants to Prioritize Website Traffic

Pinterest marketing for nonprofits is one of the best ways to quickly boost traffic to your website. 

It works similarly to Google, and it operates based on similar SEO best practices as Google search does. And, Pinterest moves faster than Google does. So while you’re waiting for Google’s search results to kick in for your nonprofit website, you can start seeing results on Pinterest! 

Double down on your SEO efforts by starting with a blog post that prioritizes search engine optimization for Google. 

Then create Pinterest pin graphics using Canva that uses SEO best practices for Pinterest. 

And if you want to get started with Canva to create your Pinterest marketing, check out our free training! 

Grab Your Seat in Our FREE Canva for Nonprofits Training! 

 

How Do Nonprofits Use Pinterest? 3 Examples of Nonprofits Using Pinterest Like a Pro!

Depending on your nonprofit, you may use Pinterest differently than other organizations. And that’s okay! There are all kinds of Pinterest for nonprofit strategies you can use. 

Here are some of our favorites: 

 

1. Charity: Water Uses Pinterest for Nonprofits to Highlight Work in the Field

Charity: Water is one of the nonprofits that has nailed down marketing for their organization. And that includes Pinterest for nonprofits! 

They create pins that primarily showcase the work they’re doing to bring clean drinking water to developing countries. 

The majority of their pins are simply photographs taken in the field. Yet each pin directs the user to a page on their website! So they’re repurposing visual content to drive more traffic to their site. In turn, that creates more awareness for their nonprofit organization! 

 

2. Grist Uses Pinterest for Nonprofits to Promote Educational, Actionable Content

With a whopping 1.2 million monthly views, Grist is doing an excellent job of using Pinterest marketing to bring educational content to their viewers. They’re working hard to use Pinterest to educate the public on environmental news. 

They have a board titled, “Green Your Home,” that’s filled with pins that direct to blog posts on their site. And from there, viewers can take actionable steps to better protect the environment from their homes! 

 

3. Rainforest Trust Uses Pinterest for Nonprofits to Promote Strong Visual Content and Data

Rainforest Trust does a great job of using strong visual content to inspire their viewers. They use photographs of different animals found in rainforests throughout the world. And they know their content inspires and delights viewers. Plus, they use their photographs to direct viewers to their website so they can learn more about those specific animals! 

Plus, Rainforest Trust has an entire board dedicated to infographics for rainforests around the globe. They’re using Pinterest for nonprofits to educate viewers about the dire help these rainforests need! 

The Pinterest pins then direct viewers to read more information on the Rainforest Trust website. 

 

Pinterest is still a relevant platform for marketing, especially if your nonprofit already blogs consistently! 

And if you’re looking to create stunning graphics to start your Pinterest for nonprofits strategy, then Canva can help you. 

Grab Your Seat in Our FREE Canva for Nonprofits Training! 

 

 

Happy Pinning! 

-Your Friends at Nonprofit Library