8 Proven Ways to Skyrocket Your Pinterest Repins Using Data-Driven Image Optimization
Are you looking to take your Pinterest marketing to the next level in 2024? With over 400 million active users globally, Pinterest offers huge potential for businesses to reach engaged audiences. But in a sea of content, how can you make your Pins stand out and inspire people to repin and interact with your brand?
The answer lies in optimizing your Pin images based on data and insights into what makes people engage on Pinterest. A study by visual marketing platform Curalate analyzed over 500,000 images on Pinterest to uncover the specific visual elements that drive the most repins.
By implementing their findings, you can dramatically boost the performance of your Pins. In fact, tweaking just a few key aspects of your images, from color and lightness to aspect ratio and background, can increase repins by 2x, 10x, or even 20x!
Let‘s dive into the 8 most important data-backed ways to optimize your Pin images in 2024. We‘ll explore what the research shows, provide visual examples, and share practical tips you can apply to your own Pinterest strategy.
1. Use Reddish-Orange Colors to Double Your Repins
One of the most striking findings from Curalate‘s study was the impact of dominant color on repins. Images with a primarily reddish-orange color palette received about twice as many repins as images that were dominantly blue.
Why is this? Warm colors like red and orange are known to stimulate energy, passion, excitement and urgency. They grab attention and elicit strong visceral reactions compared to cool, calming colors like blue.
When creating or curating images for Pinterest, consider using reddish-orange hues to make your Pins pop. You can incorporate these colors in your product photos, graphic designs, text overlays, or backgrounds. Tools like Adobe Color can help you generate reddish-orange color palettes.
2. Embrace Multiple Dominant Colors for 3x Repins Vs Single Colors
In addition to reddish-orange being the most repinnable individual color, Pins with multiple dominant colors performed even better. Images containing multiple (2+) dominant colors had 3.25 times more repins on average than images with a single dominant color.
Using multiple colors adds visual interest, depth and texture to your Pins. It prevents them from looking flat or bland. Having contrasting color blocks guides the eye around the image to take in the whole composition.
Try enhancing your Pin images with 2-4 dominant colors that complement each other. The 60-30-10 rule is a classic principle of using a three-color palette in design, where you choose a dominant color for 60% of the composition, a secondary color for 30%, and an accent for 10%.
3. Keep Your Images Medium-Light to Get 20x More Repins
The lightness value of an image, or how light or dark it is overall, also had a massive impact on repins. Medium light images were repinned 20 times more on average than very dark images. Light images also outperformed dark ones.
Brightness attracts the eye and makes it easier to perceive the image content, especially on mobile screens which most Pinterest users are browsing on. If your images are too dark, people may scroll right past without stopping to look closer.
Aim for a balanced, medium level of brightness in your Pins. You can use photo editing tools to adjust the exposure and contrast. Make sure important elements like text are clearly legible against the background.
4. Use 50% Color Saturation for 10x Repins Vs Low Saturation
Similar to color and lightness, the saturation or intensity of colors in an image affects its stopping power. The study found 50% saturated images get a whopping 10 times more repins on average compared to very desaturated, washed out images.
<image of desaturated vs 50% saturated pin>
Vivid, richly saturated colors appear more lifelike and impactful than dull, faded, grayish tones. Moderate color saturation makes your Pins look bold and eye-catching without being garish.
When editing your images, bump up the saturation to around 50% for optimal repinnability. You want the colors to look lush and lively, but not neon or oversaturated to the point of looking artificial.
5. Choose a Vertical 2:3 Aspect Ratio for 60% More Repins
While Pinterest allows square and vertical format Pins, the study revealed that aspect ratio can significantly influence engagement. Moderately vertical Pins with an aspect ratio between 2:3 and 4:5 had 60% more repins than very tall Pins with a narrow width.
Pinterest‘s current recommended aspect ratios are 2:3 (1000 x 1500 pixels) for standard Pins and 1:2.1 (1000 x 2100 pixels) for giraffe Pins. The 2:3 ratio in particular takes up more real estate in the Pinterest feed on both mobile and desktop, giving your Pins maximum visibility.
When designing Pinterest graphics, plan your compositions to work well within a 2:3 frame. Place your most important visual elements in the middle 60% of the height. Avoid cramming too much content toward the top or bottom where it could get cut off.
6. Minimize Visible Backgrounds to Increase Repins Up to 4x
Pinterest images tend to have the most success with bold, clean, simple compositions. The study found that images with less than 10% background space had 2-4 times more repins than images with over 40% background showing.
Negative space serves a purpose in design, but too much of it detracts focus from the key subject of your Pin. Excessive background can make the overall image look empty, boring and low-effort.
Zoom in and crop your images tightly around the most important part of the scene, whether it‘s a product, food dish, model, or text. Use a complementary background color, pattern or texture, but don‘t let it dominate the frame.
7. Aim for Smooth, Polished Pin Textures to Get 17x Repins
The level of detail and perceived texture of an image was another key finding in the study. Images with a smooth visual texture were repinned an impressive 17 times more than images with a rough, grainy, or highly textured appearance.
This makes sense when you consider how Pinterest is used for inspiration and aspiration. People want to pin images that look sleek, clean and high-quality. Rough, unfocused, amateur-looking images are less desirable to save and associate oneself with.
To optimize texture, use high-resolution photos and graphics for your Pins. Avoid lo-fi filters that degrade the image clarity. Apply selective blur or gradient smoothing if needed to achieve a soft, polished look.
8. Skip the Faces in Product Pins for 23% More Repins
Interestingly, the research found that pins without human faces performed better for certain types of content. Brand images without faces had 23% more repins compared to brand images showing faces.
However, faces did increase repins on less overtly commercial "lifestyle" images. The key is to consider the context and purpose of the Pin. For straight-forward product Pins meant to drive sales, it‘s best to spotlight the product itself.
In Pins with a human element, choose photos where the face is partially obscured or out of frame. It keeps the emphasis on the relevant details like an outfit, hairstyle or pose. But for DIY, inspirational and relatable content, genuine faces can boost personal connection.
Putting It All Together
As you can see, a few strategic visual tweaks can dramatically amplify your Pinterest performance. To recap, here are the 8 data-backed ways to optimize your Pin images:
- Use reddish-orange colors for 2x repins vs blue
- Include multiple dominant colors for 3.25x repins vs single color
- Keep images medium-light for 20x repins vs very dark
- Use 50% color saturation for 10x repins vs desaturated
- Choose vertical 2:3 aspect ratio for 60% more repins vs tall & narrow
- Show <10% background for 2-4x repins vs >40% background
- Aim for smooth visual texture for 17x repins vs rough
- Skip faces in product Pins for 23% more repins
The power of Pinterest lies in its visual nature. People engage most with content that catches their eye, draws them in, and compels them to click, save and share.
To make the most of your Pinterest presence, it pays to be intentional about your visual styling and formatting. Leverage these research-backed best practices and A/B test them on your own audience.
With captivating images optimized for the Pinterest algorithm and aesthetic, you can turn your Pins into potent traffic and sales drivers for your brand. Stand out where it matters most on this influential discovery platform.
Happy Pinning!
