Can you go viral on Pinterest?

Well yes and no.

Here's the thing: Pinterest is a visual search engine. The things that go viral are the ones that people are searching for.

Just because you design a nice-looking vertical pin doesn't mean it will go viral and get lots of clicks. In fact, it can take years (yes, years!) for your pins to start gaining attention and traffic.

I have pins I created 3 or 4 years ago that are still getting repinned and then some just recently started getting attention even though the pin design is quite poor, to be honest. I guess people are just searching for a certain topic and my Pin covers it.

It's also important to start steering away from the traditional vertical pin and move to video and idea pins.

What is a viral pin?

Going viral on Pinterest is different than going viral on a social media platform like TikTok, for example. There, a video might get millions of views in just a few days.

On Pinterest, a viral pin is one that gets repinned a lot and shows up in the search results often.

A single viral pin can bring you thousands of page views to your website and hundreds of new email subscribers.

It can take months or even years to create a viral pin, but once it starts getting attention, it can be an incredibly powerful tool for attracting new traffic and leads.

On TikTok stories and TikTok videos, you can get views for a few weeks maybe but then you need to create more. One single Pinterest pin, on the other hand, can keep bringing you traffic for years.

What kind of content goes viral on Pinterest?

The secret to going viral is to make what the Pinterest algorithm likes and wants and right now that's:

Idea pins

Pins that are simple, to-the-point, and tell the viewer everything they need to know without them having to click through to your website. These are the pins that do well on Pinterest.

They are similar to Facebook or Instagram stories but they don't disappear in 24 hours. Instead, these idea pins teach people how to do something, or they show something like an outfit idea, recipe, etc.

You can even create idea pins about a certain product and it will go viral if done right but you'll need to include affiliate links on a blog or LTK or Link.tree

So if you want your pins to go viral on Pinterest, focus on creating great idea pins that help people learn something new or find a solution to their problem.

Read: Is Pinterest still relevant?

Video pins

People love watching videos on Pinterest (and other social media platforms) because they're easy to consume and don't require a lot of time.

Video pins can be live or pre-recorded, and they can include product demonstrations, tutorials, etc. They should be short and get straight to the point so that people know exactly what you're offering them.

And finally, it's important to make sure your video pins are optimized for Pinterest with great descriptions and titles.

Just keep in mind: people are searching for something, so provide an answer or idea they'll like!

Read: How to use Pinterest for business: a comprehensive guide

How do I make my Pinterest go viral?

Everyone would love to increase their social media traffic and see themselves go viral on Pinterest.

However, not everyone is able to achieve this goal. You might think that there is no way that you can make your pins popular but you are wrong!

There are some things that you need to do in order for your content to become a success and get lots of re-pins or views.

The key to going viral on Pinterest is creating high-quality, relevant content that appeals to your target audience. This means focusing on topics or themes that are popular and timely, using attractive images or videos, and providing useful information or entertainment value.

You should also consider using Pinterest-specific SEO strategies to ensure that your pins are being seen by as many people as possible. This includes choosing keywords wisely, optimizing your pin descriptions, and using trending ideas.

Finally, remember that it takes time and effort to go viral on any social media platform. Be patient and keep creating great content, especially idea pins if you want Pinterest to share your content to people's home feeds.