Pinterest isn’t just for recipes and DIY projects anymore – hooray! If you’re a an entrepreneur, you can use Pinterest to increase visibility, grow your audience, and establish your personal brand. This isn’t only for creatives! The business coaches, financial planners, or lawyers out there can also benefit from this. I’ve been averaging 60K+ reach in impressions, 100+ clicks and saves. Recently created a pin using Canva that earned over 246.9K impressions, 634 pin clicks, and 31 saves.

The best part? It linked back to my blog post about what to wear for creative branding photoshoots, which is amazing for Google SEO. In this post, I’ll walk you through exactly how you can use your own branding and headshot photos to get similar results on Pinterest.

1. Why Pinterest Works for Service-Based Professionals

Pinterest is not only esthetically pretty, it’s a powerful visual search engine. Unlike social media platforms where content quickly disappears in a feed, Pins have a much longer shelf life. This makes it ideal for service-based professionals who want to:

• Showcase their personal brand
• Attract dream clients
• Drive traffic to their website or blog

As a a creative entrepreneur, educator, business coach, lawyer, or financial advisor, your clients are looking for someone they can trust. High-quality branding photos help convey credibility, warmth, and professionalism—and Pinterest helps you get those images in front of the right audience.

 

 

2. Start with a Magnetic Photo

Your image is what stops the scroll. Use a professional headshot or branding photo where you look approachable and confident. Photos that perform well typically include:

• A friendly, natural smile
• Modern, on-brand outfits (think jumpsuits, monochromatic suits, clean lines)
• Simple, uncluttered backgrounds
• Natural lighting or studio lighting that feels bright and polished

Remember: people connect with people. Let your personality shine through.

*To find out what your Personal Brand Style is, take my Free Quiz on my website here!

 

 

3. Design a Scroll-Stopping Pin in Canva

You don’t have to be a graphic designer to create a beautiful Pin. Here’s a simple formula:

• Size: Use 1000×1500 px (Pinterest’s preferred vertical format) You drop your photos into Canva and can search for Pinterest Pin template sizes in Canva
• Text Overlay: Add a short, clear message like “Outfit Ideas for Branding Shoots” or “What to Wear for Headshots”
• Fonts & Colors: Stick to your brand guidelines for consistency
• Logo/Website: Add it to the bottom corner for brand recognition

Make it simple, clean, and easy to read on mobile devices.

 

 

4. Use High-Performing Keywords

Pinterest is a search engine, so keywords matter! The keywords that helped my pin take off included:

• Business portraits
• Headshots and branding inspiration
• Unique outfits for photos
• Jumpsuits
• Monochromatic relaxed suits

You can find trending keywords for YOUR industry using Pinterest’s search bar. Start typing a term (like “financial advice for…”) and let Pinterest auto-suggest ideas. Incorporate those exact phrases in:

• Your pin title
• Pin description
• The text on the image (use a Canva template to make things easy)
• Board names and descriptions

For example, if you’re a real estate lawyer, you can have boards dedicated to:

• Understanding mortgages
• Things first time home buyers need to know
• How to find your dream home
• Understanding closing costs and the escrow process
• Checklist on how to find the right real estate lawyer (that links out to your own website)

Make sure to tailor your keywords to your profession and what your ideal clients will be searching for.

 

 

5. Link to a Valuable Blog Post or Landing Page

Once your audience clicks your Pin, make sure they land somewhere worth their time. Link to:

• A blog post with information you promised them
• A free checklist or guide
• Your booking page

The blog post I linked to included outfit ideas for creative professionals, which aligned perfectly with the pin content.

Pro Tip: Add a clear call to action on your landing page or Blog post you’re linking like “Book your session today” or “Download the free guide.”

 

6. Save Pins to Niche Boards

Your Pin will perform better when saved to relevant boards. Here are a few board ideas:

• Branding Tips for Business Coaches
• Modern Headshot Inspiration
• Style Tips for Lawyers
• Personal Brand Building for Financial Advisors

Use SEO-friendly board names and fill out the board descriptions with keywords as well.

 

 

7. Bonus Tips for Even More Engagement

• Use Pinterest Trends to plan seasonal content (e.g. “Spring Clean Your Finances”)
• Pin consistently (2-3x per week) FYI, I don’t do this. This is for someone who really wants to take things to the highest level.
• Repurpose your Pin in different formats: carousels, infographics, or video Pins
• Pin during peak times (evenings and weekends)

 

Pinterest can be a powerful driver of traffic and visibility for service-based professionals. All it takes is a great photo, smart keywords, and a strategic design. If you’re ready to make your personal brand stand out on Pinterest, follow these steps and start pinning!

Ready to create branding photos that get clicks?
Book your session with Melissa Raelynn Photography HERE today!