Pinterest has a reputation as a platform women use to plan their next home renovation and learn to make mason jar salads. But hang in here with us for a minute or two as we make an argument for why your school should add Pinterest to your social media platforms.
If you’re unfamiliar with Pinterest, it’s a “visual discovery engine” where users find inspiration on topics from DIY projects to event planning and, yes, even recipes. In 2021, one of the most popular categories for Pinterest searches was education, with subcategory searches including subjects, education level, applied science, teacher resources, etc.
Let’s look at a few facts that should appeal to schools from Influencer Marketing’s “31 Mind-Blowing Pinterest Stats for 2022.”
- Pinterest has 444 million users.
- Pinterest is the fourth most popular social media site in the US, outranking LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter, and TikTok.
- Women are more likely to use Pinterest, and eight of ten moms use Pinterest.
Schools should definitely pay attention to that last point because women are more likely to be invested and actively engaged in their child’s education. The study indicates that one reason for the high number of women users is that the platform encourages users to form an emotional bond with Pinterest. Sounds a little weird, right? But a 2020 study of social media platforms looked at intimacy rankings, and Pinterest claimed second place. That means your school has an opportunity to connect emotionally with key stakeholders using Pinterest. So doesn’t it make sense for your school to have a presence there?
Best Practices for Pinterest

If your school is new to the world of Pinterest, here are five best practices you should be sure to follow:
Link to your Pinterest page from your website’s homepage with a graphic icon.
This will let people know they can find you on Pinterest and help drive traffic to your Pinterest page. For example, Region 9 Education Cooperative has all its social buttons listed prominently on its website’s homepage.
Link to your school’s website from your Pinterest page.
This “backlinking” to and from both pages helps your website with search engine optimization (SEO) and also makes it easy for people to find your school’s website, where they can find out more about who you are.
Fill out the profile section.
Make sure you highlight the most important features of your school in your school’s profile. This profile is visible to everyone who visits your Pinterest page.
Be sure to include where you are located, what type of school you are, and what grades you serve. Leaving this area blank or with a generic line like, “We are a public school,” leaves people with more questions than answers. Gadsden Independent School District is a good example.
Brand your Pinterest profile image.
Your Pinterest profile picture should be your school or district logo or mascot. The image you use should be the same or similar to what users will find on your website or other social pages. Willcox Unified Schools does an excellent job with this. Branding your school helps people to know they are in the right place.
Follow other schools and local businesses.
This not only lets you see what type of content others are pinning, but repinning content from other schools and local businesses will encourage them to repin your content. This is helpful if you are trying to spread the word about your school’s latest fundraiser, car wash, or canned food drive.
But it’s not just a great platform to reach parents; it’s also a great way to market your school. By following these five best Pinterest practices, your school is also engaging in good marketing.
Having a Pinterest presence helps more people find your school. By creating backlinks and optimizing your profile, you’re increasing your reach. And branding and networking are essential to good school marketing!