Steal my strategy, it really works!
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First of all, let me be clear: this is not a guarantee that you’ll get the exact same results. There are always factors outside of strategy that come into play like your content niche, the time of year, and even how Pinterest is prioritizing content at that moment.
But what I can say is this: if these results hadn’t happened for me within my first 6 months, I’m confident they would have happened within my first year, simply by sticking to this strategy.
If you’re here because you’re new to blogging or you’re in your first year of building your site, welcome! I know how overwhelming it can feel to figure out where to spend your time.
Why I Focused on Ad Placements Early On
When I started my blog, my number one goal was simple: make an income from it so I could continue to stay home with my kids.
Yes, I love creating content. But let’s be honest. the freedom to make money from home was what drove me to keep going in those early months.
For me, that income has come from three main sources:
- Ad revenue
- Affiliate links
- Sponsored posts
Affiliate links are something you can add to your site right away, but ads and sponsored posts require traffic in order to qualify. Most ad networks want to see at least 10,000 monthly visitors (though some are higher). Sponsored posts often require even more reach.
So the question became: how do you get that traffic on a brand-new blog?
Quick reality check: my first month of blog ads was less than $20. But within a few months, that turned into consistent triple digits, and it has only grown since. That’s why building traffic early mattered so much.
Before You Start: Set Up Your Blog the Right Way
Before you put too much focus on ads or traffic, make sure your blog is set up correctly.
If you’re just starting out, check out my post: Step by Step: How to Start a Blog. You’ll want to have your domain, hosting, theme, and tracking tools in place (like Google Analytics and Google Search Console). Otherwise, you’ll waste valuable time and effort.
Tools I Used in My First 6 Months
- Canva Pro (for pin creation, worth every penny for resizing and templates)
- Pinterest Business Account (free, but essential for analytics + Rich Pins)
- Pinterest’s Scheduler (so I could stay consistent without daily posting)
- Google Analytics (to track what was working and what wasn’t)
My Pinterest Strategy That Took Me From 20K to 200K Views
1. Consistently Create New Content
In the beginning, I made it a goal to publish 3–4 new blog posts per month. Some months I managed more, but I always aimed for at least three.
Extra tip: link your new content back to older posts. For example, in my Christmas activity posts, I also link to my cardboard box activity series. It makes sense seasonally (holidays = extra boxes!) and gives readers a reason to explore more of my blog.
2. Create Multiple Pins for Each Blog Post
Every single blog post I wrote got at least 3–5 fresh pins. These included different images, graphics, and titles to test what performed best.
If you don’t already, make sure you’ve set up Pinterest boards that are specific and niche-related. Your pins will likely overlap. For example, I have boards like:
- Winter Activities
- At-Home Toddler Activities
- Screen-Free Toddler Fun
All three are slightly different but often share the same pin opportunities.
I recommend starting with at least 10 boards, though you’ll likely add more as your blog grows.
Pinterest Mistakes I See All the Time
- Only making one pin per post and moving on
- Posting once in a while instead of consistently
- Pinning to random “catch-all” boards instead of niche-specific boards
- Waiting until December to post Christmas pins (by then, you’ve missed the traffic wave!)
3. Schedule Your Pins
I used the Pinterest scheduler to plan out pins so I wasn’t overwhelming my account all at once. This also helped me stay consistent without having to manually post every single day.
4. Post Content Ahead of the Season
This one is huge: Pinterest takes 4–6 weeks for pins to gain traction.
That means if you want your Christmas activities to trend, you need to be pinning them in September or October. If you want Easter content to take off, get those pins out in February.
Posting ahead of the curve gives Pinterest time to index your pins and put them in front of searchers when the season hits.
My Timeline in the First 6 Months
Month 1–2 (July/August 2024):
- Launched my blog
- Published 8 posts (evergreen + Halloween activities)
- Set up Pinterest boards and pinned 3–5 times daily
Month 3–4 (September/October 2024):
- Published 3 new posts per month (added Christmas + gift guides)
- Created 3–5 pins for each post
- Traffic climbed to ~50K monthly sessions
Month 5–6 (November/December 2024):
- Christmas pins gained traction right as the season hit
- Traffic spiked to 200K Pinterest views
- Qualified for ads in December 🎉
5. Add a Pin to the Bottom of Every Blog Post
I always place 1–2 pin images at the bottom of each blog post so readers can easily save them to their own boards. The more opportunities you give people to share your content, the better.
What I’d Add Now (After a Year of Doing This)
When I first started, I didn’t focus on repinning, but now I see how valuable it is.
If you publish a blog post (let’s say, cardboard box activities), don’t just pin it to one board and move on. A few days or weeks later, repin it to another relevant board. Repeat this across all the boards where it fits.
And don’t forget to mix in repins from other creators too. It signals to Pinterest that you’re curating quality content, not just promoting yourself.
Encouragement & Real Talk
I know it can feel like you’re pouring hours into something that isn’t growing fast enough. I’ve been there. But blogging isn’t about going viral overnight, it’s about stacking small wins until the momentum kicks in.
Even when the numbers were tiny, I reminded myself: every single view meant someone found my content helpful. That mindset kept me going.
If you need a little more motivation: here are the 5 things I didn’t let stop me in my first year of blogging.
Final Thoughts
This strategy completely transformed my blog’s traffic and income. Within 6 months, I went from 20K Pinterest views to 200K and was accepted into an ad network. That was the stepping stone to earning real, consistent income from my blog.
I’m still working toward bigger blog goals, but this method has given me the momentum I needed. I’m not a Pinterest expert, just a mom who stuck with what worked and shared the process along the way.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start small. Create your blog, publish content regularly, and get a few pins out there every week. Consistency really does add up.
You’ve got this, and I can’t wait to see your blog grow!
xx,
Ciara
