In this post, we’ll cover how over how to address this problem including how to find, report and prevent stolen pins so your Pinterest account can start growing again!

What Are Stolen Pins (And Why They’re a Big Problem Now)

Stolen pins are copies of your content that someone else re-uploads to Pinterest as their own. They will change the pin’s outbound URL, or they will upload the image without a link. Saving stolen pins without links seems to be a strategy to avoid the spam filter and possibly to help “build up” the account to sell later.

So, instead of your pin driving traffic to your content (where it should be going), stolen pins send users somewhere else. It’s usually:

• Spam websites
• Affiliate pages (sites.google websites are very popular for this right now)
• AI-generated blogs
• YouTube videos made from slideshows of (usually stolen) content

It’s extremely frustrating!

Fun fact: the more viral and high ranking pins on an account, the higher the chances of stolen pins becoming a major issue.

Why?

Because spammers scrape top-ranking pins in bulk and redistribute them with their spammy links or with no links.

Stolen pins have always been an issue on Pinterest. But lately, I’m noticing this problem is getting much, much worse.

I’m finding more and more of my clients’ pins linked to spammy affiliate sites or to YouTube lately.

And honestly…

I used to blissfully ignore this problem, but I don’t think that’s an option anymore.

So, how do we deal with stolen pins?

Well, there are 2 main ways I combat stolen pins on my own accounts and my client accounts, and that’s what we’ll cover here!

1. Content Claiming Portal

The Content Claiming Portal is Pinterest’s solution to preventing the stolen pin problem. It’s been around for awhile, but I really didn’t think it was worth the extra effort until now.

You can read the official help article, or read on to see how it works.

The Portal allows creators to protect their copyrighted images on the platform by uploading pin images and creating “claims.”

After applying and getting access, you’ll be able to upload your pin images and choose one of 4 actions:

1. Attribution – Adds a link to your Pinterest profile to any copies of your image.

2. Mine Only – Removes existing and all future pins that match your image and are not saved by you (I would avoid this since Other Pins can be a huge source of traffic!!).

3. Website Only – Only pins that match your image AND link to your website will remain on Pinterest.

4. Block All – Removes all instances of an image from Pinterest.

I always select Website Only:

This option will remove any pins with my images that are NOT linked to my claimed domain.

The Content Claiming Portal is not a perfect system by any means.

For example, as a test, I claimed 10 exact images from 10 stolen pins and only one has been removed from the platform.

But, I think 10% is better than 0%!

Pinterest also added a new column showing the number of Pins Affected by each claim:

This column reports real-time numbers, so they are not accumulative for 30 days or the last 24 hours (though I wish they would show us this data).

The highest number I’ve seen in this column was 310!

That’s 310 stolen copies of my pin image removed instantly!

So, although it’s not perfect, at least we know uploading our images here can have some positive effect on preventing the stolen pin problem.

When the Content Claiming Portal isn’t successful at removing stolen pins, I will resort to option #2: filing a DMCA Copyright Infringement claim.

2. File a Copyright Infringement Claim

DMCA stands for Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and it’s a US federal law that protects copyrighted material.

Since this is technically a legal matter, it’s important to state that I am not a lawyer and don’t pretend to be one on the internet. This is simply my understanding of our rights as content creators and the steps Pinterest has given us to protect our work on their platform.

In the United States, only YOU have the right to copy any design you create unless you give permission or license for the design to be copied.

If you find a stolen pin containing your work, you can report it by clicking on the 3 dots on the pin, and select Report Pin.

Then select, My intellectual property from the pop up menu:

That will bring you to the Copyright Infringement Notification form (view a sample here).

Make sure to uncheck the Remove All option on the form if the image matches your pin exactly. Remove All will remove YOUR copy as well:

I only select Strike if the account is clearly a spam account. You can tell they are spammy by checking to see if the images are branded with one URL (usually at the bottom of the image), but the links are pointing to a different domain than the branded URL.

This does take a little extra time to check for each stolen pin, but we want to make sure we’re not mistakenly giving an innocent user a copyright strike on their account.

Innocent users can accidentally save stolen pins THINKING they are legitimate. Not everyone checks to see what a pin is linked to before saving it. Plus, it’s really difficult to check a pin link on mobile where 80% of users are.

How to Speed Up & Simplify the Process

Finding and reporting stolen pins can be extremely overwhelming. But I’m a huge advocate for it, because I’ve seen firsthand how much it can turn an account around…

My adventure with stolen pins started after one of my accounts had a huge drop… Then a few weeks later, ANOTHER major drop to almost nothing:

I knew this account had pins being stolen, but I had no idea how bad it was!

All those stolen pins were quickly out-ranking all the legitimate pins, and the account was clearly suffering.

The GOOD news, is that once you realize stolen pins are an issue, you can start removing them, and the account can recover QUICKLY:

This recovery worked so well, that I’ve been refining and documenting my process of finding, reporting AND preventing stolen pins in my new course: Stolen Pin Protocol

Stolen Pin Protocol shows you the exact process I use for my accounts and for my clients including:

• 4 Methods to Find Stolen Pins
• How to Properly Report Stolen Pins
• Tips for Documenting Reported Pins
• Advanced Reporting Strategies & Protecting Top Pins (important!)
• Best Ways to Prevent Stolen Pins and more!

Sign up today and use the code PROTOCOL to get 50% OFF (or use this link)

You’ll see the exact process that have saved several of my accounts from dropping to almost nothing!

As someone who’s been marketing on Pinterest since 2019, I don’t think stolen pins are discussed enough in the Pinterest manager community. But hopefully this post and course will change that!

If you’re a Pinterest manager, be sure to connect with me in my free FB Group Pinterest VA Society and join in on the conversation.

And if you’d like to stay updated on all the Pinterest algorithm news, be sure to join my email list by signing up for the Free Pinterest Strategy Guide.

Happy pinning,

Amy

More Pinterest Resources:

• Should You STOP Repinning on Pinterest? Read this before you decide!
• Learn Pinterest SEO & Get Your Pins Ranking in Search Results (use the code RANK for a steep discount)
• How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
• Did You Know You Can Use Your Pinterest Account for Market Research?? — It’s Easy + FREE!
• How to Set Up the Best Pinterest Boards for Your Blog or Online Business

The post How to Find and Report Stolen Pins on Pinterest appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

From minimalist aesthetics to organic-inspired illustrations, this curated collection includes 18 ready-to-customize logos made for everything from beauty studios and design agencies to florists and photographers. And the best part? They’re totally free and fully editable in Canva, so no fancy software or design skills are required!

This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission from purchases made through them. I only promote products I love and actually use in my business!

Graphic Designer Logo

This minimalist logo features a handwritten initials enclosed in a thin circle, creating a sleek and personal touch perfect for a graphic designer or creative freelancer. Its clean lines and modern typography balance professionalism with artistic flair.

Food Brand Logo Design

This elegant circular logo pairs a hand-drawn olive branch with a clean serif font, creating a timeless, organic feel. Ideal for artisanal food brands or eco-conscious businesses, it conveys both quality and care.

Creative Studio Logo

This logo blends modern sophistication with a hint of charm, thanks to its sleek serif font paired with a handwritten script. The clean lines and subtle star detail in the “O” make it perfect for a design or creative studio aiming for a polished yet artistic look.

Real Estate Agent Logo

This refined logo features a modern serif name centered within an open circular frame, suggesting both elegance and motion. Ideal for real estate professionals, it communicates trust, balance, and a strong personal brand.

Make Up Artist Logo Design

Soft and feminine, this logo features an elegant handwritten name paired with a classic serif tagline and a delicate blush underline. It’s a perfect fit for makeup artists or beauty professionals looking to convey sophistication and creativity.

Playful Design Studio Logo

Fun yet modern, this logo features soft abstract shapes and a casual handwritten font that feels warm and approachable. It’s an ideal choice for creative studios, handmade brands, or any business that values a fun, artsy aesthetic.

Floral Logo Design

Delicate and romantic, this logo features a simple line-drawn flower paired with a mix of serif and script fonts. It’s a lovely option for florists, event stylists, or anyone creating custom, heartfelt products.

Influencer Logo Design

This logo combines a bold handwritten name with a soft brushstroke background and minimalist sans-serif subtitle. It’s effortlessly stylish and works beautifully for creatives, influencers, or personal brands wanting a relaxed yet professional vibe.

Personal Brand Logo Design

Sophisticated and structured, this monogram-style logo places elegant initials at the center of a circular layout with clean, spaced text. It’s perfect for a luxury brand, consultant, or designer looking to convey timeless professionalism.

Stylish Beauty Studio Logo

Bold and elegant, the Larana logo uses a refined high-contrast serif font framed by arched text for a touch of symmetry. It’s a luxurious choice for beauty studios or upscale lifestyle brands that want to make a strong, stylish statement.

Simple Design Studio Logo

Modern and playful, this logo combines a handwritten font with a clean square frame to create a balanced, creative look. It’s a great fit for design studios or small businesses that want to feel both approachable and professional.

Organic Beauty Brand Logo

This fresh and feminine logo features a handwritten script layered over a soft brushstroke, framed by clean circular text. It’s perfect for natural skincare or organic beauty brands.

Small Business Logo Design

This delicate and artistic logo features a single line-drawn flower enclosed in an arched frame, evoking creativity and elegance. With its refined lines and minimalist layout, it’s an ideal match for artists, illustrators, or boutique studios.

Nature-Inspired Logo

Soft and earthy, this logo features a graceful leaf illustration layered over a muted abstract arch, giving it a natural, grounded feel. The mix of serif and script fonts adds a handcrafted elegance—ideal for lifestyle brands, apothecaries, or studios rooted in nature.

Earthy Business Logo Design

Modern and earthy, this circular badge-style logo uses a bold leaf icon and clean sans-serif text to create a grounded, artistic presence. It’s especially fitting for photographers, creatives, or eco-conscious studios looking for a natural, timeless brand mark.

Creative Small Business Logo

Charming and casual, this hand-drawn logo uses playful imperfections and a simple monogram to create a warm, personal touch. It’s a great option for creatives, small shop owners, or anyone who wants a cozy, approachable brand vibe.

Botanical-Inspired Logo

This refined diamond-shaped logo pairs an elegant botanical illustration with modern serif typography, creating a graceful and organic feel. Perfect for skincare, wellness, or artisan goods, it blends nature-inspired charm with upscale branding.

Whimsical Design Studio Logo

Modern and dreamy, this logo pairs a clean serif font with a star and arch detail, suggesting vision and creativity. It’s a perfect match for forward-thinking design studios or businesses that want to inspire imagination and elegance.

Whether you’re launching a new brand or giving your business a well-deserved refresh, these free Canva logo templates are a beautiful place to begin. With elegant typography, organic illustrations, and thoughtfully balanced layouts, each design offers a professional look you can make entirely your own.

Choose the one that speaks to your style, customize it in minutes, and start showing up with confidence and clarity. Building your dream brand is just a click away. Add these free logo templates to your Canva account and get creative!

The post Creative Canva Logo Ideas with Branding Design Logo Templates appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

As a brand new Pinterest manager in 2019, I felt like I was NEVER going to find a client.

I was part of a membership that provided client leads at the time. Even then, I kept getting turned down because I was “too new.”

That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands…

I started cold emailing anyone and everyone I could find, begging them to let me help them with their Pinterest presence.

After countless emails, I finally landed my first client!

That first client ended up being such a great learning experience for me, which led to more business growth, and eventually being fully booked out.

But it took me a LONG TIME to get to that point.

My friend Leah Marsh followed a similar path in growing her business… only 100x faster than me!

Leah used cold emailing to land enough Pinterest clients to get fully booked within just a few weeks.

Crazy, right?

Knowing how fast cold pitching grew her business, I was thrilled to hear she was finally spilling all her cold pitching secrets in a new guide, How to Gain New Clients for Your Pinterest Business (P.S. this is an affiliate link, which means I make a small commission if you purchase using my link. I only promote products I believe in and have vetted personally, and I LOVE this guide).

Even as a seasoned Pinterest manager now, going through her guide taught me A LOT. Here are the 8 things I learned from reading her guide so you can decide if it’s right for you.

1. Most Cold Emails are Sent Illegally

Each country will have it’s own set of laws, but after learning the CAN-SPAM act and GDRP rules for the US and UK, it’s easy to see that most cold emails are sent illegally. Not following the laws of your country (or the country of your prospective client) could land you in hot water including a $50,000 fine per email.

It’s better to know how to send cold emails legally from the start. When you know the laws and rules up front, it’s actually very easy to send legal cold emails.

2. The Difference Between Spam & Genuine Inquiry

If you have a website or online business, you’ve probably received “spammy” cold emails or DMs. These are usually sent out in bulk and have little to nothing to do with you or your business.

In the guide, Leah goes into detail about how to make sure your emails don’t get marked as spam and won’t be a burden to your potential client. From the headline to the email itself, there’s actually some easy, repeatable steps you can take to make your emails a joy to read and to help increase the chances of getting a response.

3. How to Find and Contact Potential Clients

Since Leah booked out her Pinterest services in a just a few weeks, her advice on where to find Pinterest management clients is invaluable. Her focus is also on finding the right clients, also known as your ideal clients.

Once you know who your ideal client is, then you can follow Leah’s Outreach Flowchart to navigate the process of contacting them in a genuine way. You should never use social media as a place to formally pitch your services! Email is much better and less likely to get ignored.

4. Organization and Tools to Speed Up Your Cold Emailing

Sending out 1 or 2 cold emails likely won’t get your Pinterest services booked out. You’ll need to send out emails often, and getting organized is the easiest way to make that process go smoothly. Leah shares her organization set up, what she keeps track of and what notes to take when you find your ideal clients online.

Leah uses a free emailing tool to not only speed up the cold emailing process, but also to make sure her cold pitches are legal. I won’t include the name of it here, but it is a free tool that allows her to send personalized emails in bulk!

Using this tool, you can plug in information for multiple potential clients, then send many individualized emails using that data at one time.

6. What to Include in Your Email (and What NOT to Include)

There are 5 things Leah says are essential to including in your cold pitch emails. Sharing who you are and how you can help your potential client are very important. But you’ll want to keep your email on the shorter side, so don’t feel like you need to give them your full bio.

Researching your potential client’s business will help tremendously, because you’ll gain some knowledge about their content. Let that information come through your writing in a natural, friendly way so they’ll know you’re truly interested in working with them.

Leah also includes 5 things to never include in your emails. These are the hallmarks of those “spammy” emails and DMs we mentioned earlier. in It’s also important to be aware of the tone used in your writing so that you’re cold email isn’t TOO cold.

7. Using the Right Template

Why struggle to write the perfect pitch email when you can use templates that are already proven to work?! Leah includes 3 cold email templates that are brilliantly simple and easy to use. Looking back, the cold emails I sent as a new Pinterest manager were pretty pathetic. No wonder they didn’t convert!

8. Leah’s 1-Minute Hack to Increase Conversions

The reason spammy emails feel so spammy is because they are sent out in bulk. They are sent out in huge numbers because their conversion rate is so low. Leah shows you how to increase the conversion rate of your cold emails so that you won’t have to send out as many! This method only takes a minute, and the tool Leah uses makes it even quicker.

This guide truly is the best investment you could make towards growing your Pinterest management business. If you run a different type of virtual assistant or social media management business, this guide can work for you, too!

The templates truly are plug-and-play, so they can be adapted to fit your needs for cold emailing prospective clients in many niches and industries.

Going through Leah’s guide this week has shown me how many things I was doing WRONG when I first started.

With this guide, you can shortcut your way to getting high-quality clients without making the same mistakes I made!

If you have any questions about the guide, feel free to contact me. I went though the entire guide, and I’m SO impressed with everything that’s included!

Have a great week,

Amy

The post How to Find Clients as a New Pinterest Manager (Ultimate Cold Emailing Guide) appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

Then, in May 2021, the pins were rebranded/renamed Idea Pins.

These pins would often get good distribution quickly:

The results were almost instant!

But, since you weren’t allowed to add links to them, many bloggers boycotted them. Food bloggers were particularly annoyed with the constant user comments looking for a link to the full recipe.

But this quick (almost instant) distribution actually caused a lot of problems for the platform.

In simple terms, the engagement rating on Idea Pins overpowered the engagement rating on all existing pin types by a landslide.

So, the platform was flooded with Idea Pins.

In the Home Feed, in search results, everywhere.

And since Pinterest wanted to be greedy, and not allow publishers to include a link…

The user experience suffered.

Users complained, and many stopped using the platform altogether.

The First Round of Algorithm Changes

The first hint of changes to Idea Pin distribution happened in early September 2021 (you can see my analysis here).

Idea Pins were no longer taking up ALL of the top spots in search results.

Pinterest was starting to look like Pinterest again!

What Changed in 2022

With these distribution changes, the user experience on the platform improved.

Monthly active users and engagement numbers finally started increasing again.

The Q2 2022 Investor Relations call was the last time Idea Pins were mentioned.

This was in stark contrast to just about every investors call since 2020, where Idea Pins were always the main topic.

For creators, this means Idea Pin distribution had been steadily dropping each month.

Since views were so low, many creators tried out my recommendation of moving their Idea Pins to a secret board. They saw the same results I saw with my accounts (more on this later in the post).

May 2024: Pin Format Announcement

On May 11, 2023, Pinterest announced that all pin formats would be unified as one format: Pins.

We believed this was a nice-nice way of revealing that Idea Pins are going to be a thing of the past.

The ability to create Idea Pins will be removed, and Pin creation is going to be simplified.

The article explains that pin editing features previously only available on Idea Pins would be available on all pin types. This includes music, product tagging, stickers, links, scheduling, post-publish editing, and different aspect ratios for both video and image content.

Pinterest did add links to Idea Pins the day after that article was released. But then, we learned for sure that Idea Pins were being removed on this Pinterest Business community post.

The FAQs relevant to this are as follows:

Q:  What happened to Idea Pins?

A: Idea Pins are now Pins: we’re bringing the best of our new formats to all Pins. All the expressive features creators have come to love (like music, product tagging, stickers) and the features previously available to Pins (such as links, scheduling, post-publish editing, and different aspect ratios) are now available to all Pinners for video and image content. 

Q: If Idea Pins can no longer be created, what will happen to my formerly created Pins with pages?

A: Formerly created Pins with pages will be preserved and will be distributed as videos. There are currently no planned changes to the formatting of previously created paged Pins.

Q: Why can’t I create pages anymore?

A: We have evolved our creation formats to images and videos. Adding multiple assets, images or videos, on Android and iOS will now render as a video Pin. We are deprecating pages to ensure the simplest yet most rewarding experience for our users. image and video are our most popular Pin types and see reliable success and engagement on our platform. This shift enables creators to create their best content.

Q: Why is my multi-image content turning into a video? 

When you upload multiple assets in the creation tool on iOS and Android, those assets will stitch together and the resulting format will be a video. This includes multiple images, videos, or both together. 

Pinterest Business Community – Pin Creation Announcement and FAQ

To summarize:

• Idea Pins are set to be retired completely.
• Old Idea Pins will be converted into Video Pins.
• All pin-types will be created in the same pin builder
• You will not be able to add pages to pins.
• All pins will have the option to add creative edits like stickers and sounds (images will be converted to videos if you add animation and/or sound).

Plot Twist: Idea Pins Aren’t REALLY Going Away

Shortly after the announcement of one, unified pin type, Pinterest began rolling out their “new” pin creation tool.

Here’s how the new menu is set up:

Option #1: “Create Pin for ad”

This option leads to the classic pin builder, now with the option to create Ad-only pins (optional).

The classic pin builder creates pins that are coded as:

• pins (both static and video pins are now coded this way)

I’ll explain why this matters in a sec…

Option #2: “Create Pin” or “Create Pin for Idea ad”

These options technically lead to different pin builders, but I’ve grouped them together because they do the same function in the code.

At first glance, you might be tempted to select Organic > Create Pin to create a standard, organic pin.

Clicking on that option would lead you to this “new” pin creation tool:

Seems fine on the surface.

But…

All pins created with this tool are still being coded as story_pins (Idea Pins).

At this time, I’m advising against using this tool, because Idea Pins (story_pins in the code) can suppress distribution of all other pin types on your account.

Which means, creating them could affect the reach and overall distribution of all other pin types on your account.

My advice is to stick to the original pin builder when creating pins on Pinterest.

Make it easy on yourself and bookmark the original pin builder using this link: https://www.pinterest.com/pin-builder/

​If you’ve created pins with the new pin creation tool and you want to test out deleting or hiding them, I’ll show you how to find all of those pins quickly later in this post.

What About Schedulers?

If you create and schedule your pins using a scheduler you may not have to worry about ANY of this.

I use Tailwind and Metricool for my clients, so I can verify that…

1. All pins Metricool are coded as standard pins by default.

2. Tailwind has added the option to choose to publish pins as standard pins or as Simplified pins (story_pins):

I only use the Original Publisher, so I always make sure this box is not checked. But again, this is varies for each account, so your account may do just fine with either pin type. You will have to test it to know for sure.

Should You Delete Old Idea Pins from Your Pinterest Account?

Ever since their roll out, bloggers and Pinterest managers have wondered if they should create Idea Pins or not.

Now, the question now shifts to “Should I delete my old Idea Pins?”

Here’s what we know about Idea Pins and their effect on an account’s overall reach.

As we discussed earlier in this post, Idea Pins got such quick and broad distribution that they “broke” the engagement rating score that usually normalizes ranking in the algorithm.

This meant that there was an over-saturation of Idea Pins in all feeds and search results.

From the start, Idea Pins have not played nice with other pin types.

The algorithmic weights set on them seem to overpower other pin types on many accounts.

Deleting them or moving them to a secret board removes the unfair competition from the distribution algorithm completely.

From my personal experience, my 2 accounts benefited greatly from deleting Idea Pins (or moving them to a secret board). 6 additional client accounts have benefitted from hiding their Idea Pins, and 2 client accounts were unaffected.

Over the last 3 years, hundreds of bloggers and Pinterest managers have tested out deleting/hiding Idea Pins, and the overwhelming majority of them saw a positive benefit from it.

A few accounts were not affected (good or bad), which makes this a little confusing. It’s really unique to each Pinterest account.

Here’s my advice:

If your account is on the decline, or if you’ve hit a traffic plateau, deleting/hiding old Idea Pins can be a good experiment to try and see if your account is affected by this imbalance of pin types.

Here’s an example of one of my client accounts that seemed to be stuck at 18k clicks/month. Despite optimizing the account for Interest Targeting, the numbers just wouldn’t budge!

So I moved the Idea Pins over to a secret board on September 3rd. After a month, all of the numbers on other pin types started to increase, and we finally broke past 18k clicks.

Another Client Account Case Study

Here’s another example on one of my client accounts. I could not get their clicks to budge from around 800 clicks/day, until I moved their TWO Idea Pins to a secret board. Now the account has no problems getting over 1k outbound clicks daily.

So, deleting or hiding Idea Pins can definitely be used in situations where an account is stagnant or declining as a test to see if having the story_pin type on the account is hurting the reach of other pin types.

On the other hand, if your account is continuing to grow no matter which pin type you use, then there’s no need to delete or hide them.

How to Delete Idea Pins from Your Account

Deleting or hiding Idea Pins on your Pinterest account is easy to do. But first, you’ll need to find them all!

Since Idea Pins are no longer showcased at the top of your Profile feed, use the URL formula below to locate all Idea Pins. Replace the USERNAME portion of the URL with your Pinterest username:

Then, edit each pin by clicking on the pencil icon that appears when hovering over the pin.

This will open up the Edit Pin menu. Here, you can either:

• Change the Board to a secret board
• Or, Delete the pin

You can repurpose the content by uploading the original video and posting it as a video pin.

Then, start posting 5-10 static pins per day using the pinning methods found in Scheduling Shortcuts to get the best reach.

Give your account several weeks to recover and adjust to an Idea-Pin-free distribution algorithm. The results usually aren’t instant, though some Pinterest managers have told me they see a difference within just a few days!

Future Updates & Algorithm Changes

Some of my accounts have the new pin creation tool and some do not. Who knows when the new menu will be completely rolled out to all accounts.

To monitor the situation, I’m creating a pin with the new tool each week, saving it to a secret board and checking its code to see if it changes.

To receive updates on this, other experiments I’m working on, and future algorithm updates, sign up for the FREE Pinterest Strategy Guide to get added to my email list. This guide gets updated ALL the time, plus you’ll get a steep discount on my signature course, Scheduling Shortcuts, when you go through the free guide.

Sign up for the FREE Guide by hitting the button below!

Happy pinning,

Amy

More Pinterest Resources:

• Should You STOP Repinning on Pinterest? Read this before you decide!
• Learn Pinterest SEO & Get Your Pins Ranking in Search Results (use the code RANK for a steep discount)
• How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
• Did You Know You Can Use Your Pinterest Account for Market Research?? — It’s Easy + FREE!
• How to Set Up the Best Pinterest Boards for Your Blog or Online Business

The post Should You Delete Your Old Idea Pins? appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

Heck, even I was confused…

I mean, it was obvious that something was going on when hashtags lost their functionality way back in August/September 2020.

But we all thought it was fine to keep using them for keywords.

Pinterest did say they were no longer a “thing” but they never said to stop using them altogether.

So, I kept using them…

Until I was chatting with a Pinterest manager friend about her client’s account back in early 2021.

And here’s what the help desk person told her:

“As mentioned earlier we do not have any block/flag on your account and website. In addition to the information I have provided in my last email, I also see you have been using hashtags on the description of the pins. Kindly note that Hashtags were often abused by spammers to gain distribution and have not been proven to be a valuable tool hence we do not recommend using them.”

Creative Best Practices Page Updated

In February 2022, Pinterest updated their official Creative Best Practices page and removed the suggestion to use hashtags from the “Optimize your Pin copy” section.

When hashtags were removed from this page, reality set in, and most Pinterest marketers and bloggers finally accepted that hashtags were no longer a good idea to use on our pins.

Or so I thought…

Pinterest Representative Speaks Out About Hashtags

Despite all the proof that using hashtags on Pinterest was no longer recommended, there’s bound to be old ideas and old information floating around the internet about “How to use hashtags on Pinterest” and such. So, some creators were still curious about whether using them was advisable.

On June 15, 2022, the Pinterest for Business YouTube channel posted their Idea Ads Webinar which included a question and answers portion after the presentation.

During the Q&A, one creator asked: “Are hashtags out of from recommended best practices?”

One of the presenters, Amy (not me), answered and said, 

“Hashtags aren’t really a prevalent thing on Pinterest… So, if hashtags are part of your larger campaign strategy or campaign message, include them, but they are not going to drive anywhere. So, stay away from hashtags because it’s not an authentic functionality or feature on Pinterest.”

When she says hashtags as a part of your campaign message, I believe she’s referring to branded hashtags (like #brandsummersale, or #brand2022). Even if you have those types of hashtags, I wouldn’t bother using them on Pinterest…

Here is the clip from the webinar:

We now have an updated Creative Best Practices page and TWO official statements from Pinterest that hashtags are no longer recommended on the platform.

What Does this Mean for You?

Well, this means that the Pinterest algorithm could supress pins that contain hashtags in the descriptions since they are now associated with the spammer mcspammy faces.

If you’re still using hashtags on Pinterest, it’s time to stop!

Play it safe and remove hashtags from your strategy.

Here’s What to Do Instead

Instead of adding hashtags to the end of your pin descriptions, simply add more keywords into your pin descriptions in sentence form. For example:

Learn more about (__keyword 1__), (__keyword 2__), and (__keyword 3__), plus see how it can help you (__keyword 4__) in this post.

As long as the sentence is readable, you can list out as many keywords as you like. But I generally add 3-4 keywords per sentence, like the example above.

Historically, Pinterest has always had trouble making up its mind about hashtags. So, if we use keywords in sentence-form, we won’t have to worry about our pins getting suppressed because of hashtags or keyword stuffing!

For more sample sentences and prompts to help your write keyword-rich pin descriptions FAST, check out my Pin Description Swipe File + ChatGPT Prompts to save you tons of time.

I actually used to HATE writing pin descriptions! I would often hire a VA just to write pin descriptions for me…

So when hashtags were taken away, I knew I had to come up with a better system.

With prompts and sentence starters, writing keyword-filled descriptions is actually really easy. I just grab my list of keywords and start cranking out loads of pin descriptions (while using very few brain cells).

Get my pin description swipe file and ChatGPT prompts below to become a pin description master!

Pin Description Swipe File + ChatGPT Prompts

Write high quality, keyword-rich pin descriptions FAST with easy-to-use prompts! Prompts are the secret to writing high quality descriptions that help your pins rank higher in search results. Ready to dramatically speed up your pin description process?

YES, PLEASE!

Hopefully Pinterest will stick to their decision to remove hashtag functionality this time. But we’ll see.

At least we can rest easy knowing OUR pins won’t be suppressed because we ignored their recommendations!

How to Stay Up-to-Date on Pinterest Changes

I’ve added this information to the Free Pinterest Strategy Guide linked below to make sure everyone knows about this change. If you’ve never gone through the Guide, there’s no better time then now!

I mean, you’re just chillin’ reading a blog post, right? Might as well get the deets on what’s going on in Pinterestland, right?

Once you sign up, you’ll be added to my newsletter where I send out regular emails about Pinterest updates and algorithm news. I’ve been told it’s the best newsletter for staying up-to-date on Pinterest news.

Sign up for the guide by hitting the button below!

Happy pinning,

Amy

The post Hashtags on Pinterest in 2026, Yes or No? appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

Now is the perfect time to sign up to be an affiliate.

We now have an affiliate program for all products in the shop!

How to Promote Products in the Shop

To promote all the products in the shop, you’ll want to sign up as an affiliate through Podia.

Podia affiliate links come with a few perks:
→ 30% commissions on all sales
→ 90 day tracking cookie
→ Custom links to all paid products in the shop

Commission rates are 30% and payouts happen on the first day of the following month (must be 2 weeks after purchase). Click the button below to sign up.

You can start earning by sharing the Free Pinterest Strategy Guide by adding your unique affiliate code to the end of this URL: https://leveeroadstudio.podia.com/pinterest-strategy-guide/

• Regular URL: https://leveeroadstudio.podia.com/pinterest-strategy-guide/
• Affiliate URL: https://leveeroadstudio.podia.com/pinterest-strategy-guide/abc123

Copy the regular URL, add your affiliate code, and start earning.

Podia does not give you the option to create the link within the affiliate dashboard, so you must do it this way if you want to link to the freebies.

How to Sign Up

First, make sure you’re logged into your Podia account, then click on this link to sign up as an affiliate: https://leveeroadstudio.podia.com/customer/affiliate/

You’ll connect your PayPal account, and you’re good to go!

Where to Share Your Affiliate Links

Affiliate links can be shared in your emails, on your own blog or social media accounts. You can also share them in blogging Facebook groups (but make sure the group owner allows it, of course).

If you have an email list, you can write an email to your subscribers if you think the Free Strategy Guide will be helpful to them.

The most successful affiliate marketers go through whichever course or product they are promoting, and share their experience. Once you’ve viewed the material, share one major thing you learned the surprised you or how the freebie helped you accomplish something (it can be something really small!).

Check Out the Goods

If you’d like to check out the products in the shop, you can see them all here: https://leveeroadstudio.podia.com/

Image assets can be found in this Google drive file and can be used in your promotion of my courses and products.

More Pinterest Resources:

• Learn Pinterest SEO (Step-by-Step Training) & Get Your Pins Ranking in Search Results (use the coupon code RANK to get 50% off!)
• Did You Know You Can Use Your Pinterest Account for Market Research?? — It’s Easy + FREE!
• How to Set Up the Best Pinterest Boards for Your Blog or Online Business

The post How to Become a Levee Road Studio Affiliate appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

If you enjoy the Pinterest platform and love helping businesses grow, becoming a Pinterest Manager might be the perfect career path for you, too. More brands are recognizing Pinterest as a powerful search engine and marketing platform, so the demand for skilled Pinterest Managers is on the rise.

But how do you get started? This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to launch a successful Pinterest Management business.

This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission from purchases made through them. I only promote products I love and actually use in my business!

Tip #1: Understand What a Pinterest Manager Does

Typically, a Pinterest Manager helps businesses grow their brand presence and drive traffic to a client’s website (typically a blog) through strategic pinning on Pinterest.

Common responsibilities include:

• Setting up and optimizing Pinterest business accounts
• Developing pinning strategies
• Designing eye-catching pins
• Conducting keyword research for SEO
• Analyzing Pinterest analytics and making data-driven decisions
• Running Pinterest ads (if that’s something you’re interested in doing)
• Staying up-to-date with Pinterest’s best practices

This may seem like a lot, but don’t worry, I’ll go through each item and give you recommendations on how to become an expert in each skill.

What a Pinterest Manager is NOT Responsible For

I rarely see this mentioned, so I want to make a note about what Pinterest Managers are not responsible for. You’re not in charge of, nor do you have control over a client’s sales. Pinterest Managers are only responsible for increasing traffic to a client’s website. But we can’t control a client’s conversion rate (sales, email sign-ups, etc.). The client is responsible for this!

If a client asks about the return on investment of investing in Pinterest services, it’s important to ask the client about how they make money from their site. If the client has a shop or a few select products, it’s vital to ask them about their conversion rate.

If you send 1,000 people to their sales page, how many people would purchase? That number can be calculated using their conversion rate (which they should be able to provide you with). This information will help you provide a data-based response if the client should ever ask about a tangible return on investment (ROI) from increasing Pinterest traffic.

Tip #2: Experiment & Develop Your Pinterest Expertise

To be an effective Pinterest Manager, you’ll need to understand how the platform works and stay current with algorithm changes. Here’s how you can stay ahead of the changes:

• Follow Pinterest’s official business blog
• Take reputable Pinterest courses that teach strategy (start with my Free Pinterest Strategy Guide) and SEO
• Experiment with your own Pinterest account to test different strategies
• Join Pinterest marketing groups to exchange insights with other Pinterest service providers

The official Pinterest business blog will sometimes have useful information for some of your clients. But to truly stay ahead of the changes, you’ll want to sign up for my email list (click on the button below) to get news about the changes that actually affect your accounts.

Tip #3: Master Pinterest SEO

Although it often gets classified as a “social media” platform, Pinterest actually functions more like a search engine. That means understanding search engine optimization on Pinterest is key to your success.

That’s why I’ve compiled my years of Pinterest SEO knowledge into one action-packed (and affordable) course: Pinterest Rank Boost 2.0.

In this course, I’ll show you how to:

• Understand the structure of the Pinterest algorithm (so we can tailor our SEO to match it!)
• Find the best keywords to target and do keyword research using free tools
• Optimize pin titles, descriptions, and board names with relevant keywords
• Add a simple color hack to your pins to help them rank faster
• Optimize your website for Pinterest to get user-generated traffic

You can get 50% OFF the course price by using the code LEARNSEO at checkout, or use the button below to apply the coupon automatically.

Pinterest Rank Boost 2.0

Learn how to establish steady SEO traffic using simple, data-backed strategies to help your pins rank #1.

YES, I NEED THIS! ➞

Tip #4: Learn How to Create High-Performing Pins

Pinterest is a visual search engine, so creating engaging, high-quality pins is an essential skill (plus you can use design skills to increase your income! More on that later). To develop this skill quickly, it’s best to learn from a pin design expert.

Personally, I learned everything I know about designing high-performing pins from Kristin Rappaport. She’s a professional graphic designer (plus a really great person in general) who has made it her mission to make good design advice accessible to everyone.

She has multiple free trainings including my favorite 5-Part Pin Design Formula Workshop or you can get started using her free Pinterest Templates.

I owe SO MUCH of my design knowledge and success to Kristin! She has a brilliant way of turning complicated design theory into simple to understand concepts that are easy to apply as a newbie. You can also find my full review of her Pin Design course here.

Tip #5: Set Up Your Pinterest Management Business

Once you’re ready to put your Pinterest skills to the test, it’s time to launch your business.
Unfortunately, the original course that I took about setting up a Pinterest manager business is no longer available. But over the years, I’ve been able to connect with some brilliant, professionals who have been offering Pinterest services as long as I have who have put together some great resources that are even better than what I had access to in 2019.

One Pinterest Manager who is always ready to help new PM’s is Leah Marsh from Grow With Leah. Leah recently launched the Pinterest Manager Manual (with an exclusive Facebook group) to take you step-by-step through your Pinterest management business set up.

Leah will show you how to set up your business in a cost-effective, yet professional way. She shares her full onboarding process, and will show you how to:

• Create service packages and set your pricing
• Set up your business (including payment system, contracts, branding, onboarding, and more!)
• Find clients for your new business
• Communicate with clients and manage expectations
• Answer common client questions and explain low performing months
• And so much more!

Learn more the Pinterest Manager Manual here!

Tip #6: Find Your First Pinterest Clients

Landing clients as a brand-new Pinterest manager can be challenging and intimidating. Trust me, we’ve all been there! Here are my favorite ways to find new clients:

• Network in Facebook groups for bloggers and small business owners
• Partner with social media managers who don’t specialize in Pinterest
• Reach out to businesses already on Pinterest but not using it effectively

Reaching out to businesses (also called cold-pitching or cold-emailing) can be a great way to find your first clients. This is exactly how I found my very first Pinterest client back in 2019!

This method is still very effective, and Leah has put together a brilliant system to make the process faster. Her guide is called How to Gain New Clients for Your Pinterest Business.

Leah makes cold-pitching more efficient and more effective than I ever could! I met with her recently and personally thanked her for creating this guide because the system she created is so easy to set up and use.

You can learn more about this guide and see my full review in this blog post about How to Find Clients as a Pinterest Manager.

Tip #7: Getting Results for Clients

The key to growing your Pinterest management business is consistently delivering results. To get the best growth on Pinterest, consider taking a paid strategy course (like mine: Scheduling Shortcuts) to further your skills.

In my course, I show you how to optimize a client account using Interest Targeting, which aligns their content with the Taste Graph portion of the Pinterest algorithm. This section of the algorithm helps their content get in front of users that are actually interested in their topic since it’s all based on a user’s interest.

As you get results for your clients, be sure to take screenshots of their overall analytics and/or individual pin analytics. You can add these to your website (if you have one) or include them in your cold outreach emails to attract more clients.

Be sure to track performance metrics like:

• Monthly impressions and engagements
• Outbound clicks to client websites
• Follower growth and audience engagement

Provide regular reports and adjust strategies based on data insights to improve performance over time. Happy clients will lead to referrals and long-term success!

This is exactly how I grew my client base, booked out my services and reached my first $100K as a Pinterest Manager just 2 years after starting my business.

Tip #8: Continue Learning and Adapting

Pinterest is always evolving, so staying updated is crucial. Make continuous learning part of your routine by signing up for my email list, of course! Sign up for the Free Pinterest Strategy Guide and you’ll be added to my list automatically.

You can also join my free Facebook Group: Pinterest VA Society to connect with me and with other Pinterest Managers to get advice, share your wins, and meet other service providers to network with.

The Pinterest algorithm is always changing, so connecting with other Pinterest Managers is the best way to know when shifts happen on the platform.

• Attending Pinterest webinars and training.
• Testing new pinning strategies and analyzing the results.
• Following top Pinterest marketers and industry trends.

Ready to Start Your Pinterest Management Journey?

Becoming a Pinterest Manager is an exciting and rewarding career choice. With the right strategy, skills, and dedication, you can build a thriving business helping clients grow their brand on Pinterest. If you’re ready to take the next step, start experimenting with your own account, invest in learning, and begin marketing your services today!

I hope to see you in the Pinterest VA Society soon!

Amy

The post How to Become a Pinterest Manager (My Journey to $100k) appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

Cursive fonts are one of my favorites to incorporate into my designs lately. A pretty cursive font can instantly bring in a sophisticated or whimsical look, or it can draw the eye to get more attention on your design.

This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission from purchases made through them. I only promote products I love and actually use in my business!

I’ll admit it—I can spend way too much time scrolling through fonts on Canva. There’s just something so satisfying about finding the perfect one! Whether I’m designing social media graphics or putting together resources for my volunteer work, I love hunting for the best font.

Pretty cursive fonts help convey emotion and style in a way that standard fonts can’t. They’re perfect for adding warmth to invitations, social media graphics, branding, and more, making your designs stand out with a unique and polished touch.

You can easily pair them with a serif font or a slab serif font for a professional, yet classy look.

Note: Canva occasionally often adds and removes fonts from its font library. If you have any issues finding the fonts on this list, use this free Canva template to access them. Simply copy and paste them into your own Canva designs!

Now let’s take a look at the list of pretty cursive fonts I found on Canva!

1. Scandilover Script

Scandilover Script, is a delicate and modern cursive typeface available on Canva. It features a smooth, flowing handwritten style with a slightly slanted, airy appearance. This font is perfect for creating sophisticated branding, stylish social media graphics, wedding invitations, or any design that calls for a refined yet relaxed handwritten touch.

2. Berlinerins Script

Berlinerins Script features a hand-brushed, slightly textured look, giving it a modern yet artistic feel. The strokes vary in thickness, adding depth and a natural handwritten charm. This font is perfect for designs that need a bold, creative touch. Its slightly rustic yet elegant appeal makes it a great choice for adding personality and sophistication to any design.

3. Andasia

Andasia features smooth, flowing strokes with a sophisticated, calligraphic style. This font is perfect for wedding invitations, branding, logos, and upscale social media designs, bringing a sense of class and timeless beauty to any project. Its balanced mix of modern and classic elements makes it a versatile choice for chic and stylish designs.

FREE Pretty Cursive Font Canva Template

Use this template to add all these fonts (and 12 more) to your Canva account! Simply copy and paste the font you’d like to try directly into any Canva design.

GET THE FONTS ➞

4. Golden

The Golden font features thin, flowing strokes with a slightly playful yet elegant handwritten style. Its airy and contemporary feel adds a touch of sophistication while maintaining an approachable and relaxed charm. The letters are light and fun, perfect for a logo or signature design.

5. Angeletta

Angeletta is a beautifully refined cursive typeface available on Canva. It features elegant, flowing strokes with a slightly bold presence, making it both graceful and legible. The letters have a smooth, polished appearance with delicate flourishes that add a touch of sophistication.

6. Callem

Callem is a beautifully ornate cursive typeface that features flowing, elegant strokes with dramatic loops and flourishes, giving it a luxurious and decorative feel. This font is ideal for wedding invitations, branding, elegant social media graphics, and high-end product packaging.

Save this to your graphic design board for later!

7. Emitha

Emitha, is a graceful and modern cursive typeface which features thin, flowing lines with a slightly organic, hand-drawn feel. The letterforms are delicate yet stylish, with subtle flourishes that add a sophisticated touch without being overly ornate. This font would make a lovely signature or logo font.

8. Nefelibata Script

Nefelibata Script is a casual cursive typeface available on Canva. It features rounded, hand-drawn strokes that give it a friendly and approachable feel. The letters are slightly irregular, adding to its organic and whimsical charm. This font is perfect for fun branding, creative social media posts, children’s designs, and informal invitations.

Save this to your font inspo board for later!

9. Malibu

Malibu is an elegant and decorative cursive typeface with charming loops and flourishes, giving it a sophisticated and whimsical feel. The intricate details add a touch of romance, making it perfect for wedding invitations, luxury branding, stylish social media graphics, and high-end product packaging.

10. Soft Whisperings

Soft Whisperings is a delicate and airy cursive typeface available on Canva. It features ultra-thin, flowing strokes with a graceful, handwritten feel. The letters are light and whimsical, creating an effortless, dreamy aesthetic.

FREE Pretty Cursive Font Canva Template

Use this template to add all these fonts (and 12 more) to your Canva account! Simply copy and paste the font you’d like to try directly into any Canva design.

GET THE FONTS ➞

11. Marvey

The Marvey font features a playful, handwritten style with smooth, slightly irregular strokes that give it a natural and casual feel. The letters are well-spaced and easy to read, making this font a great choice for branding, social media graphics, personal projects, and invitations. Its relaxed yet stylish!

12. Warm Script

Warm Script features thin, flowing strokes with subtle flourishes, giving it a graceful and sophisticated handwritten feel. The letters are well-balanced, with an elegant mix of modern calligraphy and classic script styling. Its design adds a soft, romantic touch, making it perfect for projects that require a refined and timeless handwritten look.

Conclusion

I hope you found this list of pretty cursive Canva fonts helpful! Be sure to make a copy of the Free Pretty Fonts Canva Template so you can use these on your own Canva projects.

I love exploring fonts while I’m working on Pinterest graphics, so I hope these helped inspire you to create something classy and elegant.

If you need a more relaxed, handwritten font with, be sure to check out these posts:

• Best Free Script Fonts on Canva
• Free Handwritten Fonts on Canva
• Gorgeous Free Canva Cursive Fonts

Have an amazing day,

Amy

The post Pretty Cursive Fonts to Use on Canva appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

In this post, we’ll cover the source of this recommendation, and what you need to know moving forward on Pinterest with all the algorithm shifts.

So, Who Said We Should Stop Repinning Anyway?

Welllllll, it all stems from this email from Pinterest. You see, back when the first big algorithm update of 2020 happened that summer, it also unleashed a spam filter “bug” that was removing pins from search results.

Naturally, bloggers affected by the bug, reached out to the Help desk and many received this response:

This means, if you’re relying heavily on REPINS within your strategy, it’s time to mix it up!

But, before we examine HOW to do that, someone recently asked if they should go back and delete old repins in light of this news. No! Leave all those repins alone. You never know when a pin will pick up and get recirculated in the algorithm. So, save yourself the time and leave them be.

How to Change Up Your Pinning Strategy

To understand how to move forward, we need to learn a little more about how the Pinterest algorithm works.

Saving a pin (or several pins from 1 URL) to multiple boards give the algorithm more information about your pin and ultimately, your URL. The more information the algorithm has, the more places the pin/URL shows up in search results and in the recommendation graph.

But, Pinterest has explicitly said that too many repins is a bad thing, remember?!

So, how can we go about saving a pin to multiple boards without it being classified as a repin?

A Different Kind of Pinning Strategy

I’m a researcher at heart, so I started digging into the Pinterest Engineering blog to try to understand if there was any possibility of success with this new change.

I mean, we’re just dealing with numbers and coding here. It can’t be THAT complicated…

Through my research, I learned that there are a few classifications stated in the page source code of our pins, including the REPIN classification.

Knowing this, I was able to develop a new way to pin for my clients. The new way ensures that all pins saved are classified as “fresh” and not as repin, even if the image is the same. ?

We know that Pinterest wants us to create a bazillion new pin images every day, but my clients don’t always want to add more pins to their monthly package! And honestly, who WANTS to create a bunch of images when the Pinterest algorithm is SO unpredictable?!

This is why I developed the Pinning Smarter Method. I wanted to eliminate the need for constant pin creation while still adding 5-10 fresh pins per day for each client. This method solves that problem and has given my clients huge boosts in impressions and clicks since the initial algorithm changes took place.

For example, this client account hasn’t seen growth in months. After optimizing the account, I implemented the Pinning Smarter method at the beginning of April. The account is now growing more and more each week!

You can see more case studies and learn more about the Pinning Smarter method in my Pinterest scheduling course, Scheduling Shortcuts (or sign up for the Strategy Guide below to get a deeeeeep discount!).

Repinning Recap

When it comes to the topic of repinning, reducing the number of repins on your account is definitely a good idea.

The number of repins doesn’t have to be zero, but you should always aim to have more “fresh” pins than repins. As long as the ratio favors fresh, you should be fine.

You can learn more about the algorithm changes and get the most updated strategy information in my Free Pinterest Strategy Guide below.

I’ve been told by many of my peers that I should be charging for this guide because it’s packed with so much insight! But for now, it’s totally free, and I hope it helps you get some clarity on all the Pinterest madness that’s been going on lately.

Happy pinning,

Amy

Save this post to your Pinterest Marketing board for later!

More Pinterest Resources:

• Learn Pinterest SEO & Get Your Pins Ranking in Search Results! (use the code RANK for a steep discount)
• Should You Delete Old Idea Pins? Read this before you decide!
• How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
• Did You Know You Can Use Your Pinterest Account for Market Research?? — It’s Easy + FREE!
• How to Set Up the Best Pinterest Boards for Your Blog or Online Business

The post Repinning on Pinterest: What You Need to Know in 2026 appeared first on Levee Road Studio.

The Pinterest Spam Filter: A Brief History

Probably the WORST change on Pinterest over the last year or so has been the way the Spam Filter now operates… it’s SNEAKY!

In the past, if Pinterest thought your account was spammy, they would automatically suspend the account.

Boom. Suspended.

This was great (in a weird way), because we would actually know that the account had been mistakenly marked as spam. Then, we could appeal to get the account back in a day or two. No problem-o.

Nowadays, many accounts mistakenly marked as spam are getting shadow banned.

What Does Shadow Banning Look Like on Pinterest?

A shadow banned Pinterest account will experience a sudden decrease in distribution. In Pinterest Analytics, this will translate to a big drop-off in Impressions like the one shown here:

How to Confirm a Pinterest Shadow Ban

One of the hallmarks of a shadow banned Pinterest account is the de-indexing of pins in search.

This means that any pins leading to the account’s verified domain will no longer show in search results even when searching for the EXACT pin titles. To confirm this, you’ll need to check from an account that isn’t following the shadow banned account. A shadow banned account’s pins may still be visible to its followers.

Contacting Pinterest

If you suspect your account is shadow banned, you can contact Pinterest through their Help Desk.

My experiences with the Help Desk have generally been very good.

But, from what my fellow Pinterest VA friends have said, getting Pinterest to admit to and fix a shadow banned account has been nearly impossible. Even when the problem is painfully obvious like the account shown above.

If/when Pinterest finally admits an account was “caught in the spam filter” by mistake, the recovery time is undisclosed and totally unknown. Super frustrating, to say the least.

Seeing all the frustration and confusion, I decided to dig a little deeper into how Pinterest combats spam. I’m hoping this post will help you understand how the Pinterest spam filter works so you can stay out of it for good! We’ll also see that there is good news AND bad news about the Pinterest shadow ban.

​

How Does Pinterest Fight Spam?

In short, Pinterest uses a rule and query engine called Guardian to fight spam. Using this powerful program, software engineers are able to do a number of spam-fighting tasks:

1. Monitor spikes in activity

2. Create “rules” to target specific attacks

To fight those spam spikes, the engineers write code to target specific actions being taken by spammers.

For example, if a spammer is sending massive numbers of spam messages using an account less than 10 days old from an Android device, and the message begins with “Hi baby” (their example, not mine ?), the rule code to find those spam accounts would look something like this:

What happens next depends on the action selected by the engineer (referred to as ‘user’ below).

“Deactivate_user” is the account suspension action most Pinterest managers are familiar with. This action is still active, just not as active as shadow banning seems to be.

The “hide_pin” action is possibly the rule behind shadow banning… BUT it’s not just hiding an individual pin…it’s hiding all or most of the pins of an entire account. ?

Pinterest Account Shadow Banned?… The Good News & Bad News

Pinterest is always trying to speed up their spam-fighting workflows. Spammers work fast!

In a recent article, Pinterest revealed they are now automating anti-spam rule creation in Guardian. They do this by collecting anomaly data (AKA spikes in activity) and creating patch rules. Let’s see how this affects us non-spammer Pinterest marketers.

The Bad News

Parameters for patch rules are always changing… This means regular accounts will inevitably get caught in them.

The Good News 

These patch rules are temporary. So if your client is caught in a patch rule, it will eventually be archived, and the account will be “out” of the spam filter.

Maybe this is why we see so many shadow banned accounts just magically bouncing back. Hmmm…?

How to Stay OUT of the Spam Filter & Avoid the Pinterest Shadow Ban

If you’ve been in the spam filter, chances are you never, ever want to go back! Here are a few things you can evaluate and adjust in your pinning habits:

1) Avoid Obvious Spikes in Activity

Avoid mass-following or unfollowing accounts, mass deleting or adding pins, boards, etc.

2) Limit Daily Pinning

Keep pinning to 25 pins or less per day (although I have can seen food spam accounts save 182 pins in a day and are still up. ? Don’t risk it though!).

3) Be Mindful of Your Pinning Ratio: Save more Fresh Pins than Repins

Repins are okay as long as you are saving more fresh than repins. (The pinning strategy inside of Scheduling Shortcuts is basically reverse-engineering of the Pinterest pinning rules. Learn how to maximize your fresh pins without having to create a bazillion new pins AND stay within the rules.)

4) Use a VPN

If you work with clients outside of your country, you need to use a VPN. Your country’s IP address needs to match your client’s country. Period.

This is a theme I’ve seen over and over this year with the spam filter: Pinterest VA is in a different country than client, and account keeps getting shadow banned.

A solid VPN is the easiest fix!

You can learn more about the VPN I use and how to use it with client accounts. There’s one major step you CANNOT skip for it to work properly. Check out the tutorial here.

So, what do YOU think about the Pinterest Spam Filter and shadow banning? Have you managed accounts that were affected and magically came back to life?

Feel free to email me at amy@leveeroadstudio.com. I’d love to hear your experience.

Happy (& safe) pinning,

Amy

Sources cited: Fighting spam with Guardian, a real-time analytics and rules engine, Fighting Spam using Clustering and Automated Rule Creation​

More Pinterest Resources:

• Learn Pinterest SEO & Get Your Pins Ranking in Search Results (use the code RANK for a steep discount)
• Should You Use Idea Pins? Read this before you make one!
• How to Set Up a Pinterest Business Account
• Did You Know You Can Use Your Pinterest Account for Market Research?? — It’s Easy + FREE!
• How to Set Up the Best Pinterest Boards for Your Blog or Online Business

The post Pinterest Shadow Ban: What is It and How to Avoid It appeared first on Levee Road Studio.