Guest Post by Helen Garfield
Whether it’s for Valentine’s Day date ideas, Halloween decor, or Christmas gift inspiration – people love to plan ahead and save ideas on Pinterest for these upcoming events.
Tapping into those trends with seasonal Pinterest pins, means you’re much more likely to get your pins noticed during these times and so get a nice boost in engagement.
I’ve found that when I create pins that match what people are already looking for – like Christmas cookie recipes or summer fashion trends – the saves and clicks really skyrocket.
It doesn’t just work for B2C content either. For B2B brands, seasonal searches could include summer productivity tips, Black Friday marketing ideas, and New Year goal planning tips for entrepreneurs.
It’s all about showing up at the right time with the right content.
Keep reading to discover how you can use seasonal pins to increase engagement and traffic from Pinterest.
How to Research Seasonal Topics: Using Pinterest Trends
Timing is everything when it comes to creating seasonal content on Pinterest so you’ll need to find suitable trends and topics well before the season arrives.
One of the best tools for this is the Pinterest Trends Tool, which helps you identify when certain keywords and topics start to gain traction on the platform.
Start by entering relevant seasonal keywords like “Halloween costume ideas” or “Christmas décor”. This will show you a graph of how popular those terms have been over time, so you can see when people typically start searching for that type of content.
For example, as you can see in the screenshot above people start pinning Halloween ideas as early as July, even though the holiday isn’t until October. This shows why you should aim to create and publish your Halloween pins around that time so you can ride the wave of growing interest!
It’s also helpful to compare multiple keywords to see which ones are the most popular. Let’s say you’re deciding between focusing on “Christmas gift wrapping” or “Christmas party ideas.” The trends tool will show you how both perform, allowing you to prioritize the one with more searches.
Researching this way ensures that you’re not just creating seasonal content, but you’re also strategically timing your pins to match user behavior – helping your content get seen by the right people at the right time.
Scheduling and Timing Seasonal Content for Pinterest
In general, I recommend creating and publishing seasonal pins at least 6 weeks in advance to capture interest as it begins to build.
Below is an example of a seasonal pinning schedule that gives you an idea of when to start pinning the next season’s content.
Of course, when it’s best to start pinning also depends on the industry. If your client is a craft supplier, for example, pinning even earlier would be a smart move as crafters often plan their projects well in advance, especially for holidays like Christmas or Easter.
Next, let’s look at how effective descriptions boost your seasonal pins’ discoverability.
Optimizing Seasonal Pinterest Pin Descriptions for Discoverability
The key to effective seasonal SEO is to get really specific.
Think about what people are likely to search for during that time of year, and weave those terms into your descriptions naturally. Instead of just using broad keywords like “Thanksgiving,” consider more targeted phrases like “easy Thanksgiving recipes” or “Thanksgiving tablescape ideas.” These longer-tail keywords are less competitive and help you capture people with a more specific intent.
The more relevant your keywords are to the season or holiday, the more likely the pins will be discovered, saved, and shared – driving more traffic to the site or product during peak engagement periods.
What about evergreen content?
Another pin visibility-boosting method I love is adding seasonal keywords to your pins for evergreen content.
For example, if you have a blog post about “healthy meal prep,” you can update it with keywords like “healthy Thanksgiving meal prep” or “holiday meal prep for busy schedules” to capture the seasonal interest.
Similarly, a post about “beginner workout routines” can be updated for the New Year with keywords like “beginner workout routines for New Year’s resolutions” or “get fit for summer workout plan”.
Blending evergreen content with seasonal keywords works well as you can keep your existing content fresh and relevant while tapping into the increased search activity around specific holidays or events.
Beyond keywords, design is just as important when creating seasonal pins as a pins design is ultimately responsible for engagement.
Let’s have a look at what design elements make great-looking seasonal pins.
Key Design Elements for Effective Seasonal Pinterest Pins
When designing seasonal Pinterest pins for clients, it’s all about capturing the mood of the season while staying true to their brand.
You’ll want to create a strong visual story. The easiest way to do this is to use images that instantly evoke the holiday or event you’re focusing on, like warm, cozy tones for autumn or bright, cheerful colors for summer.
The color palette is also important. Choose colors that reflect the season, but that still compliments the client’s overall branding. This way, the pins will feel festive but still recognizable to their audience.
Below is an example using a fictional baby brand to demonstrate this in action.
Incorporating seasonal elements like blossom for spring or holly sprigs for winter might be all that’s needed to seasonalize the design.
How to Create Seasonal Pins Fast in Canva
If you’ve already designed pins for your client or have a ready-made pack of Canva Pinterest templates here’s a quick tip to make a whole batch of seasonal pins in less than 5 minutes.
Choose a graphic that represents the season such as spring blossom, seaside shells, sunflowers, fall leaves, snowflakes, etc.
Then place your chosen graphic on the first pin, then group if needed, copy it and keep pasting it onto the rest of the pins. And, voilà you now have lots of fresh pin designs with a seasonal touch!
Below is an example of how I’ve quickly given these five boho-styled Pinterest templates a wintery vibe with snowflake graphics.
Refining Your Strategy
When a season wraps up, it’s worth having a quick dive into the performance data to see which pins did the best.
When I do this I make a note of the pin design and description so I can create more just like them the following year. This way, I’m not starting from scratch; instead, I’m building on what worked before to make my seasonal pins even more engaging.
Get Started Today
I invite you to explore my range of Canva Pinterest templates perfect for small brands, service providers, and bloggers.
GUEST Author: Helen Garfield
Helen Garfield is the founder of The Creatives Desk. She has worked in social media and digital marketing since 2010. Helen channels her passion for design and creativity to develop marketing templates and digital products that help small business owners create compelling content to drive growth in their online presence.
