How Many Hashtags Should I Use on Pinterest?

The big Pinterest hashtag adventure continues.

In a new policy update, Pinterest has announced that they are using hashtags as topics and you should only use 1-2.

Answer:  1-2 hashtags per Pinterest pin

This quote is taken from the latest version of Pinterest Best Practices.

And if you are keeping score…

History of Hashtags on Pinterest

Pinterest started as a hashtag-free zone.  It was wonderful!  We could just be PEOPLE and not social media marketers.

Then they changed and suggested 20.  It was like a mash-up between Instagram and Pinterest…ugh.  So many things to copy and paste for very little return.

And then we are to 1-2.

Are 1-2 Hashtags on Pinterest Enough?

I actually like this change. Generally, when searching for something, you have a good idea of 1-2 topics that the information would fall into.

For the Pinterest user it will cut out the clutter of accessory hashtags.

For the pinner, it eliminates the time of hashtag research and makes it easy to say…THIS IS THE TOPIC.

And as someone who pins multiple things per day, this could be a huge time saver and allow more of it to be done from mobile.  One of the big issues with multiple hashtags is that somewhere it is helpful to have a “bank” to grab from.  And then you may end up grabbing some that don’t really apply just because they will get you to the count of 20.

Writing an Effective Pin Description

Another thing I like about the Pinterest guidelines is that they really encourage a wordy pin description.  Pinterest is a search engine and to take full advantage of that, thorough descriptions can really help get eyeballs on specific pins.

Including call-to-actions in the description is encouraged.

YES.

Encouraged.

So don’t leave traffic on Pinterest that might be nudged your direction by being shy.

And above all, make it relevant.  It is my assumption that Pinterest factors in time on pin and bounce back & re-search data just like Google does.  It is always a better plan to target exactly who the information is for than going for mass traffic.

What do you think?  Are you excited about the new Pinterest change?