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Why You Need Vertical Images In Your Blog Post
(Yes, Every Single One)

TL;DR: I want to share your posts to Pinterest, so…you gotta help me out!

I decided to both write and share this post this week (bumping it ahead of a few more closer-to-finished pieces), because it’s really important to me. And really important to YOUR blogging success.

(And it’s also might kind of be a slight blogging pet peeve of mine.)

So here it is in the shortest and simplest: you need a vertical image in every single blog post you share.

Yes, every single one.

Vertical Images: Why Vertical?

Why vertical? Because Pinterest, that’s why.

Now, I probably should go into the what-is of Pinterest and the fundamentals before writing this post, but…I do what I want.

And what I want is to talk about THIS fundamental first. Know that a full Pinterest fundamentals post is to come. In short, Pinterest isn’t a traditional social media platform like Instagram or Twitter or Facebook or whatever else the kids are coming up with these days.

Think of Pinterest like you think of Google.

It’s a search engine. A search engine with pretty pictures.

So, why vertical?

Because vertical is what Pinterest likes.

It really is as simple as that.

And when it comes to having the most success on Pinterest, it all starts with your website. Optimizing your website with a vertical, pinnable image in each one is one of the key factors to Pinterest success that no one really talks about.

And that is why I have a vertical image at the bottom of each and every post. Yes, including this one. You can scroll down and check it out. It’s okay, I’ll wait!

That’s the one that you should be sharing on Pinterest (seriously, scroll down and hit the Pin It button, or schedule it to your Tailwind queue. Want a free month of Tailwind with 100 scheduled pins? Click here!

Vertical Images: Sharing For Pinterest

Pinterest loves long, vertical images. Like, LOVES. That’s what makes Pinterest stand out. Everywhere else you look on other social media platforms, images are optimized to square and rectangle, but not Pinterest. Pinterest pretty much has the market cornered on long, vertical images.

When you scroll through your Pinterest feed, 98% of the time, you’re seeing vertical images.

Not so much the horizontal.

I can not tell you how many times I have decided against sharing a post to one of my Pinterest boards because there are no vertical images. It could be an AMAZEBALLS post, but nine times out of ten, I won’t share it if there’s no vertical image.

Why? Because what I share goes out first to all my followers on Pinterest (you can follow me here, if you’re not already), and Pinterest will put the best, most optimized images higher up in the Smart Feed (pretty much the Pinterest newsfeed). I want every image I share to be optimized so it gets seen by the maximum amount of people.

Vertical Images: How Pinterest Users Take In Vertical Images

Why is it important to have peoples’ eyes be drawn down the page or down a long image? Because it keeps their attention longer. And more attention to your pins means a higher likelihood that it’ll be repined and even clicked on.

There are a ton of posts all around the inter-webs A/B testing different types of pins, including this one from The Wedding Playbook. And a wedding-themed blog would know, because by and large, Pinterest is used by women. Also, there is a bit of a stereotype that ALL Pinterest is for is wedding planning, crafting, and meal planning.

But we all know that there is WAY more to Pinterest than that.

And that’s why it’s important to ensure you have graphics that will do best on Pinterest. Which means long, vertical images. The longer someone looks at your awesome pin, the more likely they are to repin it. There are thousands upon thousands of Pinterest users online each day, and you want to take as much advantage as possible, and want to keep their attention on your content.

Remember: the more eyes on your content, the more likely they are to click through.

Vertical Images: Best Dimensions

This is really simple. The best dimensions for a vertical image are this:

2:3 to 1:3.5

See? Told you it was easy!

Looking for answers in pixels? The minimum width of a pin is 600 pixels, and the maximum is 735. Since I use the default Pinterest setting in Canva, all my pins are 735 pixels x 1102 pixels. More on Canva below.

Vertical Images: The Easiest Way To Make Your Images

Make your images in Canva! It’s a completely free alternative to Photoshop and it’s AWESOME for beginners. And guess what, you guys:

I’m a beginner too!

And since I don’t have the time or patience to deal with trying to make my graphics from scratch, as I said above I just use the default Pinterest graphic setting and design from there. It cuts out a ton of time and lets me focus on what’s actually important: the design of the pin itself.

Canva even has a ton of resources, from free (and paid) images, graphics, and font sizes and colors, so you can make every pin to your customizations. And make sure it fits in with your branding too! One of the other biggest benefits to Canva is you can easily batch your designs, so you’re making more than just one image at a time.

Vertical Images: Take Some Of The Work Out Of Pinterest With Tailwind

Running a successful Pinterest account isn’t easy. And it can take a lot of time if you’re not working smart. Remember: we are all about working smarter, not harder.

That’s why Pinterest has partnered with other websites to make things easier on us, the user. My favorite Pinterest Partner is Tailwind. Tailwind is the best approved scheduler for Pinterest, and it means that all I have to do is schedule a bunch of posts into my queue (which is optimized to post during the time of the where my followers are the most active), and I’m done.

Not only that, but I can also schedule the same pin to multiple boards (with an interval so I don’t spam my followers with the same content) in a few quick clicks. Tailwind also features detailed analytics about your account and Tribes you can join to really pin the best of the best content, and ensure that YOUR content is getting in front of people in your niche.

There’s something to be said for manual pinning too, but to pin in the realm of 30-50 pins a day, I (and you) need a little help.

Ready to start with Tailwind? Click here for 100 FREE pins and you can see what it’s all about.

Ready To Start Your Own Side Hustle?

Download the FREE Blog Startup Checklist, which features the 5 things you need to do before you launch your blog. Not only that, but it comes with 50 ideas to inspire your way to your first batch of blog posts. The rule of thumb is to have between 15-20 pieces of content up before you launch, so get writing!

Don’t forget to get hosting (plus a free domain) for as little as $3.95/month through Siteground. You can read why I choose Siteground to host my websites in my post, 6 Reasons I Host My Side Hustle On Siteground (And You Should Too).

And if you need guidance on how to write the perfect blog post? Well check out my FREE Idea To Awesome Workbook, which will take you from idea to an awesome blog post that everyone will want to devour!

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