Have you ever wondered what an effective Pinterest marketing strategy looks like? Or what details it should include? Questions like how to pin, when to pin, and how much to pin are always at the top of the list. Not to mention—what to track and how to track Pinterest results.

If you find yourself floundering in a sea of pinning madness, let me tell you this. The key to Pinterest's sanity is simple. Know what works, what doesn't and how to seamlessly integrate it into your marketing strategy.

If you're looking to get more out of Pinterest for your business, you'll enjoy this roundup from my recent Twitter Chat with Kelly Lieberman.

I was thrilled to join the fast-paced conversation within the #PinChat community on Twitter where we discussed Pinterest marketing and what it takes to build an effective Pinterest strategy.

Q1. What should be included when planning your Pinterest strategy?

A1) Tactics. When you don't pair tactics with strategy -- regardless the type of campaign or goal -- failure is imminent.

Just found this list of #pinterest #mktg tips, thought I'd share #pinchat! pic.twitter.com/WGtwyRVoiA — Paige Sandhu (@paige_sandhu) May 28, 2015

A1) Optimization. Pinterest account optimization, can make or break the success of your Pinterest channel. Take it seriously.

A1) Consistent branding. Identify colors, fonts, and graphic style used in marketing. Now translate it across all Pinterest images.

Q2. How can you use Pinterest analytics to better understand your target audience?

A2) Look to "Profile Analytics" to see what's resonated with your audience. Now pin more of what's popular to continue momentum.

Pinterest analytics will also show you what others are pinning from your website, too, which can be helpful to guide you. #PinChat— Beki Winchel (@bekiweki) June 11, 2015

A2) Get to know your followers demographics and location. Schedule your best pins during the times they're most responsive. #Pinchat

A2) Move your top 3 performing boards to the top of your profile for easy access, viewing and repining.

Pinterest should be like any #socialmedia strategy. You need to check the metrics + adjust if necessary. #pinchat

— Odd Duck Social (@OddDuckSocial) June 11, 2015

Q3. How do you create content for Pinterest that satisfies the needs and interests of your audience?

A3) There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Pull a quote from a popular article or create a sma Infographic from a how-to post. #Pinchat

A4. Food & Drink makes up almost 1/3 of all Pins. #pinchat pic.twitter.com/IPZLCZmpw8 — Ahalogy (@Ahalogy) June 4, 2015

A3) Determine how/who you help. Then create images that solve their problems. Answer questions, and provide direction or instruction.

Pinners are looking to be inspired and solve solutions as they plan with Pinterest, does your brand answer their questions? #pinchat

— Kim Vij (@EducatorsSpin) June 4, 2015

A3) My “Pinterest Getting Started Guide” on @PostPanner shares secrets to finding your audience sweet spot! http://bit.ly/1FSYuBk

@RebekahRadice: A3 First start listening to your audience before talking...then you will learn how to engage them #pinchat— Maarten Bierman (@maartenbierman) June 11, 2015

Q4. What are the key components to creating a compelling image for Pinterest?

A4) The number one rule to good design is show, don't tell. Avoid wordy/busy designs that put the brain into information overload. #Pinchat

@RebekahRadice A4: =>> Show and Tell. Spot on and Pinterest does just that! #PinChat

— Janette Speyer (@websuccess) June 11, 2015

A4) People are moving fast. Make your Pinterest images easy to scan (readable font), click through to (correct URL) and repin.

YES! A picture is worth a thousand words ~ 1000 repins :) RT @jeffsieh

A4: Have your images tell a clear story #pinchat— Kelly Lieberman (@Tribe2point0) June 11, 2015

A4) Your description is equally important. Give details (add context) about the content found on the other side of the image.

Q5. What are the top ways to use Pinterest to boost traffic to a blog or website?

A5) Activate rich pins. Rich pins include additional data making your article pins more valuable and offering higher visibility.

7 Ways to Create Perfect Pinterest Images (that Drive Clicks) http://t.co/Y5A5Ui7n6R #PinChat

— Kelly Lieberman (@Tribe2point0) June 11, 2015

A5) Statistics show that articles including images receive 94% more total views. Make your posts pinnable and include an image! #Pinchat

A5) Statistics show that articles including images receive 94% more total views. Make your posts pinnable by including an image! #pinchat— Rebekah Radice (@RebekahRadice) June 11, 2015

A5) Whether you showcase your company, product, or service, images pack the one-two punch your post needs to gain attention.

A5) Pin your articles to Pinterest and then share it (with your pin link) to social networks like Google+, Twitter, and Instagram.

A6) Share the pin links through your other channels and vice versa as a mesh, but always great content with very low repetition #pinchat

— Jeff Higgins (@AnnaMariaSocial) June 11, 2015

Q6. How do you integrate Pinterest with other social channels?

A6) Share your Pinterest pins on Google+ and Facebook, include a link back to the pin and a CTA to #PinItForLater

@RebekahRadice Great advice on optimization. Many people forget that your boards can rank in Google search! #pinchat— Jeff Sieh (@jeffsieh) June 11, 2015

A6) Join Facebook groups like #PinChat or other online groups where members share tips that can help you promote your biz.

A6) Tweet a high-performing board. Tell followers what to expect and why to follow you there.

A6) Tweet a high-performing board. Tell followers what to expect & why to follow you there. Here's my fave: http://t.co/fxqRFsx395 #pinchat

— Rebekah Radice (@RebekahRadice) June 11, 2015

Q7. How much time do you spend curating vs. creating content for Pinterest?

A7) More than I’d like to admit. I’m a content creator, but love to share (and spotlight) other people's content!

Find brilliant tips and insights for social media on @RebekahRadice’s blog #pinchat— Kelly Lieberman (@Tribe2point0) June 11, 2015

A7) The key is to find your own balance. Be honest in how much time you can commit and then consistently follow through.

Q8. What tools do you use to help you with Pinterest?

A8) My go-to tool for content scheduling and detailed data is @tailwindapp. They make content sharing and analysis super easy!

A8) Pin Alerts lets you set up alerts to track in real time when someone pins an image from your website. @Pinnable

Nice A8) Pin Alerts lets u set up alerts 2 track in real-time when someone pins an image from your website @Pinnable #pinchat @RebekahRadice — Ann Tran (@AnnTran_) June 11, 2015

A8) If you want to create shareable and pinnable images, you need @Canva. Create beautiful images in a snap!

FYI. If you crop your pins right, many of them will work on Instagram. People are hungry for great images over there. #pinchat— Jeff Sieh (@jeffsieh) June 11, 2015

A8) Here’s a great artice from @Buffer - “21 Time-Saving Pinterest Tools for Businesses and Marketers” https://blog.bufferapp.com/pinterest-tools

A8) Here’s a great artice from @Buffer - “21 Time-Saving Pinterest Tools” https://t.co/eZ4WZ9Xl0Y #pinchat

— Rebekah Radice (@RebekahRadice) June 11, 2015

A8) No matter what tool you use, remember: use automation in moderation. You must be active in building your Pinterest presence!

Automation should never be used to replace the human element. Create before you automate! #pinchat— Jeff Higgins (@AnnaMariaSocial) June 11, 2015

Final thoughts

Pinterest can be an incredibly effective part of your overall marketing strategy. Whether you're a content creator or content curator, you'll see value in a consistent Pinterest presence.

Make sure to connect with me on Pinterest and learn more about #PinChat through Kelly's detailed roundup found on Storify!

#PinChat: How to Create an Effective Pinterest Strategy with @RebekahRadice (with images, tweets) · tribe2point0