Pinterest Content Planning Using TikTok (Beginner-Friendly Strategy)

Today we are talking about…TikTok! Maybe it surprises you to see a blog post about how to use TikTok as part of your Pinterest strategy. They are such different social platforms! Right? Well, yes and no. Today, I want to talk about how beginners can use TikTok as a gold mine for Pinterest content ideas —even if you never plan to post a single video. So bring an open mind, and come learn what TikTok can do for you and your Pinterest account.

Maybe you’re not into TikTok because it’s always felt a little too fast and trend-driven or just not your thing—I get it. As a Pinterest strategist, I’ve spent years helping creators build slow-burn, sustainable, evergreen content strategies. But here’s the reason why I don’t want you to give up on getting a TikTok account, even if you never plan to post content there: it is more than just trending sounds and dance routines. TikTok is a great place for beginners to find content ideas for their Pinterest account! You just have to go about it the right way.

As a social media platform, TikTok wants its content creators to succeed. So, it provides TikTok users with free tools to help them plan their TikTok content. I’m talking about Creator Search Insights, an invaluable source of information for TikTok influencers. It’s a free, built-in tool that shows users exactly what people are searching for on the platform so TikTok creators can tailor their new content to reach a wider audience. 

Now, I know you’re asking yourself, “Why would I care about what happens on TikTok?”

I never tell you anything for no reason! So listen up. Here’s why Pinterest business owners should care about Tiktok: because TikTok search trends don’t STAY on TikTok! They spill over into Google, Instagram, and other places, including…you guessed it. Pinterest. Plus, it’s never a bad idea to post on more social platforms, especially when content can easily be repurposed for Pinterest!

In this post, I’ll walk you through how beginners can use the TikTok Creator Search Insights tool as a great way to find content ideas (it doesn’t matter if you never post a single thing on TikTok) and how to tailor your new posts to work as evergreen content long after the trend that inspired them is gone. And that’s true whether you create a TikTok video first and repurpose it or go straight to making a new Pin using your TikTok-inspired idea.

Remember, even if YOU aren’t on TikTok, there’s a good chance your audience is. So, it makes sense that TIkTok trends inform what people search on other platforms, including Pinterest. So, my advice for small businesses on Pinterest is to have your finger on the pulse of what’s happening on multiple platforms. We all need creative ways to find new content ideas, and this is a great one. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying it out.

(This post assumes that you have already downloaded the TikTok app and created an account. if you haven’t done that, go ahead right now! It just takes a few minutes. Don’t overthink it. Use the same name on both platforms and a similar bio (with small tweaks) to maintain your brand integrity. For our purposes today, all that matters is that you have an account for discovering creative ideas, NOT to reach a TikTok audience if you’re not ready for that. So, go sign up and then read on.)

Let’s discuss how beginners can use Creator Search Insights on TikTok to get ideas and inspire their next Pinterest post! 

What ARE Creator Search Insights? 

I’m so glad I convinced you to keep reading, even if TikTok is not part of your current strategy! The first thing we need to discuss is Creator Search Insights: what it is, where to find it, and why it matters. Let’s answer what I’m sure are your first two questions: 

• YES, this tool is free!
• NO, you do not have to be a mega-influencer to use it.

This tool really is for everyone! To find it, go into the TikTok app. In the upper right corner of the screen, hit the “search” magnifying glass. Type in “creator search insights” and it will pop right up! There are a few ways you can use this tool in your creative process. Let me show you two. 

Content Gap 

The Content Gap feature of Creator Search Insight is a great way to pick a topic for your new Pin that you KNOW will tap into popular trends of the day. This feature of Creator Search Insights shows you topics that users are searching for in your niche that do not yet have much content created around them. If you are looking to create amazing TikTok videos, this is a great place to start. But even if you are just looking for a way to jump-start your marketing strategy on Pinterest, you can see how it is a valuable tool!

Are you wondering if the Content Gap feature works better with specific niches? You can use Content Gap no matter what your niche, because it tailors the results to your specific account. So, no matter what type of video content or static Pin you are looking to create, you can use this tool. It works for: 

• Life hack content
• Educational content about any topic
• Cooking videos or your favorite recipes
• Tutorial videos 
• DIY projects
• Anything else!

To find it: 

• Go to your Creator Search Insights
• Click on “View”
• Scroll across to “Content Gap”

Then, you can scroll through the results to find a topic you would like to investigate. If nothing jumps out at you there, you can use the “search” function (the magnifying glass) to search for a topic with a keyword or phrase you already know you want to work with. 

Once you find a topic you think your target audience might be interested in, click on it! Then:

• Scroll down to “Creator Tips”
• Select “View All”

TikTok will take that topic you’re interested in and tell you which hashtags to use. It will suggest a hook. And, it will even give you the script you need and a scene-by-scene breakdown for your short-form video content. How cool is that? You can copy all of this information and paste it into a document to work with off-app. And remember, this strategy holds for any content in any niche. And if you’re not ready to post on TikTok? No problem! You can still use these insights to guide your blog posts, reels, stories, and…Pinterest Pins. At this stage you can think of TikTok as a content compass, not a social media platform where you are seeking an audience. 

Search Analytics  

Another cool feature of Creator Search Insights is the Search Analytics function. Just like Pinterest Analytics are the key to figuring out how to appeal to a broader audience on that platform, the Search Analytics tool on TikTok Creator Search Insights is a great way to figure out if you are creating the right content that answers questions or solves problems for real people who are watching. This tool is especially helpful if you DO want to explore creating videos on TikTok first (and then repurposing them for Pinterest) and have started adding content to the TikTok app. Here, you’ll find several insights that are invaluable to tweaking your future posts to be search-friendly on TikTok (and of course, on other platforms too). To find this feature: 

• Open TikTok
• Go to the “Search” icon (the magnifying glass)
• Search “Creator Search Insights”
• Hit the red “View” button
• Hit the “Analytics” banner in the top left corner

Search Analytics contains five key metrics you want to pay attention to: 

1. Search Views

This is the number of times your post appeared on the Search Results pages of TikTok users. An upward arrow is a good sign that you are getting found in search! An arrow pointing downward means your views have decreased compared to a similar time period in the past, and suggests you need to make some adjustments. 

2. Search View Percentage 

This is the percentage of total views for your posts that came from the Search Results page. The higher the percentage, the more search-friendly your content is. 

3. Search Impressions

This metric measures how many times your video appeared in TikTok users’ search results, even if it wasn’t clicked on. An upward arrow means you are using effective keywords and trending topics. A downward arrow means you need to refine your keyword strategy. 

4. Average Click Through Rate (CTR)

This is the percentage of impressions from the Search Results page that resulted in a click! The higher the percentage, the more compelling and relevant to search your posts are. 

5. Average Search Ranking 

This metric tells you the position of your post on the Search Results page. The higher the number, the better positioned your content is for discovery. 

You can use all this data to monitor the health of your TikTok account and create short-form videos that will reach the people who need to see them. 

So, you can see how this is different from the Content Gap info: You really need to be posting on TikTok to use Analytics. After all, if you have no posts, there’s nothing to analyze! But remember what I said earlier in the post: The people cruising TikTok are also using Pinterest’s search engine to look for related content. So, post on TikTok and make sure your Analytics there are solid. Then, repurpose your posts for Pinterest where you can convert them to evergreen content that will stand the test of time! This is a great idea for killing two birds with one stone. And in the social media world, the more birds you can aim at with one stone (does this metaphor still work?), the better. 

5 Ways to Make TikTok Videos More Search-Friendly  

Let’s assume that you are ready to post on Tiktok and are looking for TikTok ideas for beginners. A good general rule of thumb is that you have to create content people want to see AND can find! (If this sounds a lot like my advice on creating highly savable, discoverable content on Pinterest, that’s because it is. So, the learning curve here should be easy!)

1. Choose popular and relevant topics in your niche to boost your search impressions (Remember the Content Gap feature of Creator Search Insights).

2. Think about what your audience is searching for and why. New recipes, reviews, your routines, products, etc. should appeal directly to your community’s interests.

3. Create the right content at the right time! Post when the topic has an increasing search popularity. (The Search Popularity trend chart is found when you click on any topic you find using the Content Gap feature. Just scroll down once you click on the topic of your choice for these stats.)

4. Then think about words or phrases that might lead people to your video and incorporate them in every way possible. If you selected a search topic from Creator Insights, use it and other relevant keywords in your description, hashtags, and text overlays. Every word counts!

5. Regularly check Search Analytics to monitor and tweak your content strategy.

How Do I Use TikTok Content for Pinterest? 

Let’s bring this back to the ultimate point of this post: beginners using TikTok for Pinterest ideas. We already know that repurposing content across platforms is a smart strategy. So, if you don’t want to use TikTok for TikTok’s sake, then you need to be very careful about the kind of content you create. It won’t all work across the two platforms! For example, TikTok content tends to focus on here-and-now, timely trends. But we know that Pinterest is NOT about trends. It is about timeless solutions to universal problems. So, how do we blend the two? Staying away from current events is an obvious no-no, but there are other things to consider! Here’s a quick checklist to keep you on track: 

1. Choose the right content

• Does this content answer a common question or solve a universal (to my community, anyway) problem? 
• Will the message make sense a year from now? 
• Can I turn it into a tutorial, ultimate guide, list, or tip?

2. Make Small Changes

• Remove trendy TikTok audio when you move to Pinterest 
• Remove TikTok watermarks 
• Remove distracting, “noisy” overlays 

3. Make Content Pinterest-Friendly 

• Turn TikTok content into vertical graphics
• For video, choose a good cover image 
• Use a keyword-rich title as your on-screen text overlay

4. Optimize for Pinterest SEO

• Will your Pinterest users search for slightly different keywords or phrases? 
• Do your Pinterest keyword research and use relevant descriptions and Pin titles 

Summary 

I hope I’ve shown you that beginners can use TikTok as part of a Pinterest strategy for collecting content ideas, whether you plan to post there or not! My advice to you is: 

• Sign up for the TikTok app
• Explore Creator Search Insights to get niche-specific content inspiration for either Pinterest OR TikTok
• Consider posting to TikTok as one more platform to increase your reach
• Use the Search Analytics tool in Creator Search Insights to analyze your efforts and keep improving
• Focus on being search-friendly on every platform you utilize
• Be smart about creating the right kind of TikTok content that will repurpose easily to Pinterest, Instagram, or anywhere else

Now, if you do this right, you can create trendy, timely content on TikTok that will translate to timeless, evergreen Pinterest Pins and make you visible in BOTH places. Or, you can be smart about topic research and use TikTok as a gold mine for Pinterest content. Whichever option you choose, downloading TikTok from the App Store today is just a good idea. 

I can’t wait to see how you incorporate TikTok into your Pinterest strategy! Have fun experimenting, and let’s see what works!