When it comes to your Pinterest marketing strategy, great content is only half the battle—the design of your pin is what determines whether it ranks, gets clicks, and drives traffic to your blog or business. From the mysterious “ranking color” to whether you should use photos, graphics, or collages, today we’re diving into how Pinterest decides which pins rise to the top.
👉 Want even more insider strategies? Don’t miss our full Pinterest Content Cluster Guide for a step-by-step breakdown of how to organize your boards, keywords, and blog posts to work together.
What is the “Ranking Color” in Pinterest Pin Design?
Pinterest assigns every pin a dominant color, sometimes called the ranking color. This is the main shade most prominent in your pin image. The algorithm uses this to decide if your pin visually aligns with other top-performing content in the same category.
- Pins with matching dominant colors often rank better, because they “blend” into what Pinterest already sees as successful.
- You don’t always have to overhaul your branding—overlay text boxes, borders, or elements in the dominant color can help your pins perform better.
Quick Design Tip:
Before you post, scroll through top-ranking pins for your keyword (like “Pinterest marketing tips” or “self-care routines”) and note the dominant colors. Adjust your design to harmonize with what’s trending.
Photos vs Graphics: Which Pins Perform Better?
This is a hot debate in Pinterest marketing, and the truth is: it depends on your niche.
📊 Finance & Business Niches
- Pins with text overlays and graphic elements (like charts, icons, or bold titles) tend to perform better.
- Users are searching for clear, actionable tips, so an image that says “5 Ways to Save $500 Fast” will beat a pretty stock photo of a wallet every time.
🌿 Health & Self-Care Niches
- Lifestyle imagery works wonders here. Real photos of wellness routines, cozy environments, or calming aesthetics resonate more.
- Combine photo backgrounds + minimal text overlay for the best results.
- Collage pins showing step-by-step routines (like “Morning Skincare Ritual” or “5-Minute Self-Care Ideas”) drive strong engagement.
The Power of Collage Pins
A study of pin performance revealed that collage pins (multiple photos/graphics combined) outperform single-photo or text-only designs:
- 🎯 73% of impressions came from collage pins
- 💾 87% of saves came from collage pins
- 🔗 81% of outbound clicks came from collage pins
That means if you’re serious about Pinterest marketing, collage-style pins should be part of your design strategy.
Proven Design Best Practices
Here’s what research tells us about high-performing Pinterest pins:
- Use multiple colors (multi-color pins get up to 3x more repins than single-color designs).
- Warm tones like red and orange outperform cooler hues like blue.
- Vertical layout (2:3 aspect ratio) is essential for maximizing visibility.
- Moderate brightness/saturation beats extremes (too dull or too neon both underperform).
- Interestingly, pins without faces often perform better—giving your text and concept room to shine.
- Readable fonts matter. Use clean, bold, easy-to-read fonts that pop against your background. Script fonts can work for accents but avoid long blocks of text in cursive. Think scannability—your audience should understand the pin’s promise in under 2 seconds.
- Font hierarchy: Use larger text for the main idea (like “Save Money Fast”) and smaller supporting text underneath. This makes your design more clickable and organized.
🎯 Pinterest Pin Design Strategy Checklist
✔️ Research dominant (“ranking”) colors for your keyword
✔️ Use collage-style pins for more saves, clicks, and impressions
✔️ Match your format to your niche: graphics for finance/business, lifestyle photos for health/self-care
✔️ Keep designs clean, vertical (2:3 ratio), and text-friendly
✔️ Use easy-to-read fonts (bold, sans-serif or modern styles) with strong contrast
✔️ Apply font hierarchy so the most important message stands out first
✔️ Run A/B tests to see which colors, overlays, fonts, and formats resonate with your audience
Conclusion
Your Pinterest pin design isn’t just about looking pretty—it’s a ranking factor that can make or break your strategy. By aligning with dominant colors, choosing the right format for your niche, and embracing collages, you’ll boost impressions, saves, and traffic.
👉 If you’d like even more Pinterest tips on keywords, boards, and content planning, check out our Pinterest Content Cluster Guide. It’s the perfect companion to level up your pin design strategy.
Research for this post draws on insights from Pinterest marketing experts including MadPin Media, Better Marketing, and a Curalate study featured in Wired.