How to Use Pinterest and Digital Products to Power a Design Business
Circle Day 2025’s theme, “Design Differently,” invited the audience of web designers and agencies to reflect on the unique ways they approach design. It also prompted attendees to consider the novel resources they use to create more business opportunities and reach new clients. Nicole Macdonald, creative director and founder of New Zealand-based design studio January Made Design, shared her not-so-secret tool for growing a substantial client following: Pinterest.
While many people view Pinterest as a lookbook or place to find recipes or home decor ideas, it can act as a type of search engine, too. Visitors use Pinterest to look up brands and products, as well as inspiration for their brand’s website layout and design. Plus, Pinterest posts tend to have more longevity than other social media platforms—Nicole still gets leads from a post she shared in 2019.
Nicole demonstrated how the social media platform serves as a powerful tool for attracting steady traffic to your studio and shared how to transform that attention into revenue through digital products designed for both clients and creatives. She offered systems for generating leads, developing in-demand resources, and building a thriving business without the necessity of a packed schedule, including:
The best types of content to pin
How to turn clicks into clients
The tools to create compelling content
A process for creating and pinning
How to keep pins simple (and imperfect)
How to leverage analytics to hone content strategy
Pinterest as a business tool
For Nicole, Pinterest is more than a social platform; it’s a powerful tool for building brand discoverability and attracting clients. Unlike other social media platforms that offer temporary impressions, Pinterest provides long-term brand awareness. This is especially useful for marketing digital products like website templates, extending your reach beyond your own site.
Check out the following resources for more insights on marketing your web design business:
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