How to Follow People on Pinterest: A Beginner’s Guide to Building a Smart Feed

Pinterest is more than just a platform to save pretty images—it’s a search engine and social discovery network rolled into one. And while Pinterest doesn’t operate exactly like Instagram or Twitter when it comes to social following, who you follow still matters. It influences your home feed, helps you stay connected to creators in your niche, and even builds your own authority if you’re using Pinterest to grow a business.

At PinMySEO, we guide clients through Pinterest setup and optimization, and that includes smart audience targeting and engagement strategy—starting with following the right people and boards.

This guide walks you through the step-by-step process of following users on Pinterest, why it matters, how it affects your feed, and how to build a smart following strategy for your niche.

Why Following People on Pinterest Still Matters

Pinterest isn’t a traditional social network—it’s more of a visual search engine. That said, the people you follow help shape the type of content Pinterest recommends to you. It also affects the type of pinners Pinterest sees you as connected to (which helps its algorithm classify your interests).

Here’s why you might want to follow someone:

  • You love their content and want to see more
  • They regularly share ideas in your niche
  • They repin content that aligns with your own
  • You want to keep track of collaborators, influencers, or competitors
  • You’re building community within your niche

You can follow entire accounts or just specific boards—a powerful feature for customizing what shows up in your feed.

How to Follow Someone on Pinterest (Desktop & Mobile)

Following someone is simple, but where you do it depends on what you’re looking at—profile, pin, or board.

Method 1: From a User’s Profile

  1. Go to the search bar and type the name or username of the person you want to follow.
  2. Click on their profile.
  3. You’ll see a red or white “Follow” button at the top.
  4. Click it. You’re now following their entire account.

Method 2: From a Pin They Created

  1. See a pin you love in your home feed or search?
  2. Look at the name or profile icon below the pin image.
  3. Tap or click the name to go to their profile, then follow as above.

Method 3: Follow Only a Specific Board

Sometimes, you only care about one topic from a user (like “DIY Projects” but not “Outfits”). In that case:

  1. Visit their profile.
  2. Scroll down to their list of boards.
  3. Hover or tap on the board you want.
  4. Click or tap the “Follow” button for that board only.

Pinterest gives you full control. You don’t have to follow everything a person posts—just the parts that matter to you.

What Happens After You Follow Someone?

Once you follow someone or their board:

  • Their new pins may appear in your home feed
  • Pinterest will consider your interests more aligned with theirs
  • You’ll see more suggestions based on what that user shares
  • You can quickly find their content again via your following list

But here’s what Pinterest does not do:

  • It won’t send you constant notifications
  • It won’t let them know your personal info
  • It won’t turn your feed into a clone of theirs—it just tilts it slightly in that direction

Think of it like telling Pinterest, “I want more of this, please.”

How to Unfollow Someone (In Case You Change Your Mind)

It’s totally okay to update your interests. Here’s how to unfollow someone or a specific board:

  1. Go to their profile.
  2. Click the red “Following” button (it’ll turn to “Follow” when you’re no longer subscribed).
  3. Done—Pinterest will stop prioritizing their content in your feed.

Same goes for boards. You can unfollow a single board without unfollowing the whole profile.

At PinMySEO, we sometimes recommend clients “spring clean” their Pinterest following list to refine their own content strategy and avoid distraction.

Who Should You Follow on Pinterest?

Whether you’re a blogger, e-commerce brand, or DIY content creator, your follow list should be strategic, not just random.

Here’s who to follow:

  • Influencers in your niche
    These people often have viral pins and can give you inspiration or ideas for trends.
  • Pinterest creators with great design skills
    This helps you level up your own pin quality by seeing what works visually.
  • Accounts you want to collaborate with
    Following them builds familiarity, and you’ll stay updated on their content for future pitches.
  • People who repin your content
    Engage with those who already like your stuff. It can build loyal pinning relationships.
  • Competitors
    You can see what topics they’re pinning, how often they’re active, and what content is getting traction.

You don’t have to follow hundreds of accounts. Focus on quality over quantity.

How Many People Should You Follow?

There’s no hard rule. Pinterest doesn’t limit how many people you can follow, but here’s our guidance:

  • If you’re just starting out: Follow 30–50 accounts in your niche
  • As you grow: Slowly build up to 100–200 curated, relevant accounts
  • Avoid spam: Don’t mass follow just to get followers back

Pinterest is less about follower count and more about what you pin and how optimized it is. Focus more on quality content and strong keyword usage than inflating your follower list.

Can People See Who You Follow?

Yes—but only if they visit your profile and click on your following tab.

Pinterest is pretty low-key when it comes to social interactions. There’s no “follower feed” or broadcast when you follow someone. It’s more about discovering content than building a public follower image like on Instagram or TikTok.

If you’re using Pinterest professionally, having a curated following list actually shows you’re connected to others in your niche and have good taste.

How Following Affects the Pinterest Algorithm

Pinterest uses signals to determine what kind of content to show you—and what kind of content to show others from you.

Following someone:

  • Tells Pinterest what kind of content you’re interested in
  • Makes it more likely to show you related content
  • Influences what boards and trends Pinterest recommends to you
  • Helps Pinterest understand your topical niche (useful for creators)

If you’re using Pinterest for business, following accounts within your topic builds authority over time. At PinMySEO, we help our clients stay focused on topical clusters—and that includes who they follow and engage with.

Building a Smart Following Strategy

Here’s how to turn your “following” habit into something that grows your traffic and strengthens your Pinterest marketing game.

1. Follow for Inspiration

Create private boards where you save pins from accounts you follow. Use them to study:

  • Pin design
  • Headlines that convert
  • Trending topics
  • Idea Pin formats

2. Follow Creators You Want to Collaborate With

Like, save, and comment on their content. Stay consistent, and they’ll notice. It’s a slow-build networking strategy.

3. Follow Thoughtfully, Not Emotionally

Don’t follow people just because you admire them. If their pins don’t align with your niche, they’ll confuse your feed and dilute your Pinterest strategy.

4. Review Your Following List Monthly

Unfollow inactive accounts or ones that don’t align with your brand. This helps Pinterest keep your home feed fresh and relevant.

FAQs About Following on Pinterest

Q: Do I need to follow people to grow my account?
A: Not at all. You can grow purely through smart content and keyword strategy. But following the right accounts can help you stay inspired and plugged into your niche.

Q: Can I follow someone without them knowing?
A: Yes. They’ll see you in their follower list, but Pinterest doesn’t send a notification.

Q: What happens if I follow and unfollow a lot of accounts?
A: Pinterest doesn’t like spammy behavior. Avoid mass-following just to unfollow later. It won’t help your growth.

Follow with Intention, Grow with Focus

Following people on Pinterest isn’t about building clout. It’s about curating a smart, helpful feed—and showing Pinterest what kind of content matters to you.

Here’s what to remember:

  • You can follow entire accounts or just specific boards
  • Follow creators in your niche to stay inspired and informed
  • Unfollow anytime to clean up your feed
  • The right following habits support your algorithmic growth

At PinMySEO, we don’t just grow Pinterest accounts—we build systems. And that includes who you follow, what you pin, and how your content aligns with Pinterest search behavior.

When done right, Pinterest becomes more than just a visual feed—it becomes a personalized discovery engine that fuels your blog, brand, or store.

Louis Dioso