You’ve probably heard the buzz building around Pinterest the last few months, and it’s no surprise why. This social photo-sharing website has already become one of the top 10 social networks for 2012, and it’s even being touted as the fastest growing social media site in history– and it’s still invite-only! In case you aren’t familiar with this popular new website, we put together some tips and quick explanations to get you started on Pinterest.
1. What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is all about sharing visual images and ideas. It is a place to organize all the things that you find inspiring and intriguing. The images that you share are called “Pins,” which you can then place onto “Boards” that are themed and/or categorized as you wish. You can create a board for practically anything, including (but not limited to): exotic locations, gorgeous photography, DIY ideas, and more! You can even think of it as your personal wishlist, filled with things to try out for yourself.
You can sign up for a Pinterest invite on the website, but prepare for a little bit of a wait. Chances are, you might know someone who is already pinning, and you can ask for an invite from them!
2. Why should I use Pinterest?
You can use Pinterest to just pin pictures of cool stuff all day, but it’s also a valuable tool for people with a specific purpose in mind. In the wedding industry, many new brides have employed the simplicity and portability of a Pinterest account to collect their favorite ideas and inspiration. Some people create a Board for each room in the house and then pin decorating ideas for that room. Artists can use it to organize inspiring images for their work. DIY-ers can bookmark crafts and ideas for those projects they always meant to try. You can also allow your boards to have multiple contributors, so collaborating with co-workers on a project is easy with everyone’s ideas and inspiration in one place.
3. How can Pinterest help my business?
Whether you’re a wedding photographer, florist, baker, or any other type of vendor, you can showcase your own work simply by pinning images to your boards. If your product or service can be visually compelling, then this is definitely the site for you! You’ll be able to reach a huge audience that continues to be highly interactive. Start by picking out your favorite images of your work and dedicate a board (or even a few!) to what you can offer. If you’re a florist, maybe you want to create one board for wedding bouquets, another board for boutonnieres, and another board for centerpieces. The possibilities are endless!
4. How do I start Pinning?
By using a simple drag-and-drop browser extension from the Pinterest website, you can use the “Pin It” button to pin any image from any website you visit. Just click the “Pin It” button, select the picture you want, assign the pin to a Board, add a short description, and you’re done! If the Pin is something you want to buy, you can also include the price in the description and it will attach to the Pin for easy reference. The best part: anything you pin from a website will link back to exactly where you found it! There’s no reason why you shouldn’t Pin your own images to drive traffic back to your blog or website!
5. How do I become more social on Pinterest?
In addition to uploading your own pins, you can also Repin posts from other people using Pinterest! This is where the social aspect comes in- the more people you follow, the more likely you are to encounter new images and ideas that peak your interest.
To find other Pinners with similar interests to yours, click the Everything drop-down menu and pick a category that interests you. When you see a good Pin, you can leave a comment, Like it, or Repin to one of your own Boards. If you find a Board that is particularly intriguing, you can follow that individual board’s updates or you can choose to follow the Pinner’s profile with all of her Boards. Like Twitter, it’s an open network, so follows don’t require permission, and you don’t have to follow anyone back.
Be sure to check out the Popular button at the top of the main Pinterest page to see what pins are trending at the moment. It’s a great way to find new content and to find Pinners who share your interests!
In no time at all, you can master this simple social site and help your creative business get the exposure it deserves. Follow our Pinterest page for more ideas!
Stay tuned for more tips coming up in the next few weeks on building your brand through Pinterest and other social media networks!
As most people seem to be these days! I am ABSOLUTELY obessesed with Pintrest. Thanks for the post about it.. good to know I am in the right lane!
As with anything online, are there safe guards against thief of any of the photos posted by photographers? If I post some gorgeous wedding photos, can’t anyone claim them and repost as their own? Leery from Facebook past.