Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Reviewing Best Practices for Pinterest Success

pinterest on a tablet
Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing social media sites on the web. Follow these best practices to get your business noticed and achieve Pinterest success.

Of all the social media channels on the web, Pinterest has become the popular marketing site for small business owners, artists, designers and home-based crafters.

It is estimated that Pinterest will reach 47.1 million users in 2015. That's more than 25% of all social media users. And, these numbers are expected to grow to a user base of 59.3 million by 2019.

If you haven't joined Pinterest, you may want to seriously consider joining the crowd. But, before you do, take some time to create a Pinterest plan. If you're already on Pinterest, it may be time to review your plan.

Here is our review of the best practices to bring success on Pinterest.

Niche Your Pinterest Account


As web marketers, we're always told to "Find your niche." A niche is a fancy way of saying, "Stay on topic." And another way of saying, "develop a theme." Your niche/topic/theme is your business, art, craft or hobby.

While setting up your Pinterest account, make sure that your profile description, board titles and board descriptions always follow your main theme. And, create boards that encompass all of the areas that follow that theme to niche down your boards.
TIP:  When you have pins that don't pertain to your niche but you want to add them to a board, create a secret board where only you can see those pins. Or, create a separate Pinterest account for your personal and fun sharing.
For example, if you sell crochet craft items, build Pinterest boards around the types of items you crochet and other items that support your craft. This could include boards for crochet baby gifts, crochet plush toys, crochet tips and tricks, and crochet yarns.

Think of your Pinterest account as a department store and your boards are the different departments within your store.

Create Descriptive Boards


Pinterest boards with descriptive titles are more likely to be noticed by other Pinterest users and by the search engines. Write board titles that accurately describe the types of pins found on the board. And, don't forget to add a short description that offers more information about the board.

This may seem like a lot of work but visitors to your Pinterest page will appreciate the added descriptions. Adding titles and descriptions can turn a boring Pinterest page into an interesting and informative place where people will gather to find useful pins.

Design Eye-Catching Images


Pinterest is a visual place and the best looking images get the most notice. If you don't have any graphic design skills, this may be the most challenging Pinterest best practice that you'll encounter. But, don't give up hope, there are many online tools that will help you create incredible Pinterest graphics.

When creating images for Pinterest, keep these tips in mind:

  • Use clear photographs that accurately portray the pin.
  • Make images large to make your pins stand out from the crowd.
  • Add text to add more description.

Find Group Boards in Your Niche


There are two ways to grow your following. The first is to promote your Pinterest account and pin regularly. The other way, and an easier way, is to find group boards that match your niche and interests. When you add your pins to a group board, you reach every follower of every member of that group board. And, you may make some new friends in your niche that will help you in your cross-promotion efforts.

Post on a Regular Schedule


This is the most difficult part for many people. It's easy to get started and it's easy to pin for a while. But, as time goes on, life and work get in the way. Don't get caught in the trap of putting off your pinning until tomorrow. If you have to, set a schedule and pin by it. Even if you can only spend a few minutes a day, make a schedule and stick to it.

If you find it difficult to keep up your Pinterest enthusiasm, join a Pinterest networking group.

Join a Pinterest Networking Group


It's not always easy playing the social media game and finding a method that fits your marketing style. One of the best ways I've found to stay focused and find synergysm is to join a Pinterest networking group.

A new Pinterest network group that showed up just a few months ago and has achieved awesome success is Pinterest Party. Pinterest Party is not one of those "you share mine and I'll share yours" kind of groups. The group administrators have daily activities that help members stay active, keep their Pinterest page interesting and grow their exposure.








Posted by Coletta Teske
Coletta Teske

About This Contributor

Coletta Teske writes reviews on books, business management, writing, crafting, cooking, and gardening. She is also an avid recycler and shares her tips on recycling. She delights in upcycling an old object, recycling or transforming discarded items into a new treasure.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


12 comments:

  1. I absolutely love Pinterest! Not only for my own pins, but for finding things. It really is a great site. I appreciate your tips and suggestions to help us all pin more successfully and to make the most of our Pinterest pages.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Cynthia! I joined Pinterest early, when it was by invite-only. It is my favorite social sharing site because pinned articles have a longer sharing life. I have pins from years ago that still get re-pins.

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  2. Thanks for the great tips. I've been using Pinterest for a while - but my approach is a little haphazard. I'll try to adopt some of your suggestions in future.

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  3. Thanks for the Tips Coletta, I need to clean up and organize a little better, and you have some great tips Thanks for taking the time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eugene, cleaning up and reorganizing our Pinterest accounts is an ongoing thing. I'm glad you found this useful!

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  4. Great article. Thanks for mentioning the Pinterest Party group. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I've been planning to reorganize (and become more active with) my Pinterest area for quite some time. With these helpful tips, I am now more motivated to 'get with it'. Thanks for this helpful article, Coletta.

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  6. Hi Coletta thanks for these tips. I wonder if I should delete all the boards I have joined that have nothing to do with my niche. I used to join varied boards when I was writing lenses for Squidoo. But now I have niched down to travel again, I'm not sure what to do about the board that have nothing to do with travel. I would appreciate your thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Giovanna! You may want to consider removing yourself from group boards that you no longer actively pin. If you want to keep those boards, move them to the bottom of your page. I don't think it hurts to have non-niche boards, just feature your niche boards at the top of your page. Your own boards that aren't in your niche could also become secret boards. Happy Pinning!

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  7. Just recently I've been making more of an effort to pin in a more disciplined manner. Part of the problem is that I like to do it to relax at the end of my day, and by the end of my day, most people I hope will see my pins have already gone to bed. I'm trying to pin more in the afternoon or early evening now while more people are still up. I didn't know about the Pinterest Party. I just joined and am waiting to be approved. Thanks for that information.

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  8. I've been utilizing my boards in a better way from getting good practice tips from blogs like this. Appreciate the tips.

    ReplyDelete

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