Top tip Tuesday Pinterest What it is and how to get the most out of it

Top tip Tuesday Pinterest What it is and how to get the most out of it

I'm an artist, primarily a lettering artist and as such I am a visual person, as are most crafters too. Perhaps if I was an accountant, Pinterest wouldn't be so exciting for me. It's like looking through a whole pile of magazines for inspiration, but instead of pouring endlessly and flicking pages, one click and the magic happens. 

I know, I know, you're saying "NOT something else to get my head around".... well, sorry, but yes it is.... but it will be so worth it! 

I love it  and so do my clients and if they are on Pinterest, getting a feel and flavour of how they want their wedding to look, cuts out a lot of guess work for me. At a glance I can see what floats their boat and what styles they are most attracted to. 

Pinterest  is a web and mobile application company that operates a photo sharing website with over 150,000,000 – Yes that’s 150 MILLION users as of October last year!  

Registration CLICK HERE  is required for use. The site was founded by Ben Silbermann, Paul Sciarra and Evan Sharp.

Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann summarised the company as a "catalog of ideas," rather than as a social network, that inspires users to "go out and do that thing."

In short, it’s an in-line virtual scrapbook where users can set up a multitude of boards and pin photos either from their Pinterest Feed or from a website they are visiting.

If you install the Pinterest Browser Button you can pin any image you find on any web page to your virtual Pinterest Board

So, how do I do that?

How you install the button will vary depending on which browser or device you are using so CLICK HERE to find out how.

The button will help you no end when you find something you like. It’s sort of a one click process after that.

Here's how the button works and how to use it

So how do you use Pinterest for your business?

1.    Organise your boards – Take time to set up your boards.

If you are a knitter perhaps you can have boards for Clothing, Hats Scarves and Gloves, Socks etc. If you make Jewellery – Necklaces, Bracelets, Rings etc.

2.    Pin from your website, blog or Etsy shop. Don’t just add photos from your phone or tablet. That way users who pin your pins will have a direct link back to your website, blog or Etsy shop and be able to find you easier. If you just upload your photo, the photo will open as a larger photo. Double clicking on ANY picture on Pinterest will take you to where the picture was pinned from.

3.    Make all your personal boards (those boards that don’t directly have anything to do with your own business or the clients you are trying to attract) private.

 You will be able to see ALL your boards, but your followers only see the public ones.

4.     Add a link to your website in the description of your photo or video. The link back will encourage and help people find you.

5.    Make boards that inspire your target market. For example, I design and make wedding stationery, so I know my clients will be looking for inspiration regarding all aspects of their wedding . From flowers, venues, cakes and right through to their colour schemes for wedding, I can add an Ivy Wedding invitation to my ‘Wedding Invitation’ board, but I can also add it to my ‘Green Themed Weddings’ board too. If you make baby cot quilts, you may like to add a board with ‘Baby Nursery Ideas’ or ‘Personalised Baby Gifts’. Make your boards relevant to your target market.  

6.    Choose your pins wisely. Remember each pin represents you and your business. A board titled 'Rude quotations' could be something that interests you but may turn customers away…. It’s not the sort of personality that you want to portray to someone who is potentially going to spend money from you. I was once put off a Cake Maker that I was going to recommend on my wedding website. Her profile picture had her surrounded by terrier dogs and one was licking her face! Now, she was probably a brilliant cake maker and the dogs could have been kept outside, but have her make cakes for me…. Errrr no thanks… just in case

7.    Follow people with similar interests to you. Leave comments, re-pin their pins and make friends with those around you.

8.    Pinterest shows up in Google Images Search. The more you pin from your website or Etsy shop the better. Simple J Google loves active people! .

9.    Create pins for Step-by-Step tutorials and how to’s. One of the highest shares comes from these. Create a how to on your website and blog, add a title in a coloured box and get it pinned! Teach them something! If you are worried that everyone will copy your idea then think again. The world wide web is FULL of websites, Youtube videos and step-by-step how to’s of EXACTLY what you make. If they don’t find it out from you…. Then they’ll find it from somewhere else. Have no fear! There’s plenty of work to go round. 

10.                       Include all your contact information in your description and on your pins. The easier you make it for people to find you the better.

Your challenge for this week…. Should you choose to accept it, is…. Get your Pinterest Page in order.

It’s free and it WILL get you noticed!

Did I also mention it’s great for inspiration too? From what to cook, to decorating ideas, fashion to gardening. 

In case you still don't 'get it' here's a short video

By the way Ben Silbermann, CEO & Co-Founder, currently saving ideas to Delicious Dinners 

Warm wishes and happy crafting,
Sue xox