An Introduction to Pinterest
In the simplest sense, Pinterest is a virtual pinboard. You probably have the real thing at home or in your workplace. It’s a pretty useful thing to have as it keeps you organized and that’s exactly what Pinterest can do for you on the Web. There are many other ways in which this social website can be an asset to your business. Moreover, it can also be useful in your personal life.
With Pinterest, you can:
- Collect photos of styles, décor, and furniture that can help you with room makeovers and renovations.
- Create a virtual cookbook of gluten-free or easy-to-do recipes you can use when entertaining guests at home.
- Gather together all the images of the book covers of the latest releases from your favorite authors and books you want to read
These are but a few examples of how Pinterest can be a vital part of your life. These very features can also be a way of marketing your business if you were an interior designer, a chef, or a writer respectively.
According to one study, a photo is generally equivalent to 1.8 million words. Imagine then how many words you’re able to share with your market with a collection of well-chosen photos “pinned” to your pin boars in Pinterest.
Tips for Getting Started
Here is a quick guide on how to get started with Pinterest upon registering an account:
- Complete your profile page. You should know how important profile pages are by now when it comes to Internet marketing. They’re always one of the bases for a person’s impressions about your business or work. Make sure to double-check that you have the correct URL typed for your website and that it is linked to your business’ Facebook page and Twitter account. You can use a logo as your profile image or something else that effectively defines what your company is about.
- It’s time to start pinning! To do that, you will need to create a pinboard. A list of categories – over thirty of them – is provided by Pinterest, one of which is aptly named “Other” if you do not find the rest applicable to your collection of pins.
- Configure the rest of the settings for your board. You will be asked to provide a title for your pin board and categorize it. You will also be asked to indicate if you wish other Pinterest users to have the right to add pins to your board. Upon creating a board, click on Edit Settings and you will be able to provide a description for your board.
- Pins refer to the photos pinned to your board. There are two ways to pin a photo and you can either use the Pin It button, which you have to install in your browser or you can upload it directly from your computer. Using the Pin It Button will immediately provide the photo with a link back to the site or blog you obtained the photo from. If you upload the photo from your computer, you have the option of creating an additional link for it. You can also provide an additional description for every pin.
Remember that Pinterest is a social site – one that allows you to “repin” photos from other boards to yours, and vice versa. Commenting is also allowed so be sure to visit and comment on the boards of your target market in order to have them visiting yours.
