This is something that has been on my mind for a while. It was almost 2 years ago now that I posted Am I the Only One Not Addicted to Pinterest? At the time Pinterest was shiny and new. It was mostly full of recipes, and there were all these rules and talk about those that were not using it *correctly*. Back then people seemed to have an issue with those that shared their own blog posts. I had given it a try, but just like Twitter it took a little while for me to warm up to it. I am still not addicted, not by any means. However, I definitely see the value in Pinterest. I have created boards and I happily pin.
People use Pinterest for different reasons. Most use it as a place to compile and save content that they are interested in. This is many, many different things. It is a great way to find ideas for fashion, recipes, crafts, wedding ideas, and DIY projects. However, it has also become a very valuable way to share your blog content. Pinterest is a top referrer for many blog owners. So, when we view Pinterest as a content creator, we see it a bit differently.
I am certainly no Pinterest expert, but I have used it enough to see what works and what types of posts people notice and repin. The right Pinterest content can bring views to your blog. How do you get your content noticed on Pinterest? There are several things to remember.
The number one thing to remember is that…
PINTEREST IS ALL ABOUT THE PICTURES!!
Got that? Now… read on. 🙂
Start with Great, Shareable Content
Remember… not every post on your blog is Pinterest worthy. The sole purpose of Pinterest is to share visually appealing photos. But if you are sharing blog posts then behind that visual appeal needs to be compelling content that others want to share. Your post about how you had a rough day at the office probably would not contain much that others want to share. However, a post on how to upgrade your desktop cubical space to be comfier complete with photos may be share-worthy. Try to create content that reaches a broader audience if possible. Do not share every post on your blog without first thinking “Will others deem this content share-worthy?”
Posts that do well on Pinterest:
- Recipes
- DIY Posts
- Organization
- How To (tech, social media, home, other)
- Travel
- Photography
- Cars
- Fashion
- … and more
Other types of posts may get viewed once, but the point of Pinterest for bloggers is to get others repinning your content which means that it reaches more eyes. So, think carefully when pinning a post “If I saw this on someone else’s board would I deem it worthy to pin to my own board?”
Create an Awesome Pinterest Ready Photo
If you go to Pinterest.com right now you should notice a trend. Photos are big, beautiful, and bright. Most will be very clear or even professional quality photo or a collage.
Some include text, others don’t. But the ones that don’t include text are usually product photos and are still artfully done and beautiful. For bloggers including text could simply be the name of the post, and your blog name. Some photos are Infographics, others are graphic lists. No matter the format each graphic should be compelling. It should make the person browsing want to click it. Think about your own photos/graphics. Do they look as good as the photos being shared on Pinterest? If not, it is time to step up your Pinterest game.
Photos on Pinterest (as it relates to blog posts) should have 5 things:
- A great, clear, large photo:Â In general longer photos fit better, and look better but wider photos will work as long as they look good. A suggested a size of at least 400×600 is the minimum that I would use. Pinterest will resize whatever you use to a thumbnail of 238px wide for the feed, and expand it up to 735px wide when viewing a single pin.
- Post title (or shortened version):Â This is key so that viewers know what the photo/post is about at first glance. If your post is a recipe, put the recipe name clearly on the image. If it is a How To, list what it’s for.
- Blog address (or your blog logo): This is important so that you get credit for your content even if the description is stripped away. Plus, users can see which site they should visit for more information.
- Embedded Info: Embedded info is important if you are using your original photography. Upon saving your image and before uploading fill out the meta information in your graphics program, so that even if someone
stealsborrows your photo it is still clear where it originated. - A great description: Underneath the photo should be a brief, but useful summary of what your post is about. Why should we read it? What useful info are you giving us? What should we share it?
Below on the left are some examples of images that I have seen on Pinterest lately. These are not the actual images. I am using similar images to protect the owners! 🙂 No pinners were harmed in the making of this blog post. On the right would be a better way to turn that into a Pinterest worthy image. For the formatting of this post, the images on the right are not actual size. The true size of each is 400x600px.
Bad Pinterest Image |
Better Pinterest Image |
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In each of the examples above the picture on the left is just not compelling. Those are the type of graphics that you just scroll right past. For example, nothing would make me want to click on the Pampers logo on the Pinterest feed to see what that is about. However, with just a little photo skills and manipulation, the browser now sees that it is a post about potty training. In the 2nd example, the necklace used is just not appealing. The photo was not staged well, and the short phrase “On Sale” may not compel anyone to click on it. In the last example from the left we can guess that the pin is something Twitter, but what? The image on the right clears that up nicely.
With just a little work and some easy photo manipulation, you can make your content rock on Pinterest. And once your content is ready, and your images are pretty, you are ready to share with Pinterest, participate in pinning groups, and hopefully bring more eyes to your content.
Happy Pinning!
I really appreciate your insight. I definitely need to up my Pinterest game and these tips are so helpful! Thanls
You are very welcome Apryl!