A lot of bloggers are very confused by Pinterest. They hear they should be on it. They hear other bloggers are getting huge loads of traffic from it. And wanting a boost in pageviews to their own blogs, they jump right in. Then they get upset or give up entirely because they don’t understand why they are not seeing the results that they think everyone else is getting.
Pinterest truly isn’t difficult if you break it down:
- First, understand that Pinterest is a content curator. What that means is that people pin content they find on the internet to be able to refer to it again later. People pin information to help them plan an event, fix up their home, start a hobby or improve their lives.Think of Pinterest as the home for each pinner’s personal library on-line.
- Second, Pinterest IS social media. People can follow pinners, invite others to their boards, like, comment and share pins. Pinterest is more like FaceBook than Twitter. It has an algorithm and just because someone follows you, or a board you pin to, does not necessarily mean they will see your pins. You must have a strategy to prove your pins are worth being shared.
- And third and most important to bloggers, is that it has millions of users that are not bloggers. If you have been trying to break out of the “only other bloggers read my content”, this is the place to reach other readers in your niche.
So let’s take a deep breath, correct the Pinterest mistakes and create a strategy that will gradually elicit the results you are looking for.
Common Pinterest Mistakes And How To Fix Them
1. Only promoting your own content.
This strategy will only work if you already have bucket loads of followers and content that everyone wants to share. If you are starting from scratch or have very few followers, this plan of attack will not yield you any results and you will have a very difficult time growing your audience.
You need to prove to Pinterest that you are there to participate and you need to teach it that everything you pin is gold. In other words, you have to use the algorithm to expand your reach.
Better Algorithm Strategy
- re-pin from your timeline.
- re-pin from the “popular” category (pins with a really high number of re-pins already).
- re-pin from the group boards you host.
- pin directly from websites.
2. Mass following.
I see this a lot when bloggers start out on Pinterest. They go on a mass following spree, hoping that everyone follows them back. They don’t even look at who the pinners are, what they pin and if they are even active. Of course you want to grow your followers but it is more important to have a good following of pinners that are interested in your pins. What is the point of having a huge number of followers and no one re-pins you. Be smart, you want engaged pinners that like to share.
As well, remember the algorithm strategy above suggested that you pin from your timeline. If you follow pinners that pin content that you are not interested in, or you follow thousands and thousands of pinners, you will have a hard time sifting through your timeline, looking for something to re-pin.
Better Following Strategy
- Be selective with who you follow. Do they cover topics that will help you fill your boards? Do they share information that your followers will be interested in? Do they have pins that you will want to share? Do they have pins that you are interested in reading and curating?
- Follow boards that you are interested in as opposed to pinners. Some pinners have a hundred boards and pin a lot. If you are not interested in recipes or DYI projects, why would you want to see those pins from that pinner? Follow the boards you are interested in. Following a pinner’s board still counts as a follower for them.
3. Pin, Pin, Pin. The more the better.
Right? WRONG! The worst thing you can do on Pinterest, especially when you are a beginner and have a small following is pin a lot. You will look like a spammer and lose the little following you have. People will start to overlook your pins, especially if they see you pinning the same thing over and over and over again.
Better Pinning Strategy
- pin manually (no sharing app) 3 times a day for 5 minutes (yes, that is all it takes in the beginning)
- re-pin at the very least 2 others to your 1 personal pin
- be engaged, don’t be afraid to comment, send a message or invite someone to your boards
- use the suggestions above for where to find pins to share (under algorithm strategy)
Remember that it takes time after implementing a new strategy to see results. Be patient but consistent. And above all, have fun and share interesting stuff. It is social media yanno?!
42 comments
Thank you for sharing this information. I need to go through the various steps to understand pintrest more. As you say it’s only 5 mins .
Alison xx
some great tips as a new to using pinterest for my blog user I shall start implementing them now
I am glad you found them useful.
Some great information here Elena. I still have so much to learn about Pinterest. This will get me started. Thanks. 🙂
A little at a time and you will get there. Glad to help.
Love your tips and tricks here Elena. Some very helpful advise for those of us (me) who are not terribly active on Pinterest. Coming over for a visit from BlogShareLearn.
I hope you give it a try! Thank you so much for linking!
Great tips, one and all. I agree with some of the others who commented about you being my Pinterest Guru too. You’re the guru I love to go to. ~Paula:-) ##BlogShareLearn
I am no Guru but I do like to share what works for me. Thank you for dropping by Paula!
Thank you for this! I’ve had a personal Pinterest account for years and people pin from it all the time. I started one for the blog and nothing has come of it yet. I’ve been scratching my head. Your tips are a huge help!
It is confusing to switch from thinking about Pinterest for personal use to blog promotion. Don’t get over whelmed and try one tip at a time till you are comfortable.
Your advice about five minutes seems doable. It is overwhelming, all the things to do to increase traffic etc. I like Pinterest and use it personally, but haven’t really figured out a strategy for using it for my blog.
Thanks for the link party!
You are very welcome Michele. Five minutes a day means your will never totally over whelm yourself and may actually try it again another day. Take your time, use my tips and tweak them to find your own strategy.
Hi Elena, *waves* 🙂
I’ve been following these pinterest posts with interest (as you know)… Iv’e yet to implement all of the advice, finding the time (and brain space) is an issue ATM… but have made a start… Thanks to you!
Your advice is clear… and your follow up advice (both here, and on other social media platforms most appreciated. Thank you 🙂
#BlogShareLearn
*waves back*
Go at your own pace, don’t rush it because it will just make you get frustrated. And thank you for sharing your great blog on my linky.
Pinterest, like Instagram, is one that I am trying to get used to. I’m not a big fan but I also don’t really understand the point of Pinterest. I did only join it because I was told it is a really good way to get people to my blog but I have had actually had more success with Twitter. I like this information though. It gives me something to work with. Thanks so much for sharing it. visiting from #blogsharelearn
It took me a long time to get my head around it too. Now it is by far my biggest referrer, over all others combined. Take your time, and one day the light will come on for you too.
Hi Elena,
What do you mean pin from my timeline? I am here at your linky party. Thanks!
Janice
You have to pin from your feed, from the pins of all of the people you follow. Thank you for joining in Janice!
Thank you for this … I am not that great at Pinterest so I need to step up my game.
I have lots of posts to get you started!
One of the things I love about Pinterest is that it’s eliminated my need for post-it notes all over the place which one somehow never finds time to gather and file! Prompted to return and comment by #BlogShareLearn!
Thank you so much for participating!
I love pinterest and I have dabbled in it. I find that between Facebook and Twitter I have trouble finding time to engage in another social media. If it only takes 5 minutes I could start there and see how it goes, so by breaking it down you’ve given me encouragement. It’s on my to do list! Great post and thanks for the #BlogShareLearn link up!
You are very welcome. I am hoping that more will stick their toe in, 5 minutes at a time.
Thanks for your advice – I’ve been brave and have actually commented on a few pins!! ? I’m beginning to get the gist of it all now. Glad I gave pinterest a retry!
This is major coming from you Linda. I had to take you there kicking and screaming…almost lost some boots and shoes along the way! lol
Always trying to figure out how to stay on top of Pinterest, so the idea of pinning twice a day for 5 minutes each time sounds manageable. Ok….maybe 10, because I do get caught up in the pins!
And then eight hours goes by….Just kidding. Everyone is so surprised that it can be done in just 5 minutes a day, but it is very doable.
Some great ideas here. I have never thought to engage to be honest. I have just used Pinterest as a curator type of thing, rather than as an alternative social media source, so I shall be working on that in the future. xx
I am so glad I have convinced you! Let me know how it goes!
I have so much to learn about Pinterest. This is great information and I will try to do exactly what you suggest.
Always remember to adapt tips to suit your own needs and audience. If something doesn’t work for you, tweak it till it does.
Thanks for this – I’m collecting your Pinterest posts, and one day I hope too have the time to really get into it… I love pics!
I am so glad you find them helpful Linda. And there is never enough time. lol
Hi Elena! Thank you once again for your great advice. But just some I’m clear….when you say re-pin you mean to re-pin to one of your own boards right? And when you re-pin to your own board do you do it to the same board or a different one? For example, I have a board I call, “Good Advice on Other Blogs” so when I pin your post that is where I put it right? Sorry, I obviously need to keep studying up on this! Thanks for your help. ~Kathy
Hi Kathy. Yes re-pin to one of your own boards and yes, pin to a different one than the original pin was posted to. I hope that answers your question and if it doesn’t, you know how to find me to ask more questions.
As always an informative and easy to follow post about Pinterest. You are my guru!
Thank you for thinking so Cathy! lol
Engage!!! Always comment on someone’s pin, answer when someone comments on your pin. Be funny, be cute, it’s social media!!! Be adorable 🙂
You, are adorable! lol