By guest contributor Ciera Holzenthal. Photography by Lolly Knit.
Social media is getting more and more visual, and Pinterest is a great example of this. If you take a little time to make your blog Pinterest friendly, it can end up being your number one traffic source. Here are a few tips for using Pinterest to grow your blog:
Create pin-friendly content
A beautiful blog encourages more pinning. Photos that are graphic, colorful, detailed, and vertical tend to show up best in a Pinterest feed. If you don’t have time to include multiple photos in a post, you should have at least one picture that is pin-worthy. Consider revisiting old posts by adding or updating your image. Remember, Pinterest will automatically use your photo’s title as the caption for the pin, so give it a good one!
Make it easy for pinners to pin from your site
Create a pin button at the bottom of each post. If you need help with this, Pinterest has directions for this on their site. There are also multiple plugins out there that allow you to write the description and choose a photo that will automatically appear when people click the “pin it” button.
Pin your own stuff
It’s actually okay to pin your own posts, especially when it is original content. Pinterest only asks that you not use Pinterest JUST for self-promotion. Pin posts you’re proud of, and get yourself noticed. Just remember, not every post is pin-worthy. Posts that are not visually interesting won’t do well on Pinterest.
Optimize Your Pins
When pinning your own content, write accurate descriptions. Most re-pinners don’t want to take the time to do this, and may repin you with no description. Instead of being vague or cutesy, use keywords in your descriptions and board titles. Keyword-rich descriptions will help get pins/boards found more easily via search.
Don’t ONLY Pin Your Own Stuff
Make sure you pin more content from other sources than just your own. Create boards that are an extension of the topics you blog about. If you blog about design, don’t have one board titled “Design.” Break your boards down by topic: Color, Typography, Mood Boards, Invitations, etc.
Cross Promote
Fill out your profile, and link to your blog and other social media platforms. You don’t want to miss a potential blog or Twitter follower because you forgot to put the link in your profile. Use your other social networks to get people to your Pinterest page. Let your Facebook and Twitter followers know when you pin new items that you are excited about.
