A Poll: When Do You Use Pinterest…Or Do You?

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So, everybody seems to have a post about Pinterest. My post is a Pinterest poll, to find out when you are using this “newish” and fast-growing social media site, and if you are not yet using it, plus a short description for folks who are new to the site, and a few how to tips for all.

Why am I interested? I’ve been asking if people are using Pinterest at various meetings and events (not geeky events, but like at my pottery class) and LOTS of people are saying yes I use it and I love it. More so than other new or hot sites in the past. So I’m curious.

Here’s the Poll Link:  When do you use Pinterest? http://poll.fm/3jug4

What is Pinterest?

Skip this if you are on it already, or read it and comment below if you would describe it differently.

Pinterest is a cross between a social media site and a bookmarking tool (like delicious.com) for webpages and images on the web – but VISUAL and easy to use. When you find an image or webpage you want to remember and/or share with others, you use their little tool, a “pin it” button, to select the image you want to pin, then it opens your Pinterest page, and you virtually “Pin” the image and a link to the site you pinned it from to a virtual cork board – under whatever category or title you think fits.  This is all easier to do than it might seem from this description. Here is the Help page with lots of simple info about how the site http://pinterest.com/about/help/

When you login to pinterest, you see the most recent images/website links pinned by those people that you have selected to follow on pinterest. And those who follow you, see what you pinned. If you like something – click it and check out the original blog post or product behind the pin. You can also just “like” the Pin, or re-pin it to one of your own boards.

Why would you use Pinterest?

That is a subject for another post, but I use it to book mark interesting sites so I can find them later, to collect images that appeal to me or interest me; I’m a photographer by hobby. I am also using it to let people know who I am as a person, not just as a PR/Social media consultant; as a break from my work day; and I am learning to use it so I can help clients use it for their businesses. To find me there go to Pinterest.com/cathylarkin

Look for a future post with links to some of the best posts out there on Pinterest – the pros and cons. Some artists and bloggers love it – it drives traffic and new customers or readers to their sites, other artists ans bloggers hate it and see it as a way that others can steal their images or work. It’s complicated, but the huge surge in popularity has put it in the forefront of social media sites. Here is a link to my @Pinterest board of articles on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cathylarkin/pinterest-how-to-info/

Pinterest Tips:

Be sure to bookmark the actual product page or blog post on the site, not the homepage. On some sites there are several items or images or blog posts on that home page. If you just hit pin this, and select an image, although it looks like you posted a specific image and link, you’ve posted the image, and a link to the home page. If I am that blogger and I write three more posts, then your pin get’s disconnected from that post. so always click the headline of a post, then pin the image from that page.

If you go on a pinning binge, try and vary the subject a bit – otherwise you might fill the welcome screen of your followers with all of those ice cream recipes and make them so hungry that they unfollow you. Pin a few ice cream recipes, then a few cute cats 9or whatever else you like), then back to ice cream etc.

At first you will follow people, and all their boards, to get started, but begin to be selective, follow selected individual boards of a person – the things that you also like or think are interesting. And if you have kids who use your computer (or are using this for business), be aware that one person’s taste in art may include tasteful (or less so) nudes, and one person’s funny or humor board, may shock you or make you raise your eyebrows. So my advice is to be selective. Everything is public on Pinterest, tehre are no private boards,and others can see the boards you choose to follow.

If you are a blogger or sell products on the internet be sure to get the “Pin it” button for your site: here’s the link: http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/ – although several social share plugins for wordpress sites have already added the Pin it button to their services.

Pinterest is still in Beta, and invite only, but it is faster to get an invite by asking someone who is on the site to send you one. If you want an invite , just leave a ask for one in the comments below and I’ll send one to your email address.

Share your pinterest tips, times you use the site, if you love it, hate it or don;t get it.

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