Beauty Blog School – 10 tips for bloggers using Pinterest

Beauty Blog School is in session!

Today’s blogging tips are about using Pinterest. For me, Pinterest is a great source of inspiration and also my number one traffic referrer (after Google search).

I’m going to start with a basic overview in case you’ve never used Pinterest before, or don’t quite get why it’s so awesome.

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a bookmarking tool that lets you create online pinboards. Each image (or video) on your boards links back to the website where you pinned it from.

In the days before Pinterest, I would have to right-click and save so many images to my desktop. I’d have random folders full of images.

Now I use Pinterest, which saves me time and helps me keep track of my inspiration files.

Pinterest is considered a social media, though it’s not as conversational as Instagram or Facebook. It can be difficult to track comments on pins. However, you can set up group boards, and send private messages to other Pinners.

Why should you use Pinterest?

As a blogger, you can set up your Pinterest profile to collate your best content and position yourself as an expert curator in your niche.

You can also make some simple changes to make your site more pinnable so that others can share your content.

10 tips for bloggers using Pinterest

1. Set up your Pinterest profile in detail

Try and keep the same name as your other social media profiles, or at least use the same profile photos so people will recognise you. Verify your blog address and include a short description of you and what you’ll be pinning.

2. Keep your boards on brand

Pinterest is a great place for personal inspiration, but this profile is for your blog. Keep it on brand. Set up boards that are similar to categories for your blog, and don’t be afraid to make your boards really niche. You can use secret boards to record anything off-brand.

3. Choose a good cover image for each board

When people stop by your profile, you want them to get a great snapshot of why they should follow you. Choose great images for your cover photos, and arrange your boards with the most popular or relevant boards at the top.

4. Install the ‘Pin It’ Button plugin on your blog

Make it easy for readers on your site to pin your images to Pinterest. You can even ask them to pin it to remind people that it’s ok to share your content there.

5. Make your images worth pinning

Create beautiful images people will want to share. Pinterest definitely has a certain, popular aesthetic and it helps if you craft your images to suit. You don’t need to be an expert to create images using PicMonkey or Canva.

6. Include title images in each post

Often readers use Pinterest as a bookmark for content they’ll read later. A clear title image can be an easy way for them to pin your post as a reminder to come back. For example, see this pin  and this pin.

7. Use portrait images more than landscape

A quick scroll through Pinterest will show you that portrait images stand out more than landscape images and studies say that images with a 2:3 aspect ratio are pinned 60% more. Ideally your images should be 735 pixels wide and 1128 pixels high. A minimum of 600 pixels wide is recommended.

8. Combine your tutorial images in a collage

You don’t want to create images that are too long, but combining your images into a how-to single image makes them more shareable. For example, my braid tutorial pin  has been re-pinned 220% more than the finished hairstyle pin.

9. Pin original content

Back to your Pinterest boards, make sure you fill them with original content. I repin about 10% of images I find on Pinterest, and the rest are from blogs or sites I find online. It’s fine to pin your own content too. I like to set up boards to link blog categories like my 30 Braids in 30 Days challenge.

10. Be consistent

Building a following on any platform takes time. Set aside 15 minutes a day to work on Pinterest. Go back through your most popular posts and edit them to include more pinnable images or collages. Try to pin 5-20 new images a day to your boards.

Bonus tip: Look up your most popular pins by going to www.pinterest.com/source/yourwebsite.com (eg www.pinterest.com/source/hairromance.com) to see what others are pinning from your site.

I feel like I have more than 10 points to make about Pinterest but this is a good start for any new bloggers or if you’re new to Pinterest.

Are you a fan of Pinterest? What’s been the most pinned image from your blog? If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.