Pinning my time away - Pinterest tips and tricks.

Pinterest is a huuuuuge love of mine. I pin whenever I can, and I must be doing something right, as for the year or so that I've been pinning, I've amassed over two thousand followers. That may not be too amazing for some that have tens of thousands of them, Pinterest, just like my blog, is a hobby, so I never really expected a great amount of people to pay attention to it, let alone follow. So I've been thinking about what tips and tricks I can give, to help everyone and anyone build up their following whether you pin casually, or professionally. And what about my first shameless plug of this post? Well, my Pinterest is here if you were wondering, haha. 

Profile.

Include an email address, your blog and/or business address as well your social media handle. For this I would just include @ohkalukalay as that's my handle for all of my social media, such as Twitter, Instagram etc plus a few short words sharing what you're about. For me, it's 'Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle' because those are the three things that I care most about, and feature on my blog. The thing I try to remember about my profile, and all profiles really, is that it's free publicity. If someone comes across a picture you've made and/or pinned, and they click on your profile, whether on purpose or by mistake, they need to know what you're about. That's how I've gained numerous followers. Followers that don't just follow a board or two, but follow my entire profile (all of my boards). 

       Plus I think using the same image as your profile picture, as you do on other social media accounts creates a sense of flow. Anyone else feel slightly lost when bloggers/accounts change their name and profile picture at the same time? I get so easily confused, as I'll either remember the picture or the name - so if an account has the same picture, but a different name, or vice versa, then I'll remember that and most probably follow their account. 

          Another thing which is very important, is linking your blog, to your Pinterest account, which can be shared via Bloglovin, or through widgets, such as the one of the right of this blog. It shows recent pins, and I do love to nose at what bloggers are up to/pinning. 

Onto boards...

I really enjoy making numerous boards, naming them, pinning and changing the profile images once a week. I do that because I enjoy it; I love having my boards updated either once or twice a day with a few pins, and I always try and change my board images as they are what your perhaps future followers will see when they click on your profile, or if your board is suggested to them. If I pin a really inspirational or beautiful picture, then I'm going to remember that - the impact that it had, and then change my board profile picture to reflect that. I always go for images that catch my attention, and make me want to click on it. Whether it's perfectly done eyeliner, amazing shoes or an inspirational space - there needs to be an impactful photo to draw the eye. That's the thing about Pinterest, it's extremely visual and people are drawn to eye-catching photographs. 

        I don't really have a style, although so many pinners do - I just pin whatever catches my eye and my followers seem to enjoy that, as they're something for everyone. I do however, try and be creative with my board names. Boards like Makeup Inspiration and Desk Inspiration rather speak for themselves, and in those cases they're two of my most popular boards, but names such as Sharing the blogger love, Makeup forever and ever and The wedding tales display exactly what I need them to, but in a fun way. I love boards with catchy titles, and I do understand the appeal of big bloggers with their 'S T Y L E' and 'T R A V E L' board titles, as it's quite aesthetically pleasing, but their followers  mainly come from their blog, so I try and create titles that grab you, create interest, make you want to click and see more.

Staying Active.

I try and pin twice a day, at the very least. Once in the morning, and once in the evening, although sometimes I do go on a full hour long pinning session, as it's just so obsessive. I try to post at least one new pin, to each board every other day, but some boards are very seasonal, such as ones relating to New Years or Easter, so I only tend to use those in those seasons. Christmas is used every once in a while, as there is always someone wrapping a present so beautifully, that it has to go into that board! I sometimes even pin in themes; such as with certain colours, designs or in terms of style, certain items. One of my most recent themes has been the styles of actresses that I admire, mainly Blake Lively and Diane Kruger, two blondes who have certainly got it going on! I'll pin their casual looks mixed with their high fashion, straight of the runway appearances, and this not only opens up my 'fashion and style' board to new pinners, but to the people who already follow me, it opens them up to new profiles and new inspirations. Total win-win, right? 

      If I have ten minutes or so to spare, I'll use the Pinterest app to do some pinning and update my boards, so it allows me to be more active on the go. So if I'm not by my laptop, or waiting for work/my partner/a friend then I'll have a few minutes of pinning, just to keep my profile active. 

Analytics. 

I know it doesn't sound fun, but Pinterest analytics for businesses are not only really eye opening in terms of knowing what pins are most seen/clicked/liked/repinning (Breakfast Egg Muffins, Must haves for a Girly Makeup Lover and Preppy Garden Wedding), but also the boards that gain the most attention. For me, The Wedding Tales, Makeup Inspiration #1 and Coffee Table and Living Room dreams have been my most popular within the last 30 days. There isn't really a correlation between the boards, as they're all very different, as well as the repined pins - they all belong to different categories. One tip I would suggest was a wide variety of boards if you don't have a theme in mind for your Pinterest, as I find that it not only keeps my board fresh, but it appeals to a wider audience. Yes, you pin that amazing cat eyeliner tutorial, as well as how to make the best brownies ever using coconut oil! I love diverse boards on profiles, so I totally recommend not only doing that, but signing up to Pinterest analytics for a break down of audience, popularity of pins and of boards. It's a really interesting read, not only for bloggers, but for businesses too. 

    I hope you enjoyed my few little tips and tricks - if any go these have helped, please let me know! And you can find my Pinterest here. 

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