Not everyone understands the massive benefits of using www.pinterest.com, this is why it is not as celebrated as other social networks you are familiar with. But believe me, there is more to it.
If you have just opened an account on Pinterest, it is normal to feel lost. We all have been there, and this is why we are putting out this article to educate people about Pinterest and how they can use it to their advantage.
There are several explanations why people make use of search engines and social media platforms. Some are there to seek information, engage with posts, find new paths or improve their businesses. These are also the kinds of things you can utilize on pinterest.com as well.
What is Pinterest.com and how does it work exactly?
Maybe you have heard about Pinterest from friends and families or it comes up on search results, but you are left wondering what is it all about. www.pinterest.com is not your regular social network, as it acts a bit different from what you are used to. For instance, sharing of content such as images, videos, or texts are called posts but called a different name on Pinterest. It is called Pin. You pin images, videos, or links to your board!
Pinterest is a social network that is used to share or discover new concepts. The visual discovery engine, Pinterest is a hub where you can find great suggestions. And there are over billions of ideas created by users and for users. If you are ever stuck and thinking of how to get on, Pinterest could act the exact way Google provides information for you, except that they come as boards.
It also supports basic social media functions which include liking boards, commenting, or even resharing them. As a business owner, you will be able to give your business more visibility by embedding a pin. The pinned content may be a link to your website or business page. Over 500 million users are using www.pinterest.com and chances are there are people who are looking exactly for what you share on Pinterest.
Pinterest was originally seen as a platform to share home and decorating stuff, a platform for women, but eventually grew out of it to become one for all genders. Now, both genders make use of it. You can now find several boards for men, for example, games or drinks men love. It is a place to be whether you are looking for an idea or you have some ideas people might be interested in.
How to use pinterest.com
If you are now ready to use pinterest.com, then follow our step-by-step guides on how to get started. It normally starts with account registration, which we are ready to walk you through the process:
1. Sign up for an account on www.pinterest.com
To sign up for an account on Pinterest, go to pinterest.com. Once in, you can simply join quickly by using your Facebook, or Gmail account. This process normally skips some parts and helps you sign up quickly.
When you connect using your Facebook or Gmail account, you are giving permission to Pinterest to access your details. Therefore, you will see some certain information already filled in. You will also be given the option to decide whether you want your pins to be reposted on Fb provided you are setting it up using your Facebook account. There are other options, but you will get the free will to decide how you want to sign up for a Pinterest account.
If you decide to join using an email address, you will need to provide all personal details unlike when you use either Facebook or google mail to sign up.
As a business owner, you can instead create a Pinterest business account. The business account could help your business succeed as it comes with more tools not made available for personal accounts. Pinterest advertising and analytics are among the benefits that you can utilize on the business page.
However, even if you have signed up for a normal account on Pinterest, you will still be able to convert to a business page if you change your mind later.
2. Confirm your Pinterest account
Now that you are done with the first part, it is barely your account until you confirm it. If you used Facebook or Gmail to sign up, you may not need to confirm or verify your Pinterest account.
But when you decide to register via the other option, this will set you up for the second phase. If you decide to go on with it, go to your email inbox and check for a message from www.pinterest.com asking you to confirm your Pinterest account.
The purpose of verifying your Pinterest account is to ensure you will be able to restore your account when issues like forgetting passwords, someone accessing your account, or any related ones come up.
To confirm the account, you just need to create the link sent to your inbox, thereby proving you are the real owner of the account.
3. Find some boards to follow
You do not want to have a clean interface, you want some awesome boards to fill your feed and there are quite a lot on the platform. All you need to do is find your interests. There is always something for everyone whether you are a hardcore gamer, love for arts, or cooking, you will always find something that tends to hold your thoughts.
Pinterest will give you some ideas of boards to follow, you can go through the list to find your interests. You will also be able to unfollow boards any moment you feel you no longer need them, board owners won’t be notified when you unfollow.
4. Review your settings
This could also come immediately after verifying your Pinterest account. It is very important to adjust your settings.
There are lots you could do to give you a better experience. You can decide to stop search engines from indexing your posts, add your info and location, website name, toggle a key to store your contacts, opt-out of receiving notifications, link your social media account, and many more.
5. Create boards
If you are just on Pinterest to find ideas, you may not need to think of creating boards, but for someone interested in building a brand or giving his business more publicity, then creating a board should be top of the list after account set up.
Board is one of the most important To-do on the platform, it is where the magic happens. You can save or organize your pins on board. For instance, you could make a collection of pins stapled on a board so that anyone can easily find the boards they are interested in. Think of board as a genre or category if you are finding it difficult to understand this Pinterest’s term.
You can create your board by logging into your account on www.pinterest.com. Go to your feed and tap the + icon located at the bottom of the page, select Board, add necessary details and click Create.
You can make your board secret by tapping ‘Keep board secret’. When you make a board secret, no one will be able to view the boards aside from you and the people you invited.
To make it easier for people to find, it is advisable to treat it as a category. For instance, if you are sharing home improvement tips, you could name them as one so that users and visitors will easily locate them.
Once the board has been created, you will be able to move pins to the board they fit in. To pin items to your board, click your Profile Icon > select ‘Pins’ you want to move to a Board > click Save and select the Board you want to pin it to.
With a board, you can create topics and interests that users can follow to get an idea of what your business is. It can also help improve your brand as well.
6. Know your Pinterest better
You are just getting started. There are tools and places you will want to explore. A few walks around the park should help. You can search for an idea or go through the pins and boards of people you are following to understand how content is being structured.
Create boards, also more pins, and follow more Pinterest accounts. As long as you keep using it, you will understand why Pinterest is gaining popularity.
Using Pinterest.com for business
It is easy to confuse a Pinterest personal account with a business account, but the fact is they are not similar. If you have a brand or business you want to grow, you will be edging towards the Pinterest Business Account as it comes with unique features not made available for a personal or normal account.
While a Pinterest personal account can perform the basics, the business account provides you with features such as pin optimization using Pinterest’s keyword tool, advertising content, access analytics, integrating campaigns, and more. With a Pinterest business account, you have the required tools to grow your traffic which will aid your brand or business.
How to create a Pinterest business account
Just because it is a premium account does not mean it has to be complicated to create, creating a business account on Pinterest is straightforward and below is the guide on how to set up a Pinterest Business Account:
1. Sign up for a business account on www.pinterest.com account
If you have already created a Pinterest personal account, you can convert it to a business account. If you decide to open a new one, you will need to visit business.pinterest.com and click Sign Up.
By tapping the signing up, you are declaring your intention to open a Pinterest business account. A new page will display, and you are to click ‘Create Account’ to begin the registration.
2. Enter your business information
The next step is to provide some information such as your email address, business name, your age, select the Category that the business falls in, website name, create passwords, and answer if you will be interested in running an ads campaign.
This is a very important section that needs to be taken care of, it would be in your interest to answer the best way possible.
Once completed, click Done to go to the next stage of your Pinterest business registration.
3. Select the topics you are interested in.
There are lots of topics made available for users, you should select one or topics you will be interested in so Pinterest.com will be able to deliver content that matches your interests.
There are lots to explore, simply go through the various topics and find at least one. Once selected, you could get some content or pins that relate to what you are interested in.
4. Claim your business or brand website
If you have put your website on your account, you will need to verify the site. This is stating that the site belongs to you. Verify your Pinterest account by following the guide in this section.
Tap your profile icon and click edit Icon. Alternatively, go to the Settings area > Claim > Confirm Website. You will be directed to a page where you will need to download an HTML file. Download the file and upload the HTML file to your website’s root directory. Head back to your Pinterest and complete the verification with just a tap.
5. Create boards and start pinning
The next thing on your plate is sharing the ideas. But first, you want to create boards, and then pins that have a targeted audience and are very engaging.
People visit Pinterest daily to look for the best ideas, and engaging with yours is a key to improve your business or brand. If you can focus on providing content within a particular niche, people will start looking up to you as an Authority.
6. Promote your Pinterest
As a new user on Pinterest, sharing your idea is never enough, you need to promote your page aside from structuring your pins to be easily found.
One of the best ways is ensuring that your pins are discoverable by search engines and you could easily turn them on via settings. By default, it is on but you should check if it is all good.
You can also leverage social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Use hashtags when necessary to make it easier for people to find your Pinterest Pins. If you can also spare some cash, a Pinterest ads campaign would accelerate your page quickly.
