Pinterest Tips Archives - Social Media Just for Writers

Want to Sell More Books? 23 Pinterest Tips Every Author Needs to Know

Let’s talk about Pinterest today, the social media network that seems to be an afterthought in many authors’ marketing strategies.

As I recently revealed in a blog post, Pinterest is my #3 source for website traffic (following Twitter, in first place, and Facebook). So for me, Pinterest is far from an afterthought.

In fact, I create images that you can’t see on my blog that I use exclusively for pinning to Pinterest. But more about that later.

Here are some quick & easy Pinterest tips:

Add the Pin It button to your browser so that wherever you are on the Web, you’ll have an opportunity to pin an image you like. Visit the goodies page on Pinterest to find it. Go here to get started.
Designate a pinboard for your blog and then create images for your blog posts. By pinning images from your posts, you can increase traffic to your website.
When you pin an image, especially one from your blog, add a keyword-rich description.
Use the Pinterest app for your smartphone so you can pin as you navigate the Internet wherever you are.
Organize your pinned images into boards.
Don’t pin dozens of images in one session. If you do, you’ll overwhelm your followers’ news feeds. It would be akin to writing twelve Facebook posts in a row. If you can schedule your pinned images or break up you pinning sessions.
If you still have a personal account on Pinterest, convert it to a business account so that you can have access to analytics.
Take the time to come up with interesting titles for your boards while keeping in mind the importance of keywords.

Don't forget to add the Pin It button to your browser via @CaballoFrancesClick To Tweet

I have so much more to say about Pinterest but let’s move on to what other experts suggest.

Pinterest Tips Authors Need to Try

First up is a post by Social Media Examiner titled Pinterest Set to Surge in 2016: New Research.

The post begins with this comment:

Pinterest’s unique setup gives it more selling potential than other platforms. Because users can follow both boards (or subjects) and individual pinners, the channel leads users to items as much as people.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

The first point made her is that Pinterest users are shoppers. So it not only connects people, similar to Facebook or Twitter, but it’s great for sending people to online vendors, including book retailers.

And data shows that since 2011, “the number of Pinterest users going from the platform to a website has multiplied seven times, far outstripping Twitter and others.”

Wow!

[Read more…]

15 Pinterest Tips for Authors

Whenever I feel tired after spending hours of reading emails, blog posts, tweets and Facebook updates, I sneak over to Pinterest and feast on the images.

Don’t mistake me Pinterest isn’t just a vacation for the eyes – although I love it for that reason alone. It is also a powerful social media network that, according to research, will send more traffic to your website than Facebook.

Writers often wonder how they can make the most of their Pinterest accounts. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Pinterest Tips for Authors

Open a business account, not a profile. Starting with a business account will enable you to view analytics.
Create a pinboard for your blog and upload the images that you post there. Whenever you pin images from your website, blog or Amazon, the web address will attach to the image. Then when other users repin your image, they will travel to your website when the click the image a second time or click on “Visit Website.”
Do you have trouble getting your writing started in the morning. Create a pinboard of visual writing prompts and share them on Twitter and Facebook.
Repin images that represent the venues where characters in your novels and stories live and travel to.
Find images that represent the clothing your characters wear and the meals they enjoy.
Create a pinboard of your favorite books (and include your own!).
Create a pinboard of your favorite quotes by authors you admire.
Create a pinboard of quotes about the writing process.
Create a pinboard of book covers written by your colleagues.
Do you love bookstores? Create a pinboard of beautiful bookstores from around the world.
Writers love libraries, right? Create a pinboard of libraries from around the world.
Create pinboards that represent the stories you’d like to write.
Create a pinboard of pictures of your favorite authors.
Create a pinboard of images that visualize scenes and moods in your book.
If you wrote nonfiction, create a pinboard of Infographics about your chosen topic.

To see additional examples of pinboards that writers can create, check out the Writer’s Relief account.

Embed Pinterest into Your WordPress Blog

Once you create your pinboards, you can share them on your WordPress Blog as I have done below, and over in the right column. Simply navigate to this link, select the type of widget you’d like to create, and include the URL to your pinboard.

Follow Frances Caballo’s board Writing Prompts on Pinterest.

About the Author: Frances Caballo is a social media manager and for writers and is the author of Avoid Social Media Time Suck: A Blueprint for Writers to Create Online Buzz for Their Books and Still Have Time to Write. This book includes schedules, strategies, and applications that will save you time on social media so that you’ll have more time to write.