Pinterest is a young social network loaded with images. The highly visual site is used to collect graphics, photos, videos and other images on virtual pinboards. The site is easy to use, but there are a lot of errors you might be making that are effecting how users find and share your content. Are you doing any of these?
Failing to Fill out Your Bio Completely
You have 160 characters to talk about yourself or your products. Sound a bit Twitter-esque? Remember links and hashtags are not clickable in this area.
Your bio is the text area at the top of your Pinterest profile. Fill in your biographical description and upload a profile photo. There is not a lot of room. Use it to describe you or your business. If you are a human, include a little information about yourself and what you like to pin.
Not Setting categories For Every Board
Choose a category for every board you create. Users can pick a category when they create a pinboard. Categories are added or changed via the “edit board” dialogue. Assigning a category to a board allows it to show up in the category searches and from the category menu.
Not Verifying Your Website
Verifying your website is an important step to being discovered on Pinterest. It also gives you access to free analytics data. For those concerned about SEO, this is the one and only link on Pinterest that is not a nofollow!
Failing to Include Contact Information or Making It Hard to Find
This is essential for businesses, brands and bloggers. Pinterest only allows 160 characters the bio. Create a ‘contact me’ board and give users an easy way contact you. Include contact information about you, your business if you have one and your other social media presences. Make it easy for someone to communicate with you. Build your community and brand by sharing all your networks. I have a Pinterest board with instructions on how to reach me.
Not Filling out Text Areas
Skip this step if you want to remain anonymous! Fill out all text areas. Pins with longer descriptions get more repins, as do those with prices. Better yet, use keywords and phrases that describe the pin well. Use keywords in pin descriptions, board descriptions and as board names. Don’t leave these fields blank and don’t use the fast way out of entering a description. Many users enter a period ‘.’ in the description to scoot by Pinterest’s minimum one character pin description. An account bio does not have a minimum length.
Pinning Only Your Own Products
This is a big social networking error for anyone promoting goods or services. Be sure to pin content that is interesting to others. Don’t just pin your own content and expect everyone to love you for it. Share more content from others and make sure it aligns with the theme of your boards.
Failing to socialize
The moment you joined Pinterest we became neighbors! Pin, comment, like and share your fellow pinners content and be an active part of the community!
