Pinterest basics, hints and tips, and advice for beginners. This slide includes how to join Pinterest and how to use.

1. What is Pinterest?
Pinterest is an online
pinboard (noticeboard)
Content shared on
Pinterest is driven
entirely by images. You
can’t share something
on Pinterest unless an
image is involved.
Each board mimics a
real-life pinboard
(noticeboard/ vision
board).
Pinterest
Social Status - Social Media for Beginners - Since 2009
© 2014 Elana Bowman – Social Status

3. This is a notice board/inspiration board

4. These are pins on Pinterest

5. 3 Ways to use Pinterest
Pinterest
Social Media for Beginners - Since 2009

6. 1. You can use Pinterest as your own
virtual, organised bulletin board to keep
any visual idea that you want to use as a
reference later. (recipes, books,
gardening tools, gift ideas, etc.) - You can
share images you find online, or you can
directly upload images onto Pinterest.

7. 2. You can Pinterest as a source to find
new ideas.
As a Pinterest user, you’ll be able to see
what other people or what the people
you follow pin.
This can really help you discover
things you never would have though
of!

8. 3. You can search Pinterest to find things
such as the latest bestseller.
You can share great content with your
followers (people who follow you).
Any of your followers get to see what you
pin, so it’s a great way to show your
likes or interests. (and build
relationships with other people)

9. WHY?
Save things/ideas or content to read or use later
Put together a party, wedding, event, or resources
Plan for next adventure (holiday)
Save books you want to read (movies you want to
watch, sites you wish to visit, things you want to do,
etc.)
Put together a memory board (places you love, things
you love to do, anything which inspires you!)
Share information, resources, or content with others
(brand or business marketing)
Collect, share, and save ANYTHING you love!

10. THE BASICS
What’s a Pin?
Set up boards
Collect/Add Pins on boards
Follow boards you love
Search for pins (either Pinterest or elsewhere)
See fresh Pins in your home feed
Be social! Like people’s pin, comment on pins, and (after
rechecking, Pin!)
Add a pin it button - https://
help.pinterest.com/entries/22997343-Add-the-Pin-It-button
Pinterest Basics
https://about.pinterest.com/basics/

11. PINTERST ETIQUETTE
http://www.neboagency.com/blog/rabushkas-rules-pinterest-etiquette

12. Pinterest etiquette
• Pin from the original source, whenever possible (ALWAYS
credit your sources – blog posts, images, any content you
find online – including your own!)
• Pin to the permalink - which is the direct link (of the blog
or site)
• Don’t pin from a Google images search. (Someone else
has to search for and find the original source – very
frustrating!)
• Organise your boards (your boards and pins have to make
sense)
• Don’t over pin; 40 in one day – then nothing in 2/3 weeks!
• Build trust and be social! – follow other people, repin their
pins (after checking)
• Make sure the images are clear! And the content belongs
to the correct board

13. Spam!
• Remember that there is spam on Pinterest (either
pins or people)
• Check everything before clicking on or pinning –
make sure your anti-virus software is up to date!
• Keep your account secure -
https://help.pinterest.com/entries/21686711
• If need be you can block and report a pin or person -
https://help.pinterest.com/entries/22163668

14. The Lingo:
When you share something on Pinterest, each
bookmark is called a pin.
When you share someone else’s pin on Pinterest, it’s
called a repin.
You group pins together by topic onto various boards or
pinboards in your profile.
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/what-is-pinterest.htm

15. Join Pinterest
Step 1:
Join Pinterest.
•It will ask you to join by connecting with Facebook or
Twitter, but a third option lets you sign up using your
email address.
•My advice is to signing up with just your email address.
You'll be asked a few more questions such as your
gender since that info isn't imported from an existing
social media account. Upload a profile photo and
proceed.
•You will need a username, an email address and a
password!

17. Find and Follow
Step 2:
•Once you have an account, you'll need to find some
boards to fill your feed.
•Pinterest gets you started by suggesting some pins.
•Select a category from the list such as Design, Geek,
Science & Nature, and Technology among others, and
then choose at least five boards to continue.

19. Verify your account (confirm
your account)
Step 3:
•Verify Your Account
•After selecting some boards you'll receive an email
confirmation.
Once you have confirmed your account, the next screen
you'll see is your home feed, which features the most
recent pins from people you follow.
The more users or boards you follow, the more content
(pins) you will have on your home feed.

20. Change your settings
Step 4:
•Adjust Settings - https://
help.pinterest.com/entries/21047367-Edit-your-profile-or-sett
Now is a good time to adjust your settings.
•Mouse over the drop-down menu in the upper right-
hand corner with your picture and click Settings.
•Here you can update basic information, opt out of email
notifications, and connect to your Facebook or Twitter
account (if you wish).

21. Set up Boards
Step 5:
•Set up Boards (group pins together by topic).
•You can set up as many boards as you like. In the beginning
perhaps 3 – 5 boards to start.
•Think of the names of the/a board and the content (or pins) you
wish to add – so that other people can find your boards.
•If you are funny or quirky they can be funny and quirky names.
Boards can be educational, informative, fun, funny, unusual, and can
also reflect your individual style, tastes, interests, future plans, an
upcoming holiday, home renovating, etc – the options are unlimited!
•However, try to make your boards specific because people are
searching on Pinterest for content and you want to ensure they find
your pins!
Some ideas: Books I love, Garden tools, Computer Basics, beach
wedding 2015, perfect brunches.

23. Describe your boards
• You can have a description on each of your boards – so when people
find your board – they have an idea of what to expect (or find!)
Books I love – these are the books I gave 4/5 stars on goodreads
• Garden tools – I love to garden. These are the easiest and most
useful tools I could find
• Computer Basics – computer tools, technology, and tips from a
certified computer trainer
• Beach wedding 2015 – I’m getting married in 2015 – planning a beach
wedding
• Perfect brunches - Quick, and easy brunch ideas including sides,
mains, and juices and the best brunch locations, reviews, places,
settings, and colours.
• These will be your five basic boards to start and then you can add
appropriate boards depending on what toy want to pin.

24. Secret board
• A secret board is only visible to you and to anyone you
invite to it.
• When you add a Pin to a secret board, it won’t show up
anywhere else on Pinterest – not in the category sections,
anyone’s search results, your followers’ home feed, your
own home feed, or even Pins or activity pages on your
profile.
• Your secret boards are at the bottom of your profile. Just
scroll down to see them -
https://help.pinterest.com/entries/22277603-Secret-boards-basics

25. Start pinning
(using perfect brunches board!)
1.Search for pins in the search bar using key words e.g. brunches,
breakfast, best brunches, brunch etc.
2. Search the web – best brunches, brunch ideas, brunch tips, etc.
3. If I find a great article, review or image such as BBC food good
brunch recipes – I then checked the content (when to the page,
read the content, and checked the page)
4. Then copy the link (by going to the address bar)
5. Then click on add button, paste the link and choose the image
(which came up and I wanted to use) and then add a description.
(sometimes the description is already there, feel free to edit it)
6. Then choose the perfect brunches board and pinned it! (Always
make sure you are choosing the correct board!)
7. If you are planning on pinning a lot install a Pin Button onto your
web browser - http://about.pinterest.com/goodies/

26. Find pictures, click on links to check and read. Save/copy the
link and then pin with a brief description
Find pictures, click on links to check and read.
Save/copy the link and then pin with a brief description

28. The reason why you want to
search for pins in Pinterest
• When you search for pins, you can find relevant people (or
businesses or brands) to follow.
• You can also find content on ANYTHING you like.
• It’s a great tool for finding information, or images. Or for tips and
advice. Or for something new to learn.
• However, CHECK the pins (and descriptions) by (and before)
clicking on the images – because some people do not send the
image to the correct site and some people do not cite original
sources.
• Remember to also pin from elsewhere – so you can show your
individual tastes and likes (rather than just repinning from the site
itself)

29. So if you want to start
pinning:
Here are some basic tips:
1. If the image does not belong to you, then follow the
Pinterest guidelines and link back to the original source.
2. If we're following your “Computer Basics" board, we just want to
see images of computer basic tech, tools, tips, etc. – please don’t
pin a whole lot of random things on the board which have no
connection to name or description.
3. Pinterest has its fair share of spam. You might spot a spammer
by the large amount of pins posted, or by how none of their
pictures link to relevant content.
Pinterest suggests you report these unpin-worthy accounts – here
is how https://
help.pinterest.com/entries/22163668-Report-objectionable-or-spammy

30. Tips:
• Google has a great database of images, but don't pin from
the search engine's website. Take the time to do the extra
click or two and find the original source of the photo/the
writer of the content. This way credit can be given to the
owner of the image when it's reposted on Pinterest.
• Don’t pins hundreds of things in one hour – might be a bit
overwhelming (for people who follow you!) – but how much
you pin is really up to you!
• Tell us a little bit – give us a description on each pin and
keep it brief – one sentence to one paragraph at the most!
• Only follow people you like and want to follow – it’s not a
numbers game. Find people or boards you love and find
value from (don’t forget to check everything before you pin
though!)
• For a whole list of tips -
http://amylynnandrews.com/pinterest-tips/

31. Some examples
• Library love – this is a group board, (a range of people are
adding pins to this board) -
http://www.pinterest.com/chroniclebooks/library-love/
• Tech Tips and Tricks by Cool Mom Tech -
http://www.pinterest.com/coolmomtech/tech-tips-and-tricks/
• Penguin English library -
http://www.pinterest.com/PenguinLibrary/
• My favourite – trees that look like broccoli -
http://www.pinterest.com/jodiettenberg/trees-that-look-like-
broccoli-/
• George Takei - http://www.pinterest.com/georgetakei/
• Check out the Pinterest blog for their news, reviews and
Pinterest picks - http://blog.pinterest.com/

32. Pinterest picks
• This will give you an idea of what’s popular and what
most people are doing on Pinterest -
http://blog.pinterest.com/post/77401694222/pinterest-
picks-weekly-roundup-02-21-14
• Click on the popular button to find the most ‘popular’
pins especially if you are a beginner to see what
people like, click on, comment on, and repin –
(please note that some pins are NSFW (not safe for
work) and may be inappropriate (for your own boards
or business/brand) -
http://www.pinterest.com/popular/

33. ANY QUESTIONS?
© 2014 Elana Bowman – Social Status

34. For any social media training and advice,
please contact:
Elana Bowman – Social Status
ebbyeryan@gmail.com
www.Pinterest.com/ebbye