I’ve been asked to write a series about beginning blogging. I’ve decided to call it: How to Not Suck at Blogging. So you can consider this post “How to Not Suck at Blogging Part 1.”
But really, here’s how I doubled my Pinterest Followers in three weeks.
There is a lot of information out there about why Pinterest matters, not just for fun, but as a tool to help promote your blog or business. That also means that there are a million blog posts full of tips on how to get more pins, re-pins, likes, follows and comments. And I have probably read half of them. And nothing had really worked amazingly well. So I decided to test out some other ways to go about utilizing Pinterest to gain followers.
The following tips are the things I tested over a three week period of time. Using these tips, I doubled my Pinterest following in that time and have continued to grow.
1. One tip that kept coming up was labeling your boards. Not just giving them cute titles like “crap I find hilarious,” and “Green Thumbilina.” Actually taking the time to choose the category that best fits the content of the board and then adding a description. I did that and immediately started seeing new likes.
Doing just that one simple thing allows your Pinterest account to become more searchable. Your pins will begin showing up when someone is browsing a specific category or searching for something specific. That leads to more likes.
2. Another thing I tried and tested, and did over and over, was pinning a few different times during the day. Instead of doing the standard pin binge in the evening along with the bulk of Pinterest users, I went on and did small pinning sessions three times a day.
By being on there a few times a day, I get seen by the variety of people who have varying schedules. It also allows for my pins and my boards to be more searchable. You are going to hear that a lot from me in this post. Making your pins more visible makes you more visible.
3. Now, there is a great way to pin and a piss poor way to pin. The great way is to go on to your account and vary what you pin. Everything you see will repeat a few hundred times that week so it’s ok to skim or skip stuff. You can search for (or see) and pin later if need be. But really, what it’s about is not losing the followers you have.
Many people will blanketly like all of your boards. When they do this it’s a lovely thing for you. However, having pin vomit by way of pinning 4,000 recipes that feature pumpkin all at once is likely to lose you some follows. Think about it. How irritating is it to have to scroll through a million posts by the same person, featuring basically the same thing, just to get to more pins? If it happens too often, I will unfollow the pinner. Don’t be that guy. Be the guy that pins a little of everything.
4. And my next tip is to consider your audience. Pinterest isn’t just an awesome tool for you to track fun projects to try or recipes to test. Pinterest can be an amazing tool to help you connect with your blog readers or business fans. This means that you should consider things that they might like just as much as what you do. I don’t condone pinning for the sake of pinning. I don’t pin things that don’t apply to me or things that don’t interest me. But I do consider my audience and think, “This is funny, it fits me and I bet my followers will get a kick out it.” It allows your personality to shine, while giving people what they want.
5. And my last tip is to be a kind, courteous and friendly pinner. Like the pins you like but don’t necessarily want to pin to a board. With the latest updates to the site, that is easy to do as ever. Comment when something rocks, tag people you think really need to see a certain pin and try to follow those that follow you.
Being friendly and interactive goes a long way. People like to know that someone liked their pin, appreciated their product or just might have met a kindred spirit. I got an AMAZING comment on a pin from a pinner who said she was sorry to be repining my whole board, but it rocked and she knew would be friends in real life because we have the same sense of humor. It was awesome to feel appreciated and I followed her back right away.
I started my test with just over 230 followers on Pinterest and as of this writing, three weeks later, I have 492. And I get new followers nearly every single day. And all I did was make my pins and my Pinterest account more visible and more searchable. And I love that I have a whole new audience to share my blog posts, my snarky sense of humor and my general likes with.
I started trying to build my Pinterest followers and started experimenting on my own just like you did. The middle of Feb I had a goal of 300 followers by March first, that meant just a little more than one per day. I joined some group PIN boards, which I think helped too.
The next month I averaged 2.5 followers/day and it’s exponential. I’m a little goal orientated also, numbers help keep me in check.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I recently started a business account for my site and I had to start all over from scratch with my pinterest following. I need to work on filling in my descriptions. Thank you for the tips.
Stephanie
Stephanie recently posted…Open When… You need motivation
Hi there! Great tips! I saw this pin on Pinterest, and wanted to read your article, and also thank you again for doing an early post on Pin4Ever — I think it was about a year ago. We’ve added so many new tools since then. Thanks for helping us get the word out to pinners!
Thanks so much for these tips, I’m updating my descriptions today!
Dee Dee recently posted…Daily Cleaning Schedule: Free Printable
Great! I have found my descriptions have really helped!
Love the tips! I, too, hate when I see a thousand pins of the same thing – pin vomit makes me rush to the unfollow button (Although I usually just unfollow the board). Another idea to control pin vomit is to create a secret board for yourself – where you can pin to your hearts delight. From there, you can select which pins you want to add to your visible boards. This way, you don’t lose sight of an awesome pin you want to share, but don’t pin vomit all of your followers at once, either.
Thanks for the great tips!
Momma O recently posted…Gift Wrapping Idea to spruce up your Holiday Gifts!
That, my dear, is possibly the best ” how to get more…” post I have ever read. Well done for keeping it so human. Alyson
Alyson recently posted…Homeschooling, Bin the Schedules!
Great advice–I linked up to Blogelina’s pinterest chain, and pinned this, but I wanted to read it as well! I have tried to pin a few times a day–but sometimes life gets too busy. Great job on doubling your followers!
Tammy Doiel @creativekkids.com recently posted…Scattered Saturdays: Birthday Celebrations
Hello,
I saw your linky at Diana Rambles Pin Me Party. Your advice is very good. If I may, I’d like to add something to it. I can no longer follow everyone who follows me, but I do notice them. Whenever I log in to Pinterest, one of the first things I check is the notice box. Idk the official name, but the red box with the number on it at the top right hand corner of the screen. I like to see who is repinning and who new followers are. If I get someone who regularly repins me or when I see new followers, I sometimes visit their boards and return the favor by repinning some of their pins. Also, I love POSITIVE comments on my pins. I have been known to spread the comment luv too. Just my two cents:) Again, your post is very good! Thanks for sharing.
Reecea
Reecea recently posted…Count Your Blessings – Free Printable Quote
Great tips! I have began to think of Pinterest as a way to market my blog and have had more success getting repinned. It’s good to name your boards and pins very searchable names!
Great tips that you for linking up to this weeks Pin It Party!!
Barbie Bieber and Beyond recently posted…Trick or Treat? Attack of The Halloween Grinch
Great tips and you have a new follower!
Deanna @ From Casinos to Castles recently posted…Five Simple Things #7 {The Day That Kept On Giving}
Glad to have you! Hope the tips work well for you. Be sure to let me know what kind of success you have
love!
Rheanna recently posted…Jake and The Neverland Pirates CD “Yo Ho Matey” out October 15th!
This was such a great post and so timely for me too! I’m just now gearing up my Pinterest accout and am still new – 4 months into blogging. So glad I met you via Patriotic Pam!
My Pinterest page was used, but sorely neglected as the awesome blogging tool it can be for a long time.
Hope the tips work well for you!
Really great to read this!! You have a new follower:)
Jeanette recently posted…Time to take care of the home
Thanks for taking the time to say hello!
Thanks! I REALLY need to start building my following across all my SM platforms. I’m currently working on building my twitter followers to 1000 using some advice I’ve received, and after 11 days, I’ve gained about 250 new followers. Still have a long way to go though.
BUT, this post if helpful. I think I need to go back and look at all my boards. I don’t know if I am on pinterest enough… I’ll have to look into this.
Thanks.
I’m glad to have helped! I need to work on my Twitter stuff. It tends to get neglected. One thing at a time though, right?
VERY HELPFUL! Thank you! I’ve been trying to figure out how to gain more followers on Pinterest. I’m going to try ALL of your suggestions!
Science Of Parenthood recently posted…Infant Sleep Derivative
I’m so glad to have helped! Let me know how it works out for you
I liked what you had to say, I think I am doing some of this. I started my account over with more of my blog in mind than personal from before, so I am being more precise in what I am doing.
Candi recently posted…Tea for Two – A Tea Party
I tried to keep a personal and blog account for a long time and it just didn’t work. So I use my blog one for some personal stuff, but am working to be more deliberate in what I do. I hope the tips work well for you
Great post! Love the part about not going a pinning binge about the same thing. I’m with you, it’s super annoying. I’m going to try pinning a couple of times a day from now on. Thanks!
Kristiina recently posted…I will.
Pin Vomit is such a pet peeve for me. It’s frustrating when you are trying to use Pinterest and all you can see if 1000 pictures of waterfalls or what have you. I tend to unfollow those boards or people.
These are great tips! I never considered commenting more on people’s pins as a way to connect to them. I do find that my boards that have a very specific topic tend to get more followers as well. One of my weaknesses is the 1000000000 pumpkin recipes though! They are just too good!
Amanda @ Subscription Maven recently posted…NatureBox Review October 2013 – Snack Subscription Box
I’m still working on being better about commenting, but I’m finding that liking and commenting are something that really help you connect with people you follow and they are likely to follow you back as a result. That was something I wasn’t sure would work, but am glad I tried
Great tips, I do most of these, but I never gave much thought to WHY I was doing them.
Glad to know I am on the right track.
Jessi recently posted…Fall Craftin’ with OTC – Candy Corn Garland, and Treat Bags
Glad to hear I helped! Sometimes knowing why something is a good idea helps you be better about doing them… At least for me. If I don’t understand why, then I tend to not care LOL
I learned so much from this! Thanks for sharing it.
I’m so glad! I hope the tips work really well for you!
I really enjoyed reading this! I also pinned it to my “e learning” Pinterest board!
Bonnie a.k.a. LadyBlogger recently posted…Video Blog!
Thanks for pinning! I appreciate it! And thanks for taking the time to say hello
I love this! I Pin very often and I try to follow this sort of pattern that you describe, but I bet if I followed it more to the letter I would find more success in my pinnign and in my blogging.
Katie recently posted…Why Can’t I Just Have Both?
I’ve tested and tested. I go days being awesome and then days not and I find that the days I follow these tip faithfully I see awesome spikes and the days I don’t, well, I don’t
Great article with good tips. It’s the same way, I have grown my following, consistent and steady. I have to admit, from time to time, when I am personally researching something I have to stop myself from filling up a board too fast all at once with things I have searched for…for the reasons you stated. I probably still need to watch that in myself from time to time.
But I also try to hop on Pinterest for about 15 minutes 3-4 times a day to pin just a few pins each time. Just to keep things new and fresh. And to see what others are pinning. Thanks for sharing your tips. I PINNED this article! 
Pam @ The Patriotic Pam
I appreciate the pin! I’m guilty of Pin Vomit myself, I work really hard to be better, but sometimes, you just gotta pin it