Pinterest guide: how to increase your site/blog traffic with it

The name combines the words Pin (like pinning something up) and Interest, Pinterest is one of the most undervalued social networks by the italian bloggers and social media strategists; in UK and USA, all the sites or blogs with more that 500 visits/hits a day have a pinterest adapted graphic for each post.  The question is: what is still not clear about the Pin-potential?

At the beginning, in 2010, Pinterest was only used for pictures without texts, suitable for those who have a product to sell or who love photography. Let’s say it started to fill a gap, referring to social visual, before Instagram absorbed this segment causing Facebook to copy basically all implementations of the currently fastest growing social. (note: Pinterest and Instagram were both launched in 2011, but Instagram was initially only for iOS). Pinterest is the only social that hasn’t properly evolved, by changing too little. What has instead evolved is how its users use it.

I’m now going to try and explain how active users use Pinterest and how it can bring you traffic.

I follow many bloggers from all over the world and, about a year ago, I noticed that those with a higher traffic have all a graphic in their posts similar to the one displayed down here, including tha caption “share on pinterest” or something like that.

how to use pinterest to increase your traffic

share it on Pinterest <3

 

Let’s begin revealing part of the mystery: many people believe that on Pinterest it is enough to share just a picture, often a product.

So if you don’t have a product to sell, this social is useless. Actually it’s not true, because Pinterest is used by many as an alternative to google to look for tutorials, articles giving information about how to do things or useful suggestions. Highly requested on Pinterest are also the so called Listicle, that is articles in the form of lists, such as “5 ways to live in London more or less low cost” .

Due to this search mechanism, Pinterest can help your blog or site increase their traffic. Let’s take this step by step:

Here’s how active users use Pinterest

investments to make if you work as a blogger

Try registering on Pinterest.  You’ll find a search bar at the top where you can write the keywords of what you are looking for, such as suggestions about blogging, personal branding,  ideas etc.

Under the bar, some more colored buttons will offer you further options/keywords to limit your research and help you at best. You’ll find quite a number of bookmarks promoting articles on the topic of your interest (any kind of topic). From here, you’ll be able to select an article and “save” it on your board to read it later and/or share it with your “pin” followers, otherwise you can click on the picture and it’ll lead you to the blog or site where the post is lcoated.

For this reason, unlike other social networks, the number of followers is not that important on Pinterest: if your posts are useful and full of information, and you share them by choosing the right settings for the picture and its description, your post will be most probably seen even by those who don’t follow you.

How to use Pinterest to increase your blog traffic? 

chi è un micro influencer e come si diventa

First of all, create your own boards by choosing their names. I have one specifically dedicated to In My Suitcase and each time I share a post, I add it on that board. While looking for topics using the Pinterest search bar, you will notice that pictures are all in portrait format and are basically the “cover page” of articles on the net.

Just like with books, the more appealing and engaging the title and picture of your pin are, the more probable it is for the reader to choose your cover, then your post by finally coming to your blog.

So you have to

  • create a nice cover page in your blog post: You can use many different Apps to create a graphic you can share on Pinterest: I like Adobe Post the most (I also use it to adapt the images of my posts for Twitter and Instagram).

Read also “How to create effective graphics… while in bed before going to sleep”

  • Edit the image by adding the title of the post.
  • Now add the image to your article.
  • Pay attention to include a title and a meta description in the image settings, because that’s exactly what pinterest users will read as an introduction under your picture and that will eventually convince them to click on the picture, that is come to your blog. I write the title of the post in the picture title as well as in the meta description (alt test).
  • Also add the SHARE THIS POST ON PINTEREST caption as a call to action.

When your blog post is ready and published, share it on Pinterest by using directly the social share bar that you’ll find upside down close to your posts.  In my case, it’s at the end of each article. You’ll be shown all the pictures in the post: choose only the one you just edited and that’s fit for Pinterest, including text.

Pinterest will ask you to select a board: you’ll just have to say where your post belongs, according to the topic. Otherwise you can create a new board. If you have more questions, feel free to write a comment! Hugs!

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