Pinterest advice please

[Former_Member]

Hello Team,

I'm finally setting up a dedicated Pinterest account for my shop. I have a vague idea of using it to promote my products and brand, but could use some advice. If you have a business account on Pinterest, what boards do you have? what do you pin? who do you follow? how do you attract followers? WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE ME?

I'd love to follow some of my team members too. Feel free to post your Pinterest links here so I can visit you.

If you'd like to follow me, please remember I'm just getting set up:
http://www.pinterest.com/DappleDesign/

[Former_Member]

Hello,

I'm exploring the same subject and today I bumpt into this website:

http://www.handmadeology.com/category/etsy-tips/
http://www.handmadeology.com/pinning-down-pinterest-make-your-brand-the-needle-in-the-haystack-infog...

Hope it can help :-)

P.S. I still don't have my shop's pinterest account but only a 'mixed private/work profile':
http://www.pinterest.com/malaivancica/.
You are welcome to check out my activity on this one.

[Former_Member]

I have actually had the same questions the last couple weeks ... one of my good friends who is a customer says I should be on Pinterest but I have never had one of my pins "repinned" (well, maybe once) that is actually from my shop. My account is my shop name, but my boards are a blend of personal and pins from my shop.

That said, I have followed some Etsy sellers and I have to sift through all of their listing pins on my front page and it's a total turn off!

[Former_Member]

I've been using viralwhoot to get more pins and followers, so far I am pretty pleased. Basically your trading pins n likes for seeds to get other to pin n like n follow you. Use the search bar to find stuff your interested in to pinning (rather then just anything that pops up) Linky.. http://viralwoot.com/?r=24579

Advertising....I have one section for just My work and will sometimes pin my work in the other sections like a rose in the rose folder but I dont over do it.

What to pin....I honestly use it about the same as I would if it was personal...I pin what I like. Recipes I wanna try, kitchens I'd have if I ever get rich, gardening tips, art i love, lovely photography, have a handmade section just for crafters/arts I admire(n treasurys), geeky/mostly doctor who stuffs. You know be yourself :)
here is mine http://www.pinterest.com/untamedrose/

[Former_Member]

I just recently set up a Business account on Pinterest; I've had a personal account for a while and I love it but wanted to keep the 2 accounts separate as I'm sceptical about what Pinterest has in mind down the track with Business accounts (user pays - ?).

Anyroad, on my Business account I pin some of my own stuff but also other related things that I personally like. With each pin that I pin if I like the look of the pinners board, I usually follow that board - and I may check out their other boards as well. At the minute, because the account is only new, I'm following far more than are following me but that's to be expected - it'll build up over time.

So my advice is just pin what you like and have fun with it. Pinners with similar interests and tastes will find you if you're active enough.

[PrairiePrimitives]

I've been on Pinterest for a couple of years now. Last Fall I converted my (personal) account to a business account since that's what we're supposed to have if we want to use Pinterest for marketing. I also felt it was the best option so I'd have some other boards and not just marketing!

I would highly recommend finding some GROUP BOARDS to pin to. This will enable your pins to be seen by MANY more people (depending on how many members the group board has).

When I first started on Pinterest, I heard that it was better to follow all of a person's boards and then unfollow any that you don't want to follow ... but I never heard WHY I should do this. I did this for awhile, but then realized the problem with that strategy is that when those I'm following add NEW boards, I now get all those pins in my feed too. So, just like with my Etsy feed, I am now weeding out people or boards that I can't figure out why I ever wanted to follow them in the first place!

[Former_Member]

So far - Virawoot -- awesome.

handmadeology is a great resource.

And Tana -- how to you find group boards to follow AND pin to?? Do you have to convert to a business account to do so?

[Former_Member]

Thank you for the ViralWoot link, something to check out.

[Former_Member]

So great tips and advice. Thanks for sharing a little of what you do. It's been helpful to snoop around on other people's accounts to see what they do. I think I'm starting to get a picture in my mind of how this will work for me.

I've recently come across this article and found it helpful: http://www.business2community.com/pinterest/want-pinterest-followers-create-top-10-pinterest-boards-...

I had not heard of Viralwoot before -- that'll be something to look into when I have a bit more time.

[Former_Member]

My pinterest (you can find me under my shopname) is a business account, but i have lots of tutorials and inspirations pinned as well as the stuff from my shop. I simply too lazy to open another account to separate my private stuff

[Former_Member]

Go to Youtube and type in "Melanie Duncan" I LOVE her, she has this one video that answered all of my questions. She's pretty much a Pinterest expert. I just purchased all of her Modules on Pinterest and how to brand properly (Still on day#2, but I have already learned a LOT)

[DreamyPatternsShop]

Hi there!

I'm here on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/lily_razz/

I use it for my personal stuff, as well as pinning my items - and other Etsy items - on my board "Etsy Love". I also pin treasuries that I've been featured in.
http://www.pinterest.com/lily_razz/etsy-love/

As for GROUP boards, you'll have be invited to the group board first, to be able to pin on the board. To find one, search for example "etsy group", then click on "boards". Here's one from another Etsy Seller for example:
http://www.pinterest.com/gooddealtoday/etsy-group-board-follow-for-invite/

I'm definitely going to check out Viralwoot, thanks for the tip!

Ow, another thing, I just tried out Storewoot! If you'd like a FREE Pinterest-promotion for one of your items, use this invitation link! That way, we both get one free Storewoot promotion to use as we please! No strings attached, all safe :) StoreWoot.com/invite/LilyRazz/

[Former_Member]

Lily Razz, Thanks for the Storewoot invite. I'm giving it a try!

Ashley Westfall, I've got Melanie Duncan's youtube channel marked. That looks like something to dive into when I have time to do it well.

[Former_Member]

Lily -- thanks for the group board tip! I requested to be on it and was accepted within an hour! Yay!

Viralwoot - I am addicted now :).

[MotuProprio]

Thank you all for your advices and links!!!
Great data!

[IndigoSpiritGirl]

I'm also giving Viralwoot a try, thanks for the link!

I have been on Pinterest for years, long before I started my creative business. I spend way too much time there but it's fun and I really enjoy it. To build my follows I will do what I call a massive following. I search for boards that I am interested in, such as Crochet Patterns for kids, go to boards, then follow all of the boards I can until Pinterest tells me to whoa slow down. I will do that once a week for a while and quite a few will follow me back. I don't have near the amount following me as I am following others but I still have quite a few.

My Pinterest is http://www.pinterest.com/indigomomof3/