Best Pinterest Tools and Tips from 10 Experts
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In this post we are going to take a look at the best Pinterest tools and tips from the pros. People who are using Pinterest daily and do a great job of it!
As you probably know, Pinterest is growing like a runaway freight train.
You know what I mean, right? Insanely fast, and almost unstoppable!
And if you had not heard already, the pins on Pinterest have a life like no other “share” on social media.
You will get visitors to your site again and again, even months after the original pin!
Are you are still hesitating to get on Pinterest?
Because so many people are still hesitating to get on board the Pinterest train, I decided to consult some of the wisest Pinterest Pros I know.
I gathered them together on a stormy right around a warm fire and asked them to share their best Pinterest tips and tools.
They were happy to share, because like me, they want to help you all get started with Pinterest and make the most of this amazing social media platform.
I have compiled some of the juiciest tips they shared into an infographic, which you are free to use (copy the code below the image OR please link back to this post) and share on Pinterest of course!
I hope you get as much out of this as I did.
Let’s get started…
The Best Pinterest Tools The Pros Use
The following is a summary of the tools that the Pinterest pros recommend and use on a daily basis. If you want to understand how and why, then I recommend reading their tips.
Image Creation
Pinterest Management & Analytics
Pinterest Mobile App
Social Sharing Tools
The Pinterest Experts Give their Tools and Tips
Below are the tools and tips from the 10 Pinterest Pros I talked to.
They are listed in no particular order, and separated into Tools and Tips, in case you have a preference.
Ileane Smith
Ileane Smith is the “accidental blogger”, or perhaps better known as the Podcasting Queen. She has so many titles, I cannot keep up. She loves to help people thrive online, whether it be blogging, podcasting or youtubing, and she loves to get visual on Pinterest. She was also the first guest of honor on the Mad Lemmings Podcast, sharing her wisdom with the world. The best place to find her is on Basic Blog TIps and Pinterest.
Tools
I’m really excited to see all the traffic coming into my blog from Pinterest for a couple of reasons. One is that the traffic is very targeted and to top it off the bounce rate is extremely low. I want others to have the same experience so I’m offering a free Pinterest 101 guide. This is geared toward anyone who is setting up their very first Pinterest boards.
You can download the PDF here http://basicblogtips.com/pinterest101 (no optin required).
1. One of my favorite tools for promoting my blog posts on Pinterest is Viral Content Buzz. I love this network and because I’m active there, other users are reciprocating by Pinning my content as well.
Since VCB also allows you to share content on Twitter, Facebook and StumbleUpon it’s great for building social proof and getting unexpected bursts of traffic from any of those sites including Pinterest.
2. I also find the free online image editing tools Canva and PicMonkey to be super useful for creating images for Pinterest. I find it best to use them together since they both have unique features.
For example, Canva is great for grabbing pre-formatted layouts for your design, but PicMonkey fills the gap with their options for resizing and adding simple borders that can’t be achieved inside of Canva.
Tips
1. Here is a video I recorded that I call Pinterest Quick Tip: How To Check Your Pinterest Notifications. I recommend that your readers check it out to discover a handful of gems hidden behind the little red notifications button.
2. My other advice is to check your analytics and in order to do that, your site needs to be verified. It’s simple to do, and very similar to the process for verifying your site with Google Webmaster Tools by adding a snippet of code to your theme.
However, I wouldn’t rely on the basic stats from inside of Pinterest. Take it a step further and sign up for TailWind App so you can find out who is Pinning your content and which boards are more engaging. Here’s a TailWind App Tutorial.
Mike Allton
Mike is a content marketing consultant working with businesses on Social Media, Blogging, SEO and Internet marketing. He is also a HootSuite Certified Professional and blogs like a madman. You can find his wise words on the Social Media Hat and of course on Pinterest.
Tools
1. My first favorite tool for maximizing Pinterest may seem obvious at first – the Pinterest mobile app itself. But I make a point to highlight because many businesses owners haven’t yet come to the realization that many times, the mobile app is easier and more efficient than the desktop version in a lot of ways.
2. For the same reasons I use HootSuite for iOS to manage my Twitter presence, I use Pinterest for iOS for my day-to-day pinning and commenting. It’s just faster! Business owners who aren’t yet using Pinterest and don’t yet “get it” should download the app and make it a point to spend just 10 minutes a day pinning.
Tips
1. Once you’ve got a nice routine going on Pinterest with pinning and culling boards, the next step is to make sure that you’re pinning your own new content and promoting those pins as best you can. For that, my tool of choice is Viralwoot (formally Pinwoot).
Viralwoot works as a reciprocal pinning platform. You earn seeds by following or pinning others, and can then ask to have one of your pins repinned in exchange for seeds as well.
It is not targeted marketing, by any means, but it’s a super easy way to get more reach for your pins and your Pinterest presence. Because of the longevity of pins, this is extraordinarily valuable.
2. For my clients who want to step up their game on Pinterest even further, and have pins that are scheduled to go out throughout the day, I recommend combining ViralTag with HootSuite for a complete scheduling system.
Peg Fitzpatrick
Peg is a writer, positive vibe producer, a social media butterfly and connector. She is also the Head of Social Strategy for Canva and works closely with Guy Kawasaki on social media marketing strategy and innovating the world of social media. She’s the director of marketing and social media manager for Kreussler Inc and editor-in-chief of 12 Most. Yes, she is indeed one busy lass. You can find her on her blog PegFitzpatrick.com and on Pinterest.
Tools
1. Canva is the tool that changed my Pinterest presence. When I started using it with the graphic size of 735 x 1100 my Pinterest took off. Canva’s Pinterest layouts are a great jumping off point for your designs. http://blog.canva.com/master-art-pinterest-images/
2. I just started using Tailwind. It’s gives a ton of information on popular pins and boards. I used the information to rearrange my boards to put the most popular boards on the top row.
Tips
1. Make images for blog posts that you want to share but don’t have great images on the blog post. Here are some examples of pins I created for other people’s blog content:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/259590365996265932/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/232779874463954174/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/232779874463828265/
2. Pin your social media content and share it with a “pin it for later” link so that people can find your pin on Pinterest. I use this on Facebook, Google+ and sometimes Twitter.
Anna Bennett
Anna Bennet is a Pinterest expert who runs White Glove Social Media, a company dedicated to helping businesses succeed on Pinterest. So when it comes to Pinterest, she knows her stuff. You can also find her on Pinterest.
Tools
1) ViralTag is my favorite tool for scheduling pins.
Scheduling your pins and repins is an important Pinterest activity because it forces you to think about when you’re audience is on Pinterest. It also forces you to strategically spread out your pins so you can increase your brand’s exposure.
I often see pinners dump a bunch of pins in one concentrated mass in one sitting.
Bad idea. Not only will pinning this way annoy pinners because they are clogging home feeds but it will also result in losing followers. The exact opposite of what they had hoped for.
Here are three things I love about ViralTag:
- You can schedule repins. (Even from your secret board!)
- It is the easiest and most affordable scheduling tool. They offer a free 14 day trial without a credit card!
- It also includes an imaging editing tool which empowers pinners to enhance & clean up their images.
2) Tailwind is my favorite analytics tool.
I recommend the Lite plan for bloggers and small business owners.
Here are four things I love about it:
- It helps you tracks your top 10 followers, your most influential followers and top 10 pinners. This is very important because you are able to identify who your strongest brand advocates are. With this knowledge you have an opportunity to reach out to them and explore strategic alliances, partnerships and to thank them.
- You will be able to determine what your most popular boards are, what your top trending pins are, top repins, top likes and virality scores. This is important because it tells you what images and content is working and what is not. This data will help you craft future content more effectively and service your target market more accurately.
- It shows you what the best days and times are for you to pin in order to connect with your target audience more effectively. Sharing at the right time on any social networks is the key to maximizing engagement. This is especially true for Pinterest.
- You are able to see how you compare to you top two competitors.
Please note that with the Lite plan you will only receive 90 days of historical data on all your metrics.
Tips
This is difficult to answer with blanket advice for three key reasons:
a) everyone is at a different stage with their Pinterest knowledge and experience
b) each businesses has their own goals (traffic, sales, brand profile, engagement, service, purchasing advice etc)
c) there are so many different types of business’ product or service are two obvious ones
However with that in mind here are 2 ideas:
1. When crafting pin descriptions always include the link to where you want the pinner to go.
Many pinners think that pretty pictures should do all the heavy lifting, not true, that’s just the beginning.
You’re pin descriptions must include three critical element:
a) a call to action
b) the link to where you want them to go and
c) SEO related key words… every single time. By adding the source link to the caption in your pin description you will greatly increase your odds of getting more click throughs.
Pinterest pin descriptions are more important than ever before because of Pinterest’s Guided Search feature. When you search for any term on your iPhone, iPad or of Android device a descriptive guide will appear at the top allowing you to scroll though and refine your search to find the best match possible. Powered by user supplied captions and comments, Pinterest categorizes pins based on user’s descriptions.
3. What to do with your pins that didn’t get repinned. Your goal is to make sure that your original pins get repinned.
I often notice that pinners are not repinning the pins that don’t initially get any repins. When you notice that a pin didn’t get repinned… repin it or schedule it again.
Try pinning at a different time or on a different day. Keep doing that until it gets repinned.
Every time someone engages with your content is huge for you because that is the first step to potentially going viral. More viral, more followers, more click thorough, more sales. So keep re working those pins.
A good place to start is to get Chapter 1 for free from my Pinterest Marketing For Business Course.
Rebekah Radice
Rebekah is a social media strategist, consultant, trainer and digital marketing specialist. But that’s just a bunch of fancy titles. Who she really is, is a wife, a mother, a coffee enthusiast, runner, sunshine lover and a girl who is completely nuts about her two pups. You can find her always blogging about social media and content marketing at RebekahRadice.com or on Pinterest, and often a knowledgeable guest on various Google Hangouts.
Tools
1. Create Captivating Images
One of the most effective ways to boost visibility of your pins is to create captivating images.
Whether you want to design an image for your latest blog post or product, creating branded images can build business awareness and encourage pins and shares.
Not proficient with Photoshop? Try Canva! Canva has a wide variety of templates designed specifically for Pinterest. It’s an easy-to-use interface with simple drag and drop features.
2. Track and Measure Your Success
Pinterest analytics is an excellent way to track, measure and assess which pins receive the most interaction and helpful insight to gain traction in your pinning efforts. To take advantage of Pinterest analytics, you must have a business account and take the necessary steps to verify your website.
Tips
1. Don’t Just Pin It, Share It
Don’t just create a custom image and pin it to Pinterest, take that image and also share it to Google+. Images created for Pinterest work just as well on Google+, taking up a significant amount of real estate.
I have found that an image size of 800 x 1200 works exceptionally well. Creating one; high-quality, well-branded image on both social networks has the ability to double your exposure, traffic and sales.
2. Tell Your Story
Every business has a story. What’s yours? Create a custom board that shares your story through images. Showcase pictures, posts, marketing material, and any image the shares the history behind your business.
Wade Harman
Wade is a social media marketing and psychology expert who coaches people on using Social Media online. He is also a successful blogger and lover of Google Plus (including Hangouts) and of course Pinterest. You can find him at WadeHarman.com where he shares his unique points of view.
Tools
My two favourite tools for Pinterest are:
- PicMonkey for image editing
- The actual Pinterest app for iPhone..Lifesaver!
Tips
My two best tips:
- Create images that can actually be pinned. In other words, include a pin it button on the image in the post.
- Make it easy for people to do what you want them to do.
Vincent Ng
Vincent Ng is the founder of MCNG Marketing and author of Pinterest to Profits with Pintalysis, and is a top 20 resource for becoming a Pinterest expert according to Heyo. He has written for Social Media Examiner, Top Dog Social Media, Tailwind and is a monthly guest on the Oh So Pinteresting podcast with Cynthia Sanchez. He also introduced me to PinGroupie, so you gotta love him for that! You can find him at MCNGMarketing.com or on Pinterest.
Tools
1. For me, one of my favourite tools is PinGroupie. PinGroupie is a website that allows for users to find group boards on Pinterest.
The website gets updated frequently to provide information and so far has over 29,000 group boards listed.
It’s a great tool to find group boards that you can join, and when the right group board is found, it can help a user expand his or her reach, easily, by thousands, if not tens of thousands.
2. The other tool I enjoy using, but you can’t use all the time is EyeQuant. It’s quite expensive to use, but it’s a tool that uses eye tracking data to let people know what’s attracting eyeballs and what’s not.
They base their data on tens of thousands of websites. I use it to actually determine how well board covers are at attracting the attention of first time users.
A good board cover can get people to click through to see the board’s pins, so it’s vital to know if your first two board covers are doing that job. It’s free to try out, but limited to two analyses.
Tips
1. When trying to gain traction on Pinterest, it’s important to try to create relationships with other influential users on different social networks as well.
It’s taking that time to make that extra commitment to leaving comment on their blogs, contacting them on Twitter, or finding them on Google Plus.
It takes a lot of effort, but you will see traction over time as some of these influencers will start to repin your content.
2. The second tip would be to think like a magazine editor and think of your pins as covers.
What type of images would be important to your audience? What type of headlines would grip them into clicking onto your pin? If the pin was a magazine cover, would your audience pick it up to start reading?
Cynthia Sanchez
Cynthia is a Pinterest expert, who blogs, podcasts and speaks about Pinterest and everything related to it. In fact, I am not sure when she has time to sleep. You can find her either on her website Oh So Pinteresting or on Pinterest where she will teach you all about Pinterest.
Tools
My two most favorite tools for maximizing Pinterest are Google Analytics and Pinterest itself.
1. Google Analytics is awesome for letting me know which exact pin is brining the most traffic to my site. Sometimes I get a nice surprise when an old pin gets new life by being pinned by a Pinterest influencer and sends a nice wave of traffic to my site.
2. Pinterest is a great tool for research. Using Pinterest’s search feature I can look of pins related to my business and see what topics are trending and what kinds of pins are getting lots of repins and likes. I can then use that information to inspire future content or images to create for my blogposts and podcast episodes.
Tips
1. As Pinterest grows, gaining traction on Pinterest is more of a challenge. With the new Guided Search feature of Pinterest, SEO is now more important than ever. Be sure to include keywords anywhere text is available.
2. If you’re new to Pinterest but have been building your presence on other networks, let them know you’re on Pinterest too. But don’t stop there, be sure to let them know why they should follow you there. What’s in it for them?
Jason Miles
Jason is the CEO at Liberty Jane Clothing – a design driven retailer in the sewing category and creator of www.pixiefaire.com the world’s leading marketplace for doll clothes patterns. He is also the bestselling author of numerous books including the definitive book on Pinterest – Pinterest Power published with McGraw Hill Professional and available in bookstores around the world. You can learn more about him at: http://www.amazon.com/author/jasonmiles
Tools
The most effective tool we’ve found for maximizing Pinterest is something you might not expect. It’s not actually anything on Pinterest or related to Pinterest. It’s Photoshop Elements, (we use Elements rather than the full version of Photoshop).
The reason is simple. Images with descriptive or informational content on them do much better for us than images alone. You can see the result of this at
http://www.pinterest.com/source/libertyjaneclothing.com/ or http://www.pinterest.com/source/pixiefaire.com/.
We feel truly blessed that our online work naturally had this aspect in place before Pinterest – and it was in some ways tailor made for Pinterest. But we think it could be adapted by lots of retail and even service companies.
Add descriptive information to your images in Photoshop!
Tips
The tip I always give people just starting out is – start with an audit of your website. If you aren’t seeing much Pinterest traffic – it’s probably because your website isn’t “Pinterest Friendly”.
Download the Pinterest “Pin It” button for your browser toolbar and then visit your website and start auditing your pages and posts by clicking the Pin It button and seeing what images are displayed for you to potentially pin.
Is it a robust collection of beautiful images? Or is it a small collection of low resolution, un-informative shots?
In the worst of cases businesses have their website configured in such a way that no images are available to be pinned at all. That is a total fail.
If auditing your entire website feels overwhelming – start with your most important product or service pages and ensure they are loaded with high quality images that have descriptive messages on them.
Jeff Sieh
Jeff Sieh is a creative brain for hire, a visual storyteller, Social media consultant, Speaker and Humorist. When he is not working on his company HisDesignOnline, he can be found hosting the Manly Show (A Google Hangout On Air – Formerly the Manly Pinterest Show) or pinning his Pin of the Day on Pinterest.
Tools
My favorite tool at the moment is Tailwind. I’m really liking the free statistics package they offer. It’s been so helpful finding what my most popular pins, boards, etc. are. I’m liking it so much that I’m seriously thinking about upgrading to the paid version. That doesn’t happen often!
Tips
1. Pin what makes you happy! Don’t just pin business or social media graphics. If you’re into food, pin some recipes you want to try. If you like rock climbing, pin photos of mountains you’d like to climb. Let people who follow you know that you are well rounded and have interests outside of work.
2. Also be consistent. I try to pin once in the morning and then in the evening. That consistency probably has made the biggest difference in my follower growth.
Get Busy On Pinterest
Now that you have the tools and tips to get started, I hope to see you on Pinterest soon.
You can find me on Pinterest here.
I would love to hear how you plan to dominate Pinterest in the comments below AND if you enjoyed this expert roundup, please share it with your followers using the buttons below.
About the Author Ashley Faulkes
Ashley is obsessed with SEO and WordPress. He is also the founder of Mad Lemmings. When he is not busy helping clients get higher on Google he can be found doing crazy sports in the Swiss Alps (or eating too much chocolate - a habit he is trying to break).
