To Pin or not to Pin and other Pinterest-ing Questions OSP 089

New strategies, new connections and new discoveries on Pinterest lead to some very Pinterest-ing questions. I’ve dedicated this week’s podcast episode to answer some recent questions I’ve received about Pinterest through emails and even on Pinterest itself.

To pin or not to pin?

Sebastian of Two Kitchen Junkies wonders whether it makes sense to pin 4-5 different images for a single post? Will Pinterest ban my account as spam?

It’s fine to do this but consider spacing the pins out over time and pinning on different boards. Make sure that the text and images make it very clear what the article is about so that potential readers don’t get frustrated. If it’s possible at all, include those images in the post to alleviate reader confusion and not appear spammy.

What’s the best way to make the most of repins?

Brenda of Fashionista Tea asked how she can best leverage a pin that’s being actively re-pinned?

It’s a great idea to comment on these pins using open-ended questions to open up dialog with potential readers. It’s not common to have conversation on Pinterest but it’s not a bad idea – it is SOCIAL media after all. Consider following back or re-pinning the pins where it makes sense for added engagement.

How to get millions of Pinterest followers?

Traci of The Kitchen Girl wants to know how a Pinterest user manages to get 3 million followers?

With this particular account, a single board has many followers, but the rest are significantly lower. This can happen when a board has been featured somewhere and received a lot of follows as a result. It doesn’t necessarily reflectamazing content but can benefit, even briefly, those whose posts were pinned to such a board.

Finally, a question from the Latina Blogger’s Conference where I spoke recently – should business accounts and personal account be together or separate?

Most importantly, if you have a personal account that’s being used for business purposes, you should have a business account per Pinterest terms of service.

There are several ways this can be addressed –

1. Converting a personal account to a business account allows you to keep your existing boards. Boards that aren’t relevant to your business may need to take a back seat and you might want to limit pinning to them but you can definitely hang on to them. This is a good strategy if you have a strongly overall following.

2. If the vast majority of your followers and interaction are on a board that’s unrelated to your business, you might want to consider having two separate accounts in order to grow a more targeted following. These accounts can have personal interest boards and cover varied topics, but the major focus of the account should be business-related. This is a good idea for bloggers who have a singular focus, like cooking.

3. If you are selling a product, your boards should all be business focused. This type of account will not have a personal spin at all.

Pinterest Tip of the Week

In order to capitalize on seasonal trends on Pinterest, you will want to create content related to the season. This is a great time to talk about Easter or gardening or other spring topics, for example. Pull from your archives and write new posts based on what’s popular on Pinterest. Don’t forget to take advantage of what people are searching.

COMING SOON!

I’m headed to San Diego, California for Social Media Marketing World and I can’t wait! I’m really looking forward to catching up with Jeff Sieh. Before SMMW15 kicks off, Jeff and I Are going to be hosting a live webinar addressing the The 5 Biggest Mistakes Pinterest Users Make. Be sure to register for this free training now! Click to register

Ready for more?

Pinterest Bootcamp is almost here! Jeff Sieh and I will help you nail down strategy and get everything for your business Pinterest account up and running in just one day! It will be live and online on April 18, 2015. If you purchase before April 1, 2015, you will get to take advantage of a $50 early bird discount. Get details here.