If you had asked me a few months ago what
Pinterest was, I couldn’t have told you, but it’s now one of my favorite websites. In fact, it’s a favorite site for a lot of
people. Oh, you don’t know what it is?
Think of Pinterest as an online bulletin board. People virtually pin things
that they find entertaining, useful, or beautiful. To help you organize your
pictures you create boards. For example, maybe you have a thing for beautiful
doors so you create a board titled doors and pin pretty pictures of doors. Is cake decorating your thing? Make a board and pin pictures of beautiful
cakes.
You can find Pinterest at http://www.pinterest.com. You’ll have to request an invitation, and
after you’re approved, they’ll give you super simple directions on how to
install your pin button. Then, you can
create your boards and start posting the eye candy. You can follow pinners whose pins you like
just like you follow people on Twitter. This is all easy to do even if you
aren’t a computer guru.
Pinterest is fun. I spend time there when I probably should be
writing, but it’s positively intoxicating once you get started. It can also be an effective marketing tool. Just think about it; Pinterest is the third
most popular social network behind Facebook and Twitter. Most of the pinners are women between the
ages of 25-44, just the folks I think might like to read the books I write. So,
how can I use Pinterest to promote my book?
First, why not put a Pin It button on your
website or blog so people can easily pin your book covers? Add a link back to an online retailer like
Amazon, and you just might sell some books.
To get the code for the Pin It button go here:
http://pinterest.com/about/goodies.
Second, get creative. Did you write a description of a log cabin
nestled beside a beautiful, sparkling lake?
Find a picture and pin it. Did
one of your characters get married? Show
the dress, the bridesmaid dresses, cake, and flowers.
Third, you can pin videos. Do you have book
trailers? Pin them for others to see.
Fourth, have a big ‘Follow Me on Pinterest’
button on your website or blog so people will know you’re a pinner.
Fifth, you can add a paragraph about you in your
Pinterest profile. I’d be sure to
include my website and blog URLs.
Sixth, Repin others’ pins as well as adding your
own unique content. The person whose
picture you repin get an email notification as well as a credit on your pin
which in turn increases their following.
Seventh, when you do a blog post, optimize it
for Pinterest by adding pictures.
Eighth, why not have a Pinterest contest? You’re
probably a lot more creative than I am, but here’s a possible example of a
contest you can do. First, pin pictures of your book covers. To enter the contest pinners must repin their
favorite cover. Perhaps you could give
an ecopy of the book to the pinner who got you the most repins.
Ninth, Don’t forget to use SEO keywords when you
describe your pins.
Last, have fun.
Enjoy all the pretty pictures and daydream about faraway places and
beautiful spaces.
Guest post by Elaine Cantrell. Elaine Cantrell was born and raised
in South Carolina.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Personnel Services from Clemson University
and is a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary sorority for
women educators. She is also a member of Romance Writer’s of America and
EPIC authors. Her first novel, A New Leaf, was the 2003 winner of the
Timeless Love Contest and was published in 2004 by Oak Tree Books. At
present she teaches high school social studies.
website: http://www.elainecantrell.com
