You may have heard your friends mention “Pinning” things or seen those little “Pin It” links at the end of an article you just finished reading, but what is Pinterest?
Pinterest is an image based social media network that people can use to visually share things that they find interesting. Pinterest uses visual links called “Pins” that can be placed in customized collections called “Boards”. Users can browse Pinterest by searching for specific topics or browsing certain categories provided, the main page (or “Pin Feed”) will eventually become personalized based on your interests.
Creating An Account
If you do not already have a Pinterest account, you can get signed up in one of two ways:
- Using your Facebook account
- With an Email address
The easier method would be to create your account using your Facebook Login, don’t worry though, Pinterest won’t post to Facebook without your permission. Pinterest will walk you through a quick tour before letting you take the wheel.
Getting Started
Once you are logged in, click on your name in the top right corner to view a drop down menu of available options:
- Your Profile & Pins – This is where you can edit your public profile information as well as create and manage your custom Boards, Pins, and Likes. From here you can also manage your followers and people you are following.
- Settings – Here you can edit your basic account information and profile content. This page is also where you can edit which of your social media accounts are linked to Pinterest and allow Pinterest to post to them on your behalf. You can also turn off email notifications from the settings menu.
- Find Friends – This page will show you a grid of all of your Facebook/Twitter followers who also have Pinterest accounts, you will have to link your social accounts to take advantage of this feature. Simply click “Follow” on any friends you wish to connect with.
- Follow Boards – Here you can customize which boards you choose to “follow” which in turn will affect what appears in your “Pin Feed”.
Getting Around
- At any point during your browsing or profile editing, you can click on the Pinterest logo centered at the very top of your page, to return to your “Pin Feed”. See Screenshot.
- In the top left corner, you can click on the square menu button to select a category to browse or alternatively, you can search using the Search box. See Screenshot.
- To the left of your Name, the “Plus” icon allows you to upload a pin directly from your device, add a pin from a website, or create a custom board. See Screenshot.
- Clicking the icon to the right of your name will display your notifications feed. See Screenshot.
An Example Search
Let’s try an example search for “Scottsdale, AZ homes”. See Screenshot.
Notice that the default results will be set to “Pins” but in the top left can be sorted by “Boards” or “Pinners” as well.
Now let’s try pinning a home we like, click on a pin you are interested for more info and once you find one you like, click “Pin it”. See Screenshot.
The following screen will allow you to add the Pin to a specific board, include your own description, and post to any social media sites you would like.
Hopefully this short guide has helped you understand the basics of what Pinterest is, how to create your own account, and how to use it effectively. Get out there and start pinning!
Leave a Reply