How to use Pinterest to better your blog

Pinterest has quickly become my highest source of blog traffic. Some days Facebook is close behind but Pinterest consistently drives my numbers daily. It is an excellent tool for bloggers as long as you use it correctly.

The two most important things Pinterest can do for you as a blogger are:

1. Drive traffic to your site.
2. Connect you with potential readers.

Using Pinterest to Drive Traffic to Your Site

Pinterest is all about visuals. The ten seconds it takes for someone to scroll to the bottom of the screen is the exact amount of time you have to catch their eye. You have to make them stop at your pin AND click on it. If you pin a cute picture of your cat included within a blog post they may stop, “aww” at their screen, then move on. If you pin eye-catching text or an interesting visual they may stop, read what you have written and decide if they want to visit your blog for more.

The key is to always pique the readers curiosity. If you include too much information in your pin they have no reason to visit your blog, if you include too little they will scan your picture and move on.

Here is an example:

I created a “how-to” post including all I had learned after my sweet little three year-old decorated our house in permanent marker. As much as I wanted to pin this photo of my now tiger-striped child:

I created a text image using PicMonkey instead:

This gave readers a reason to stop, read what kind of information I would be sharing, and then click over to my blog for more tips. This strategy increased my blog traffic dramatically. On its best day, that pin brought over 5,000 unique visitors to my blog!

Using Pinterest to Connect With Potential Readers

You could probably classify me as a “mom blogger” but there are also specific topics I write about often such as autism and grief.

While my regular readers do read and comment on these posts, they also appeal to a target audience. By creating boards on Pinterest focused on these two topics, I am able to connect with more people with similar interests who have the potential to become new readers.

When I find a quote I like, articles of interest or write a post pertaining to one of these topics, I pin them to the appropriate board. Since each board is narrowly focused, they do attract fewer followers than my other boards but that is okay. The aim of each is to connect with people who share my experiences.

Another great way to use Pinterest to broaden your social media connections is to participate in group boards. You can create your own and invite others to pin to them or ask to join boards that share common interests with you. I participate in many group boards with a specific focus such as homeschooling, autism and crafts. These boards continue to bring new eyes to posts that would normally only be seen by my own following.

I also host group boards related to autism, grief and home DIY tips. If you have blog posts related to any of these areas let me know and I would be happy to add you.

Happy pinning!

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