Now that we know how to get started with Pinterest, let’s look at how to get in there and really use it!
In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to start creating your boards, pinning, repining and more. Before you dive right into Pinterest, there are probably a few terms that you need to know, so let’s start with those:
- Boards: Think of these as cork or pin boards, much like you may have or have had in real, but now they’ve gone virtual. You can set up topic-specific boards and add pictures that are relevant to those boards. For example, you might create a “Places I Want to Travel Board” or a “St. Patrick’s Day Dinner Party” board. How general or specific you want your boards to be is completely up to you.
- Pin: The main idea with Pinterest is to “pin” pictures to your boards. Pin is used both as a noun (what you put on your board is a “pin”) and a verb (the act of putting a picture on a board is “pinning”). For example, you might pin a picture of The Great Wall in your “Places I Want to Travel Board”
- Repin: When you see someone else’s pin that you like, you can “repin” it and place the picture on an appropriate board of your own. It’s a way of showing appreciation for a great find by another Pinterest member and it also helps you create an even better board for yourself.
- Like : If you see a pin that you like, but it doesn’t necessarily fit into your own boards, you can click a button to “Like” it. It helps you show appreciation for other people’s pins and Pinterest also keeps track of all your “Likes”, so you can refer to them later on.
- Comment: You can also leave a comment on other people’s pins or respond to comments on your own pins.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get started.
Create a Board
You can add a board to your account anytime. To create one, click the “Add+” button in the site’s top right menu.
Next, you’ll get the choice of adding a pin, uploading a pin or creating a board. For now, we are just going to create a board.
Next, you can create a name for your board and select a category.
You can choose to allow others to pin to your board. This is useful if you’re working on a collaborative project, planning an event, trip or something else that requires input from others. If that’s the case, you can select “Me + Contributors”. Add an email address and then click “Add”.
You can also add people who are already following you, by starting to type their name and Pinterest will populate the field with potential choices.
You can edit your board at a later date, including adding or removing contributors later.
Start Pinning
To make a pin, you can do it directly from the Pinterest website, add a “Pin It” button to your browser or using a mobile app. We’re going to demonstrate how to pin from the Pinterest website and using the Bookmarklet.
Pinning from a Web Page using the Pinterest Website:
At the top right menu, click the “Add+” link.
You can add a pin from a web page or upload a pin from your computer. To a pin from a web page, click “Add a Pin.”
Now, enter the web page address that you’d like to choose a picture from. Enter the specific page you want, not just the website name.
Click “Find Images” when you’re done. Now, Pinterest will locate the images on the page you specified. Choose the image you want, specify the board you want to pin it to and add a little description. Click “Pin it” when you’re done.
Pinning an Image from Your Computer Using the Pinterest Website
After you’ve clicked the “Add+” button in the menu, this time you’re going to choose “Upload a Pin” instead.
Next, choose a picture from your computer, select an appropriate board and add a description. Click “Pin It” when you’re done.
Pinning from the “Pin It” Button on Your Browser
The “Pin It” button is the easiest way to pin from a website, so I recommend you set it up. To add it, go to http://pinterest.com/about/goodies/ and find the “Pin It” Button. All you do is drag and drop that button into the bookmarks toolbar near the top of your browser.
Now the button is on your toolbar. To use it, go to a web page you want to pin from and click it.
Pinterest will find all the images on that page. Just hover over the one you want and click the “Pin This” button that appears.
A Note About Images You Find on the Web:
Before you get started, have a look through Pinterest’s Pin Etiquette page at: http://pinterest.com/about/etiquette/. They stress the importance of providing proper credit for the images you use. That means, go to the original source of the image, rather than simply pinning from Google Images. If you are using Google Images to find your photos, click to view the original page and click the “X” at the top right corner of the image. That will bring you to the original web page and you can pin from there.
Repin, Like and Comment
You can find great images, by viewing the pins of other members. Whether you look at the public timeline or people you’re following, you can participate in Pinterest by repinning, liking or commenting on their pins. Here’s a walkthrough of those functions.
Repin
Hover over any pin, you’d like to repin and you’ll see 3 options. Choose “Repin”.
Then you’ll be able to choose the board you want to pit in it to and you can also change the description if you’d like before repinning.
To like a pin, you just select “Like” option shown earlier and the pin will then be recorded in your “Likes”, so you can look at it again anytime.
You can also leave a comment on anyone’s pin. Just click the “Comment” button and say what you’d like.
That’s Pinterest in a nutshell. As you can see it can be loads of fun to pin stuff. It can help you get organized, find your creativity and introduce you to people who share similar interests.
Pinterest Questions?
Ask in the comments below!
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That’s quite an indepth tutorial for newbies to Pinterest. Although I’ve been having a Pinterest account for over a year one, Ive completely neglected it. Too many social networks…too little time 🙂
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Very useful tutorial on Pinterest terminology, thanks. About terminology though… we have pins and boards but how do you call a ‘collection of boards’? Is it a Pinterest page or …? I don’t seem to come across the word. For example I am looking at ‘FLE Fiches Pedagogiques’ in/on Pinterest. What is that called? Thanks a mil for the clarification,
Frederique