Have you seen the latest Pinterest statistic?
According to Semiocast, Pinterest now has over 70 million users.
This large user base has led to some very nice results for bloggers and online business owners, including increased traffic and conversions.
Here are the top 4 reasons why you should create your blog posts with Pinterest in mind.
#1: The most popular content on Pinterest has value
If you're blogging and a part of the Become a Blogger community, you're probably working hard to create high quality, value packed content, right?
The type of images (pins) on Pinterest that find the biggest success have value for the pinner – it usually isn't just about an amazing image.
There are some not-so-great images on Pinterest that have become wildly popular because the value of the content it linked to was high.
Think about it this way – a book with a gorgeous cover can catch your eye but unless you find the content inside worthwhile, you're probably not going to keep it on your shelf and you definitely won't share it with friends.
(The exception to this rule is when the image itself is the content such as a piece of art, an image with a quote or a funny scene.)
Why people use Pinterest:
- To find information– recipes, tips or tutorials
- To find something to buy– a gift or something for themselves, remodeling or decorating items
- For inspiration– art or design, event planning, content ideas
- To connect with people with similar interests– to find new resources about their interest
- For fun and relaxation– because it's easy to look at all of those gorgeous pictures
All of the reasons solve a problem or provide entertainment. If your blog content does the same, chances are people will come back for more and they might even share it with their friends.
#2: Images created with Pinterest in mind can help you communicate your message
Pinterest is all about images, right? If you're currently not using images in your blog posts or aren't giving them much thought, you could be missing out on some big opportunities.
Images can help clarify your message especially if you're writing about abstract concepts such as business tactics or stress management. While the written word is powerful, an image that supports your message can really help to make abstract concepts more understandable and memorable.
High quality images that support your content can also make your content appear more professional, which could help increase your authority on your niche.
Tips to keep in mind for images:
- Use searchable keywords in your image's file name, not just something like 23236_dmc.jpg (This helps your content to be found on Pinterest and Google)
- Use tall images when possible, they take up more space on Pinterest and also on Google+ which can help them from being overlooked.
- Watermark or use your logo on your image to increase brand awareness and deter theft.
- If your image can be interpreted in many ways guide the reader with a text overlay (easy to do on PicMonkey.com)
#3: Inspiration for future content
Even if you don't have a Pinterest account, there's a chance that some of your existing content, if it has images, might have been shared to Pinterest by your readers. You can see what has been pinned from your blog by entering this in your browser's search bar:
Pinterest.com/source/yourURL
In the case of Become a Blogger, it would be pinterest.com/source/iamlesliesamuel.com/
From there, we can see the most recent content from the site that has been pinned to Pinterest, who pinned it and how many times it has been re-pinned. This information can help guide future blog posts.
If a post has been shared on Pinterest several times, chances are that a future post on a similar topic could do just as well.
You can also look at the accounts of people who pinned your content and see what else they're pinning. It's likely that your content has been pinned to a board with similar topics. Take a close look at at that board and for trends to inspire future topics to write about on your blog.
To make it easy for your readers, be sure to include a Pinterest pin it button in your social sharing buttons. One of those 70 million users could pin it and who knows, it could be just what the Pinterest audience was looking for.
#4: Bloggers are seeing an increase in traffic to their sites from Pinterest.
Pinterest has become an easy way for people to curate and organize content they are interested in. Most images shared on Pinterest link back to the website or blog they originate from.
As content gets shared around Pinterest, people will click through the image to the site it is linked to for the awesome content. For many bloggers, Pinterest has become the #1 source of traffic to their site.
One reason for this is that pins remain on Pinterest boards, they don't disappear into an endless stream as they do on Twitter or Facebook. It isn't uncommon for a post that was published weeks or months prior to receive a new surge of traffic from Pinterest.
Sometimes, someone finds that older content through a search or by exploring a person's boards. When they re-pin it to their boards, it appears as new content to their followers. It can then be re-pinned and can continue to spread and send traffic to the linked site.
If you have an active Pinterest account and build a community focused around your blog's niche, the potential for traffic from Pinterest greatly increases. However, if you create value packed content with a “pinnable” image you could possibly reap some benefits without an account.
Today's Question
Will you be creating blog content with Pinterest in mind?