By: Inter Valley Health Plan

Mar 24, 2014

With millions of members in social media sites like Pinterest, it can be very difficult to keep the site fun and pleasant at all times. By taking the lead and encouraging others to follow simple etiquette, the end result will be an enriching experience for everyone.

Avoid Spam and Sales Pins

There are many people in Pinterest who only pin items that are directly linked to a sales page, without properly posting the item as such. Whether it’s linked to Amazon, Nordstrom or anything else that can lead to affiliate sales, this is simply poor etiquette and considered by most to be spam. If members flag these pins as spam, it is possible to lose a Pinterest membership or have the pin link blocked to members.

Rather than have Pinterest users click on a photo that will immediately land on a sales page, place a price tag on items instead. Showing users a price beforehand will give at least them the option to click through or not.

The price tag feature will place a diagonal ribbon across the pinned item and show users exactly how much that item costs. Add a price tag on a pin by typing in the ‘$’ symbol before the numerical value of the item in the description area.

This pricing feature is a great way to show others that the item pinned can be purchased and it will also immediately place the pin under the ”Gifts” section of Pinterest. This option is certainly worth looking into as the holiday season approaches.

Pace Yourself When Pinning

Try to avoid overwhelming followers with a bombardment of pins in a short period of time. The whole concept of Pinterest is to share pins that are heart-warming, inspiring, informative, and a reflection of the pinner. Blasting a follower’s feed with too many pins will lead to missed opportunities to have those images repined or commented on. This poor pinning practice could also lead to members unfollowing particular boards or even blocking certain users from feeds.

Write a Description

Although there are many beautiful photos to admire through Pinterest, it would also be nice to learn more about what’s being shown in boards. Random photos without a description or photo credit can be pretty boring and misses out on the chance to get members engaged in a discussion. Add a quick description; ask members a question about the photo to start a conversation that may spark into a viral image across the site.

By getting people involved with pins, members can quickly benefit from instant popularity and gain more followers as a result.

Check Pin Sources

There are many people who find images through search engines and pin them directly from those galleries. This can lead to problems with Pinterest rules with copyright infringement. Make sure to check out the original source of the image and pin directly from there instead. This extra step will not only help follow the rules but also provide proper credit from a useful site that other members will be able to explore.

Kindly Interact With Others

Each pin allows users to make a comment and start a conversation. This option is a great way to provide useful information or personal input on the pinned image.

One of the top things that virtually no one appreciates is a commenter who does not have anything relevant to add or chooses to use inappropriate language for no reason at all. These members are usually the first to lose followers or get a bombardment of negative comments directed back at them.

To avoid creating a sour experience, always make sure to comment with the intention to learn something new or offer a new thought from personal insight. One of the main reasons why Pinterest has become so popular in a short period of time is the fact that the site offers endless inspiration and advice that people can relate to or apply to everyday life.