This is is the third post in a new weekly series by Tori Bowman of That Pair of Crutches teaching us how to build a better brand for your blog. To see the rest of her posts, click here.
If you're anything like me, Pinterest is slowly but surely taking over your life. With infinite space to collect all of your favorite things, from recipes, to photographs, to DIYs, how can you not be obsessed? Especially when it makes organizing the many facets of your life so easy and the end product so beautiful. There are so many things about Pinterest that make the organizing inspiration more convenient, habitual really, that it's become somewhat of a thoughtless process, at least for me. Here are a few lessons we can learn from a real pin board that will help us give more attention to our pinning and turn our Pinterest boards from good to great.
1. Space is an issue. It's easy to be picky when you only have a small bit of wall to work with. But when you have the whole of Pinterest at your fingertips, it doesn't take long to get carried away. Don't be too quick to repin things when you're browsing. Try to only pin things that truly inspire you, DIYs you might actually do, recipes that sound good. And don't be afraid to pin passing interests (i.e. planning a remodel or a party) to specific boards so that they can all easily be deleted when you're done with them!
2. Explain yourself. When someone walks up to your inspiration board in your office and asks you about a specific image, do you spout off the description from the magazine you snagged the image from or do you explain in your own words why you liked it? You should try to do the same when you write descriptions for Pinterest. Some pins don't need more than a general title (Best Chocolate Chip Cookies), but others might need a little altering (like the descriptions that say "for my husband" when you are actually single). Pay close attention to descriptions as you pin and personalize them whenever possible.
3. Keep to a theme. My favorite pinners are the ones that have a consistent style. Jennifer Hagler, is the queen of black and white minimalism, Bri Emery, always boosts my spirits with her bright and fun pins, and if you're looking for some wonderful florals, Brittany is your gal. Learn what your style is for the different things you pin. It's ok to have the clothes you like be a different style than the interiors that inspire you. Just figure out what each of those are and try to pin accordingly!
4. Stay organized. Create as many or as few boards as you like. Make them as broad or as specific (but not only one pin specific!) as you like. Create a board for every new product you're working on if that's what works best for you. Just stick to your guns. No pictures of cute dogs on your cat board. Don't post inspiration for bathrooms on your board full of ideas for your kitchen remodel. Be consistent with your pins and pin according to the descriptions on your boards.
5. Know what to keep to yourself. Some projects for clients are better kept secret. Surprise party inspirations for your sister probably shouldn't be advertised as such if she is on Pinterest, too. Cue private boards. And choirs of angels, because really, how long have we all been waiting for this? It's amazing. But with only three boards, you've got to be a bit picky. If you're using them for client projects, use one at a time for your current project. If you have too many things that need to be kept private, try using another organization tool like Evernote for all of your work and keeping things light and free of work and projects on Pinterest. Do what's easiest for you and helps you to stay organized and inspired. That is, after all, what these tools were created for! What tips have helped you be a better pinner? image
