Interesting Concept for you Writers out There

Pin Your Articles to Increase Your Exposure? 

Check this out (fun article I found) and share your thoughts on it...do you like Pinterest? Has it worked for you? ~Crystal

Educate, Motivate, and Inspire with Your Articles on Pinterest

Commonly described as one of the most addicting social networking platforms, Pinterest is a web-based “pinboard” that’s a convenient way to pin anything you find interesting or motivating to share with the world.

You can use Pinterest to your advantage by pinning your articles to increase your exposure. Pinning your EzineArticles.com published articles helps you build a bridge of trust:

From Pinterest (point of entry) to EzineArticles.com (bridge of trust) to your blog or website (safe-landing).

As a Pinterest user, you can upload and link to anything you want to share with others, repin everything that sparks you interest, comment on or like other users’s pins, and easily organize your pins onto Boards.

The pins or images link to the original source, which in turn increases the source’s exposure. Should another user become interested in a pin, they will click-through to the source’s website for more information. If they like what they see, they will repin it.

Not on Pinterest? If you know someone who is already on Pinterest, ask them to send you an invitation. Otherwise, you can request a Pinterest invite (for more information about joining Pinterest click here).

If you already have a Pinterest account, here’s how you can pin your articles:

First of all, you need an image that’s highly relevant to your article, as well as original and sharable. To do this, you can:

• Create the image yourself. This is the easiest method, although it might not be the most polished. There are several apps you can download to give even the most amateur photo that little something extra to attract Pinterest users and increase your chances of getting your pins repinned.
   
• Invest in (or make friends with) a graphic designer. If you don’t have a friend with whom you could barter services, scope out freelancing websites to request an original, polished image.
   
• Purchase stock images. If you are looking for polished work for your pins, but don’t want to put in the effort to develop and cultivate the images yourself, try websites, like iStock Photo or Shutterstock, which provide pay as you go images and/or subscriptions to purchase images.

Once you have an original image that corresponds with your article, follow these steps from yourPinterest account:

1. Select “Add +” and then select “Upload a Pin”
2. Select “Browse” and then open an image from your computer
3. Select a relevant Board to categorize your pin*
4. “Describe your pin” by providing a hook and the title of the article in 500 characters or less
5. Select “Pin It” and then select “Edit”
6. In the “Link” field, paste the URL to your published article, select “Save Pin,” and you’re done!

*Tip: Don’t use Board names relevant only to you, e.g. “My Articles.” Use keywords relevant to your niche to increase your pins ability to be searched. For example, let’s say dog grooming is your niche. Relevant keywords to create Boards may include “Dog Breeds,” “DIY Dog Grooming,” etc.

Pinterest users pin and repin items to be inspired, to be motivated, to connect with others, and to discover new things. Bear this in mind and use the above strategy to increase your exposure and credibility today.

Browse and follow EzineArticles pins on Pinterest by clicking here!

Posted by Penny, Managing Editor on June 6, 2012 at 9:00 am | 394 views