Just like with any other popular social media platform, tool or app, there’s a difference between using it and using it to its fullest extent. Once you’ve determined that Pinterest makes sense for your business, it’s important to learn the Dos and Don’ts of pinning, repinning and creating pin boards.

In my experience using Pinterest for myself as well as pinning for several clients, there are 7 practices I see time and again that are definite Pinterest No-Nos.

7 Pinterest Errors you Don’t Want to Make

• Not checking your pin source – By “checking your pin source”, I mean clicking on the image to see what site it originated from. Too often, the image will take me to a Pinterest error message stating that image has been removed, to a spam site, or to a website that is completely unrelated to the pin. After checking the pin source, take a peek to see if the original site “allows” for pinning (a Pinterest follow button or share button, for example). Pinterest has received a lot of negative attention due to copyright infringement issues. Because of that, it’s also best to only pin with permission.
• Not adding descriptions to your pin boards – To create a new pin board, you’ll need to give it a title. But have you made a point to also add a description for that board? Board descriptions can help other users to know what types of content they’ll find on your boards. Plus, adding descriptions that include “#keywords” can help your boards be found via Pinterest search.
• Not setting your board covers – Many people don’t realize that you can actually set a specific pinned image to be your permanent (unless and until you swap it out for a different) board cover. Choosing the pin with the most eye-catching image from each pin board can increase the chances your boards will be followed by other users.
• Not selecting an optimal view for your board cover – When setting a board cover, you can click and drag the pinned image until the best part of the image is showing. This ensures your board covers have eye-catching, easily-identifiable images representing them.
• Not completing your Pinterest profile – At the top of each user’s profile page, there is a profile photo, name, description area, web, Facebook and Twitter icons, and location information (If, for example, you don’t want to login with Facebook, your Facebook icon won’t show in your profile.). When another Pinterest user is searching for people with similar interests or on your profile page and considering following you back, a keyword-rich profile description will go a long way.
• Not adding a description to each pin – Descriptions like “cute!” or “IMG_6342” offer little value for your pins and repins. A short, descriptive phrase will help encourage repinning of that image and make your pins more easily found in search.
• Not using #Keywords and links in your pin descriptions – The use of keywords in pin descriptions is beneficial for the same reasons as your profile; it helps other users in a Pinterest search and makes your pins look more desirable because a pinner will know exactly what your pin is all about. Pinterest gives you ample characters to build out your pin description, so consider adding the URL for the pin there, too. Also, hashtagged words within the pin description area are clickable and searchable.

Although it can take more time, proper pin and repin practices will make for a more enjoyable, more highly curated user experience.

*Post-publishing note, courtesy of Ticia. Be sure to pin the specific post or page instead of the home page! Otherwise as time passes, it becomes very difficult to locate the pinned content on the site.

If you’re an avid pinner, what other Pinterest Best Practices would you suggest?
*Photo Credit 40998831@N04