1.  Start by calling it it’s proper name.  It’s Pinterest.  As in Pin-ter-est.  NOT Pininterest. PININTEREST.  PININTEREST.  Sound it out stoopid.  Just Pin-ter-est.  Touchy much?

and breathe.

Image from here and taken by Kirsty Gibson

2.  Good, now set up boards.  Some pinners have found snazzy ways to be cool with making boards name look tripster but I kinda missed that memo and just called things as I see them.  Some use capitals (eg: YUMMYINMYTUMMY – which is kind of shouty but hey – your board), some use symbols (eg:  //Kitchens//) some just state the obvious.  Whatever you do, make sure that you fill your boards with good images that reflect the name of the board.  It can also be highly responsible to have a good spring clean out now and then – that board you called ‘Stain removal’ and has only one pin in it with a tip of how to cat vomit may need to go (or not – your board – not mine).

Image from here

3. Let you boards be reflective of you.  Especially if you are linking yourself with a blog, a business or a brand then consider your boards to be an extention of that.  Think about what your readers or consummers would like to see, but utimately pin for yourself as that will tell a far intimate story.

Image from here

4.  You can choose to follow a fellow pinner (and all their boards) or you can choose just a few select boards from that pinner.  You may find your new pinner ‘friend’ from sweden has immpeciable taste in homewares but also a fasination with exposed body parts.  Hey, that’s cool man, but somethings can be un-follwed no worries.  Sorry Hedwig but I’m unfollowing ‘Mighty Manslem’s’.

Image from here

5.  Download the ‘pin it’ button onto your desktop.  That way you can pin images you see while eyeballing the web.  Now you don’t have to try and manage web pages – just store them in the pinning boards you have created.  If there is an image that’s not worthy of a board then just ‘like’ with the heart button.  Your Pinterest will remember those and you can refer back to them anytime you choose under ‘likes’.

Image from here

6.  Get the app and pin from your phone.  A good and easy way to load a photo ready for a good viral thrashing. You can also view your pin ‘stream’ when bored and have 5 minutes to spare on the toilet.

I would love to know those stats.

Image from here

7.  Link, name, and put in as much information as you can.  I always try and think of the clever photographer that took the image.  Let’s share the love and link link link.  Credit everything to the original source where poss and try and be a good, safe and thoughtful pinner.  That’s good pin-karma.

Image from here

8. Be interactive with your pins.  You can change the setting of a board to have other pinners be ‘contributors’.  No Hedwig, not this time.  You can also interact with fellow pinners just like in istagram and twitter just by adding the ‘@’ symbol.  Nice.

Image from here

9.  Finding different pins and pinners.  You don’t have to rely on the people you follow to give you inspiration – broaden your horizon by looking at your favourite pinners and who they follow.  Same applies for your pins – quite often if I find a pin I really like I will keep scrolling downwards and it will show you ‘like-minded’ pins.  It’s a rabbit hole so do try to remember to come up for some real air from time to time.  As much as we love time on the net, don’t forget the real world exsists too!