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How to Use Pinterest for Beginners
In the spirit of full transparency, know that this post on how to use Pinterest for beginners contains affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. In fact, you may receive a discount or some money for free! Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
As you start reading the beginning of this article you find yourself wondering what it would be like to receive regular free traffic from Pinterest.
You’re intelligent enough to know that some people use Pinterest to drive most of their traffic to their blog.
The further on you read you’ll begin to understand how this is possible.
Welcome to how to use Pinterest for beginners…
Firstly, Why Use Pinterest?
If you’re anything like me you’ve probably not used Pinterest much.
The little time you have spent on it has been wasted by pretty pictures of barn weddings and girly stuff.
So why bother to use Pinterest?
Because it’s business model is designed to connect users to content. No other BIG social media platform is designed for this.
Now, read that again.
Simply put, the best way to get NEW visitors to your site are:
- Pinterest = user to content (awesome)
- Google = user to content (awesome)
- Facebook = user to user (good)
- Twitter = user to user (good)
- Instagram = user to user (average at best- it is good for creating “followers” and a brand though!)
Any social media can be a great way to drive traffic to your website, especially if you already have a “presence” on there.
However, Pinterest really takes the biscuit for getting new visitors to your website.
A pin that is months or years old can still bring traffic to your website.
This is not the case for most other social media platforms (especially Twitter… imagine!)
As you pay close attention to this page you will find out how this is all possible…
Related content:
5 Steps to Get Traffic to Your Blog Using Pinterest
So there are loads of little tips and tricks to automate this traffic and to turn your blog into an online business.
But let’s keep it simple to get your account set up in the best way possible.
If you are interested in seeing some of these automation tips then check out how Jeff and Ben created a $240k/ month online business using Pinterest.
Let’s find out how to use Pinterest for beginners…
#1 Set up Your Account- Understanding How Pinterest Works
Step one is to have your account set up in a way to help Pinterest know who you are and what you are sharing.
Just like other social media platforms, Pinterest uses fancy algorithms that decide what content is shown to which people.
It’s your job to make sure your account is set up to tell Pinterest what your blog is about and people that are interested in it can find it.
Simples.
Here are a few things you need to make sure you have done for your account to be set up in the best way:
- Have a business account set up
- Enable rich pins
- Use keywords in your name and bio
- Set up boards using keywords
It doesn’t sound too bad but if you do this stage right it can take some time. Click any of the links above to find out more about each step.
I will leave this little nugget with you to help find your Pinterest keywords…
- Click ads in the top left corner on Pinterest (only available to those with a business account).
- Click “create ad” (don’t worry you won’t actually do this)
- Hit continue
- Scroll down to Keywords
- Type in your keywords and it will show you the number of people that search for variations of your keywords every month
Top tip- target keywords with the highest searches as Pinterest doesn’t care (as much) how old your account is unlike Google.
That stage alone is enough to make your Pinterest game way better than a lot of pinners!
If you’re worried about doing all of that or not understanding you can sign up to the free course at the bottom of this page. It has all the information there that you need to get started with much more detail and help than in this post.
#2 How to Create a Board on Pinterest
I’m not going to waste your time here… but this is an important step for how to use Pinterest for beginners!
- Click your profile, click boards, click add board.
The bit I do want to mention is what you should have on your board.
- Specific title (“blogging” is bad “blogging tips for beginners” is better)
- Keyword-rich descriptions (put in keywords i.e. “get more traffic” “SEO tips for beginners” “Affiliate marketing tips” etc.)
- Design a brand cover photo using colours and fonts that you usually use (see below)
Related Articles:
- Top Secret Pinterest Hacks
- The Best Blogging Resources
- Build an Amazing website in under 30 seconds!
- Why do People Create Blogs? These 28 Bloggers Explain Their Story
- 6 Blogging Tips for Newbies
Re-arrange Pins on Pinterest Boards
This can cause some confusion!
It’s easy enough to repin your own pin to a different board but a lot of people seem to struggle with rearranging pins WITHIN a board.
Let me ask you this… Do you have certain posts that you want more people to find?
Of course, you do!
So make sure you rearrange your pins on occasion so that your best pins are at the front of your board!
There has been a couple of changes to Pinterest recently so check out this video to see how to rearrange pins on Pinterest.
#3 How to Make a Pin for Pinterest
So you’ve had your appetiser, now let’s just jump into a few plates of meat…
There are 2 main graphic designers you can use to create your pins:
Canva is free
Snappa costs $10 a month (or you get 5 downloads for free each month).
Canva is great for starting out, so here are my top tips:
- Bookmark different designs you use so you can quickly find the layout you like.
- Use Pexels.com to get all the FREE stock photo’s you need
- If you want a transparent background (especially for logo designs) use this website for free.
- Use a png compressor to make sure your pins are a smaller storage size (which improves the SEO of your website)
Snappa basically can do all the above (minus the png compressor) in one place.
Here’s why you may choose Snappa:
- You pay for convenience!
- It’s much more user-friendly to use
- You can save unlimited pin designs (to save you time rather than recreating them EVERY time)
- The stock photos are better than pexels.com
UPDATE- Since trying Jeff and Ben’s (yeah you know the guys who make $240k/ month) “The Perfect Pin” course, I actually now use PowerPoint for a few reasons:
- Your pins stand out compared to most people
- I like the shading on letters which makes your words POP off the page
- Using colour boxes with gradients behind words can help your words look much clearer & more professional
- You have more control over how your pin looks
- They really know their stuff!
Now, I can almost hear your mind saying…
But What Should Your Pins Look Like?
There’s really only one rule…
Make them “Pinterest Pretty”
But what does that mean?
Just look at the best pins for “affiliate marketing for beginners”:
Top tips for how to use Pinterest for beginners:
- Don’t make them ugly
- Make Writing BIG and clear to read
- Use LOTS of white space
- Don’t make them ugly
- Use COLOURFUL text
- Use a 2:3 ratio (typically 600 x 900px… don’t go over 1,260 px tall but I’m currently trying out 735 x 1,105 px to make it stand out a bit more)
- Don’t make them UGLY!!
Here’s an example (be sure to Pin this so you can come back to it later!)
UPDATE- Your pin design is often the thing that will let you down at the start. I know because I have been there!
Funny story about this one- I didn’t try the “Perfect Pin” course for a few months because it was only $9. I figured it couldn’t be much good for that price.It hands down beats other Pinterest courses I’ve taken for $40+! You can learn more from their on brand vs off brand and pins for engagement vs click through part than most other courses I’ve seen
#4 How to Get Followers on Pinterest
There’s no secret sauce here!
Here’s the scientific 2 step process (which can be used on ANY social media platform):
- Follow Pinteresters that you’d like to follow you!
- Pin stuff!
NEXT MEAL PLEASE!
Honestly, it has been said numerous times by Pinterest that the number of followers you have on Pinterest DOES NOT MATTER.
STOP!!
Re-read that sentence.
Partly because your content can be found through the search bar and the home page but mainly because of Tip number 5…
#5 Ultimate Tip! How to Join Pinterest Group Boards
So this is the game changer!
This is how Pinterest can help to drive so much more traffic than other social media platforms.
Hold on a jiffy… What is a group board?
It is a board that has 2 or more “collaborators” (people that can post pins on a board)
You can invite others to collaborate on your boards but the exciting part…
You can become a collaborator on other boards.
So if you are new and you get on a board with 10,000 followers then all of these people can see, share and view your pins!
Boom!!
If you would like to know how to do this then I would recommend you start this free Pinterest email course.
This includes an email template of how to ask to become a collaborator and how to track who you’ve asked!
How to Use Pinterest for Beginners Summary
The more you keep reading this article the more you begin to understand how to use Pinterest and how it can be a MAJOR traffic supply.
Since you’re still here I’m going to assume you want to take Pinterest seriously.
If that’s the case you can find out a lot more tips and tactics about how to set up Pinterest in the best way for traffic in the FREE 6-day email course above…
The best part is:
There’s a way to automate it so you only need to put in one hour a month once it’s going!
Get on it like white on rice!
Keep changing for the better,
Mike
P.S. If you want more Pinterest tips, then check out the 5 Pinterest Hacks to get More Traffic.
9 Lucrative Affiliate Marketing Tips for Beginners
There are affiliate links in this article on lucrative affiliate marketing tips for beginners, which means if you make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read the full disclaimer here.
You probably already know there are hundreds of posts with a title just like this one.
“9 Lucrative Affiliate Marketing Tips for Beginners” is just another one of those pages where some guy reckons he’s better than us at doing what we are all trying to do… make money online.
Well this is going to be different…
Here’s how:
I’m not going to pretend I know it all.
In fact, I would imagine a lot of people reading this will know more about the topic than I do.
The further and further you read into this website the more you will realise I only offer “ready to use” tips that I have learnt from my own experience.
So shall we?…
#1 Be More Honest Than a Dude on Truth Serem
Call a sale a sale!
Tell your beautiful readers that you will get a commission if they buy from your link. Obviously, explain that it doesn’t affect the price of what they are buying but be HONEST that it will benefit you.
The same goes if you’ve tried or not tried the product. Explain your reasons why you are writing about it or promoting it.
In my “starry-eyed” former non-Internet-marketing days I used to believe the best way to sell was to slip a sale in without the customer noticing.
Drift back to a time when you ended up spending more money than you planned. You know like when the checkout guy at McDonald’s offers you the large portion without telling you it’s extra money…
In actual fact, this is maybe the worst way to do it!
People are NOT stupid!
After you hand over your money in McDonald’s you realise… “eurgh I fell for it again!”
And do you notice how the distrust makes you feel?
However, can you recall a time when a friend found an awesome deal and told you about it? Or a great film they saw at the cinema? They didn’t sell anything to you they genuinely tried to help. Because when people trust you it’s not selling, it’s just like letting a friend know about an awesome deal.
Are you beginning to see how HONESTY sells?
Affiliate marketing should be a long game about helping people… not trying to make a quick buck.
#2 Create VALUE… for FREE
Do people really want freebies?
…Is a frogs ass watertight?
Wouldn’t it be amazing if someone could solve YOUR problems?
If you create value that someone really wants then people will TRUST you.
How can you create freebies?
- Blog post
- Youtube video
- Podcast
- Infographics
If you really solve someone’s problems you can create a freebie in exchange for their email address such as:
- Cheatsheet
- e-book
- Email course (a great way to start for newbies)
- Something packaged in a different way i.e. blog post come video/ audio
- A “giveaway”
Focus on adding REAL value to people for FREE as much as you possibly can. That way your readers will keep coming back and… you guessed it… TRUST you!
#3 START with a Free Autoresponder
Have you heard that ConvertKit is the best autoresponder? Yeah, so have I from everyone that uses ConvertKit… guess what people who use Aweber recommend? BINGO… Aweber!
I have tried and tested the following autoresponders (there are loads more):
- Mailchimp
- Getresponse
- MailerLite
- ConvertKit
- Aweber
Do you know how many email subscribers I had when I tried these out?… 3 (one was me, and one was Sarah, my wife)
The truth is it doesn’t matter which one you START with… so DON’T throw your money away!!
Use a FREE one:
- MailerLite
- MailChimp
Both of these are completely FREE every month until you get over 1,000 email addresses (MailChimp is now 2,000!) And then it’s easy to export your email addresses to another autoresponder if you outgrow this.
Guess what…
It is hard to get 1,000 email addresses!!
I personally use ConvertKit (this is an affiliate link) as it offers so much more and is far easier to use than the free programs. But until you have a sizeable email list don’t convert (see what I did there!)
These “email marketing gurus” who tell you how easy it is to get email addresses using their FREE 2-page e-book… are lying!
As you absorb this information you’ll notice that adding REAL VALUE wins at affiliate marketing!… 100% of the time.
As you can imagine, getting the first 1,000 is the hardest part and it gets easier after that.
#4 Find Out What People Say About Your Product in Minutes
What if you have found a product you can be an affiliate for, but you’re still not sure if people will like it?
Use mention to literally see what others are saying about it!
Mention is a social media monitoring website that you can use for FREE.
This is what people are saying about Wealthy Affiliate…
Learn the positive honest lifestyle of earning for life.
And this is what people are saying about Banners Broker…
Selling unregistered securities at best, and outright fraud at worst.
A quick 2-minute search on “mention” shows me which product I would be happy being an affiliate of and what product I would steer clear of!
#5 Make Sure Your Links WORK
Do you remember a time at school when you got all excited about a school trip, only to find out it’s been cancelled?
That is the feeling you will give your readers if your link doesn’t work.
Don’t worry though! I have found another SIMPLE way to make sure your links are as good as gold…
Use the check my links extension on Chrome to find any broken links on your website (yes it’s free).
Find out how this works in more detail here.
Are you beginning to notice how these affiliate marketing tips for beginners could help you?
#6 Get More Traffic with a Keyword Research Tool
“Eh hum… what the frick is a Keyword?”
Oh, I’m so glad you asked!
A Keyword is a particular word or a phrase that helps search engines match a particular search to a website…
Complex stuff right?
No, not really! It basically means your title, subtitles and tags on that page form your keyword(s)… Simples!
Of course, you’ve heard that “you shouldn’t even think about SEO until you’ve blogged for 6 months!”
This is baloney!
You may have heard the jargon “sandboxing” before. It simply means Google won’t promote your website until it’s about 6 months old.
Yes, Google only ranks your website higher after 6 months of existence because thousands of websites are being created (and abandoned) every day. They are trying to separate the wheat from the chaff you see!
However, if you can spend time finding less competitive keywords now, you can potentially get loadsa traffic in the future.
And guess what?…
Keyword research tools are a massive TIME SAVER.
Hold on a minute… what is SEO?
Sorry, my bad! This means Search Engine Optimisation… basically, it means making your website easier to find on search engines.
Here’s WHY this is important:
Read “How to Find Keywords for your Website” to learn some of the best tips and tricks for getting your content ranked.
You can do keyword research manually on Google but I use the Jaaxy Keyword Research for free with my membership at Wealthy Affiliate.
#7 Improve Your Rankings for FREE with Moz
Moz shows the domain authority of a website.
What’s the domain authority (DA)?
It’s a search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on a search engine’s results page.
Simply put…
Imagine someone types in “how to make money online” into Google.
A website with a DA of 97 will be more likely to be on page 1 of the search results than a website with a DA of 13.
So if you type in your Keyword into Google check what the general score is of the competing websites. If this is similar to your websites DA then you should be good to compete for page 1… If you’re way off, I would recommend finding another Keyword to use.
This is a search for make money online…
This is a search for make money online with affiliate marketing…
As you can see the websites DA that you are competing with are much lower when your keyword is more specific.
Notice that there is a website with a DA of 21 in the first screenshot. If you make a GREAT post with specific keywords that people are searching for then it is possible to get your website on page 1 of Google with a lower DA.
#8 Choose Amazing Products to Sell
This is the last but not least for affiliate marketing tips for beginners…
Picture yourself five years from now… You are the best copywriter (person who writes to sell) in the world. You have an amazing website and your audience really trusts you.
Now imagine you try to sell them a dog poo in a paper bag…
The point is… don’t sell s#*!
If you are promoting something, I do believe you should try it out, or at least trust someone that has.
Make sure you are completely happy with the product and you are clear on what value it adds.
However, if you’re writing a review about something that you would not recommend, by all means, be HONEST and state why you’re writing that review!
#9 Pitfalls to Avoid when Starting Affiliate Marketing
When does affiliate marketing fail?
- Bombarding your followers with requests to try the product
- Promote products in irrelevant groups and forums
- Emailing and messaging your audience multiple times a day
- Missing opportunities e.g. holiday seasons to promote Christmas cards
- Not researching the right target audience for the product or service
- Failing to provide all the information needed to buy the product
- Not enough social presence
- Give up too soon
Don’t believe me? Give any of these a try and see how well they go down.
Affiliate Marketing Tips for Beginners Summary
Affiliate marketing is NOT a get rich quick scheme.
It is a business.
You probably already know that there are ways you can fast track your progress in any business.
As this article ends, you have learned that using a training program is a must if you want to save time and learn from people who have a proven track record.
Each and every day that you go without using a training program is going to be time wasted in getting your online business running properly.
Just remember, the key to success is to provide value.
Chuck a comment below about what your favourite tip is or if you have your tips please share them too! Or you can message me directly here.
Keep changing for the better,
Mike
P.S. Click here to learn about how real people have used affiliate marketing to earn over $2,000 a month from home.