subject: Pinterest: 3 Tips To Make Each Pin Count And Trigger Lots Of Re-pins [print this page] Pinterest is the hottest source of new traffic. When used correctly, sites that were previously invisible are not only on the map but "in the black" for the first time, all thanks to Pinterest's eager audience! People discover new products, quotes, passions and ideas from looking at all of the pictures laid out in one giant, gloriously lush splash of color. It's like a mental buffet of temptingly intriguing morsels, all of which you can put on your plate with no judgement, no caloric worry, no cost.
There must be method to triggering all of this new traffic, As Pinterest gains in popularity, we have more metrics to be able to examine what works and what doesn't. We can now assess the likely characteristics of a viral pin, based on accurate analytical data unavailable mere months ago. (And all this on a social network that is still in beta!) Here, then, are 3 keys to planting a pin that will be repinned frequently.
1. The Image Needs To Help Your Customers Express Themselves.
People will share your image (aka pin) when it says something that they agree with or would have said themselve had they thought about it. This doesn't only mean quotes, it means an image that is moving, cute, amazing, beautiful, dreamy, impressive. We are often told to use "emotion" in our choice of images, and what that means in practical application is - "yeah" or "wow" "awww" "hm-mn"and "gasp". And a negative reaction will work too.
2. Animals and Children
The movie business uses them; the advertising business uses them; we should take note. If you are promoting a product and you have the chance to put a cute pet, child or fluffy thing next to it, unfortunately, it will increase the likelihood of the image being repinned. Sad, but true, we are a manipulate-able species and our heart strings can get pulled with the simplest of tactics.
3. Making Information Pictoral
You will see infographs all over Pinterest. They work because they take mind-numbingly boring, indeciferable statistics, summarize them and drip them out in easy-to-digest little bites across a landscape rich in color and movement. You can not see the whole story at a glance, but you feel as if you can. That's enough. You repin the infographic to store for ready reference later, knowing that when you study it, it will tell you all you need to know.
As you can see, there are some simple tactics to getting more bang out of your Pinterest buck! Images that make someone look smart or creative or resourceful on the share will get repinned more often than just a nice, clean image. Emotional pulls work well imn images, as do colors in dramatic contrasting hues and closely aligned chromatic values (extremes at both ends.) [A snow-covered church in a strangely cream-colored sky was repinned hugely the other day, and it is because that image's mono-chromatic color palette was so arresting.] Lastly, the image that summarizes a vast amount of statistical data into one snapshot saves time, effort and get repinned to be consulted later.
