five tips for bloggers to win big on pinterest.

One small disclaimer: these are my findings. There is no scientific study behind them, simply what has worked for me. Some of this may not be new to you, but it never hurts to hear it again. Pinterest is a phenomenal traffic driver and learning to unleash its repinning fury is half the battle. Without further ado, these are my five best tips for bloggers to win big on Pinterest...

1) While landscape photos (aka those that are short and wide) look nice in your browser, they are not ideal for pinning. Ensure your photos are tall rather than wide and you'll feel much more love on Pinterest. Taller images take up more visual real estate on Pinterest--and you want ever ounce of real estate you can get. Experiment a few times with this and you'll see what I mean. (My Pinterest feed is one giant example of portrait photos--with very few exceptions.)

2) It goes without saying that visually appealing images or content will attract pinners. (Think about what you like to pin!) Creating visually appealing images or content is much easier said than done. Cropping photos goes a very long way. Example #1: I loved this pretty scarf, but the photo was  taken landscape. I knew it wouldn't pin well as well in that format, so I cropped it a bit. (NOTE: Even though I uploaded the cropped photo to Pinterest, it is absolutely essential to add the correct source.) The result was a pin which did quite well (and illustrated the portrait vs. landscape idea perfectly). Example #2: This sporty outfit didn't pin well because the photo was a bit far away. Ensuring your audience can see your content (whether it is an easy-to-read font or a close subject) will help you immensely.

3) Timing matters. I pinned this yummy lobster crostini recipe around 2pm one day--and it got zero repins for the first hour it was up. I decided to take it down and pin it again later in the day. It now has over 170 repins, simply because I saved it for a more optimal "viewing window". If I pin after 9 or 10pm, I can almost guarantee these pins will get more love. The day of the week you pin also matters. Imagine the days you procrastinate most (and are close to a computer). In my experience, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday are my best days for repins.

4) Be pinnable. You really, really need to have a Pin It button installed on your blog. I shared some tips on this very topic a few months back (see here). Plain and simple: if people cannot easily find a way to pin from your blog, they won't. 

5) You need to know what's winning--or pinning, as the case may be. Pay attention to what people are pinning from your blog, so you can tailor your future content. Once your blog is verified, you can track your analytics to maximize your Pinterest potential. I do not advocate spying, but you can do an easy case study to check out how your favorite blogs are being pinned. Simply visit their source page (http://www.pinterest.com/source/INSERTURLHERE) and get some insight into what is striking a chord with their audience. While you should not copy their content, you should use your findings to build your Pinterest awareness.

Truth be told, I still have a lot to learn. I am also a firm believer that the best teachers we have are one another. I would absolutely love for you to share your own findings in the comments section below. The blogosphere (and our Pinterest feeds) will be better because of it! (If you feel so inclined, pin this graphic so you can come back and take a peek at the full conversation in the weeks and months to come.) I can't wait to hear what else you have to add! xoxo {av}