How to be a Polite Pinterest Pinner

So you're addicted to using Pinterest, are you? Isn't it fun? The site has made it so easy to find inspiration!

Since Pinterest is a relatively new site, many users are still learning its best practices and how to be effective there. One of these best practices is Pinterest courtesy. We should always strive to be courteous on any social networking site that we use. Are you a polite Pinterest pinner? Stay tuned for some quick tips.

photo from The Purl Bee

1. Polite Pinterest users pin photos from the original POST where the photo appeared.

For example, if I spot some fabulous polka dotted pillows on the Design Sponge blog and want to pin them to my weekly polka dot board, I need to find the permalink of that blog post and pin the image from that permalink.

In the polka dot pillows example, I found that post on page 2 of the Design Sponge blog. Notice the URL in the browser bar below. That URL is not the permalink of the polka dot pillows post.


HERE is the permalink for that post. It includes the date of the post (month and year) and the name of that particular post.


If you spot a pinnable image while browsing your favorite websites or blogs, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the permalink of that particular post.
2. Use the handy Pinterest bookmarklet to select the image that you want to pin.
3. Write a short description of the pin. See tip #2 below.

What happens if you don't pin images from the permalink where they first appeared?

The pin will still be "attached" to the site where it appeared, but if you pin from the main domain of the site, anyone who clicks on the pin to find out more about that image will end up on the main page of that site. If a person arrives on the site days, weeks, or months later, the post with that image will be buried, and they might never find the image!

By the way, this rule goes for re-pins, too. If you see an image that you'd like to re-pin to one of your boards, check to see if the image links back to the original permalink. If it doesn't, try to find the permalink and create a new pin.

Be kind. Pin from the permalink.

2. Polite Pinterest users write a short, meaningful description of the image.

I must admit that when I first started using Pinterest, I wrote shallow descriptions like "I love this!" or "Yummy!" Now that I've used the site a bit more, I've started to put more thought into my pin descriptions.

Take a peek at this pin description (not mine), for example:

This wording includes great keywords and makes me feel like I can actually create eggs like these myself.

Here are some tips for writing pin descriptions:
* Tell why the image is meaningful to you.
* Remember that other Pinterest users can view your description. Is it helpful? Appropriate?
* Mention the source (blog name) if you wish.

If time permits (and especially if you'd like the image to be re-pinned by others), write the description in elevator pitch style.

By the way, have you ever wondered if it's okay to keep the description of the original pinner when re-pinning an image? I've never read a hard-and-fast rule about this. In my opinion, if the original description matches your thoughts about the pin, keep it! If you want/need to tweak it to suit your taste, feel free!

3. Polite Pinterest users do not copy wording from the image source's website and paste it into the pin description.

Plagiarism is never okay. Enough said.

4. Polite Pinterest users pin their own images sparingly.

According to Pinterest etiquette, "if there is a photo or project you're proud of, pin away! However, try not to use Pinterest purely as a tool for self-promotion."

How about this idea? Why not create a Pinterest board of images that coordinate with one of your products? For example, if you sell necklaces, you could pin clothing, patterns, and accessories that would pair nicely with your product. You could share a screenshot of the board on your blog or on your Facebook fan page -- alongside a photo of your product. Now that's a fun way to use Pinterest!

............................................................

What other Pinterest etiquette tips would you add to this list? Please share in the comments.