It's So Pinteresting! Will It Stay That Way?

A very short while ago I got on the Pinterest bandwagon.   Very glad I did; and!  I still am.

Pinterest really and truly is the up and coming NEW way to get yourself out there into social media. Have you considered it?  Are you a part of the fun?

First, you need  an invite to join. Someone who is on Pinterest already will need to send you a friend request and then you'll have to go in and set up your Pinterest account, via the request.  Pinterest is free, so just some basic stuff is needed.

You will then be able add the Pinterest pin button to your browzer's toolbar, it takes about two seconds.  This makes it really easy to pin photos, rather than upload them from your computer (although you can do that, too.)

You will SO enjoy  all the gorgeous photography,  the clever crafts ideas, storage suggestions, vintage clothing and costume jewelry, recipes, travel pictures.....just wonderfulness.    You can start your own boards, or collections of photos right away.  

The first thing I began pinning was a collection of pathways, as I collect them.  Very inspiring! I uploaded my own pix, and repinned others.  I enjoy going to Pinterest every day to choose some new photos for my boards.

Here is my Pathways board, prepare to sigh...and meditate:

Pathways....Where Does Your Journey Go?

Pinterest is a respite for many, myself included.  It's a place where I can go to see things I may never own, places I may never go, things I may have only once held in my hands and never will again.   It's a place of ideas, a place of remembrance.  The old saying, "A picture says a thousand words" could never be truer-- than at Pinterest.

Will it STAY that way?

Pinterest is  fast becoming an easy way for an artist to show their work, new and old, sold and unsold.    Doubtless the folks at Pinterest realized how powerful their new medium would become for SELLERS....so, there's Pinterest Etiquette

Basically, so that Pinterest doesn't become a morass of commercialism, it's advised that when you make boards, you balance them.    What does that mean?

You don't want to make a board solely of your own photos, no matter how appealing that idea seems.  Be sure to pin photos of others' work in the chosen theme for your board.  Show techniques or ideas.  Pin blogs with appropriate credits to the blogger, if you pin from a blog---it will get the blog hits and new followers, so that's a great thing to do!  Plug the blogs you love!   Then after you remember others first.... pin a few of *your*  things.   You can even pin stuff you have on ETSY....there's a Pin It button now on every listing.  You can pin your stuff...AND, you can pin others.

When you do this, you play nice and you level the playing field so that MANY people can get a shout out for a job well done, a great idea, a fabulous find.   

You may also comment on the pictures at Pinterest.  Commentary should be lightweight and complementary.  If you can't do that, if you don't have something nice to say, then don't disgrace yourself by saying something less than kind at Pinterest. 

Wherever possible, when repinning at Pinterest, trace back to find the original owner of the photograph.  Usually that's just a few clicks, and you've got it.   If you can't find it, and want to repin, please acknowledge that you don't know and would love to know.  Someone may offer the information via comment, and then you'll have it covered.

Same way if you lift a picture from Pinterest and put it on your Facebook:  CREDIT the original pinner, photographer, blogger, artist.

I  pin a lot of pictures from the B'sue Boutiques Creative Group and try to do that, always crediting the artist.   It's been a great tool, I am so glad I joined Pinterest for that reason alone.  I love to plug great work shared at the group, and this makes it effortless.  A number have told me they sold their items quickly because of my initial pins and others' repins.

You can check out the Copyright Infringement Page at Pinterest as well, good to review that and carefully consider the in's and out's.

One last thing:  Don't pin photos that should be kept private.   That's not what Pinterest is about.   BTW:  you cannot directly pin from Facebook.

That's probably a really good thing.  ;-)

I want to thank my wise friend, Wendy, for bringing this subject up yesterday and the roundhouse conversation that resulted.   She raised some questions that  made me look inward and think of my own motives in using Pinterest.  I've thought ever since, long and hard, about my own role in social media and how I could use it to serve my enterprise as well as serve others in better ways.

In the long run, if you use social media to self-promote your business, it's about two big factors:  the people you love and support at home....and the people you serve.    You'd never want to use social media in a way that wasn't fair to all of them.

Use the power of Pinterest like Luke used the Power of the Force....LOL....in the RIGHT way.  Let's keep Pinterest....pinteresting!

 

 

Comments

[Brassy Steamington]

Another heartfelt entry with little drops of wisdom along the way. Just what we all love about Brenda. Thank you.

I too fell into the self-promotion pool at first with Pinterest, swam around for a bit and then got cold. I am now sharing the love and enjoying 38 followers as of today and the warmth of Pin giving.

My goal, I admit, is to someday type in "Steampunk" in the main search, and one of my items comes up on the first page.

Till then, I am Pinning away and loving it.

~ Dr Brassy

[A. Marie Designs]

I first heard about this from your post. Since then it seems to be popping up everywhere. It makes me realize I need to get around more online. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Can people send out multiple invites, or is it somewhat difficult to get one?

The pathways are just dreamy. They can set such a mood and be so very inspiring Thank you!

[cat kerr]

I must admit that I am new to Pinterest but I totally understand why people love it so.I just dont want ANOTHER reason to be on the computer..heehee..Did you get my email?Hugs,Cat

[Anita Salter]

I heard about Pinterest and requested an invite for myself and then invited all my friends, so much fun,but don't despair if it tkesa while for them to get back to you, sometimes it takes several days.
Happy Pinning

[leoniegirlintheworld]

Hi there, a good friend of mine who sells her jewelry on Esty is very worried about the copyright of her goods that people pin on boards on Pinterest:
I dont know if many people know what they sign up to by joining Pinterest but here is an exerpt: Pinterest's terms of use state that if you upload content to Pinterest, then you're giving Pinterest permission to distribute, sublicense, and sell that content: By making available any Member Content through the Site, Application or Services, you hereby grant to Cold Brew Labs a worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, royalty-free license, with the right to sublicense, to use, copy, adapt, *modify, distribute, license, sell, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform, transmit, stream, broadcast, access, view, and otherwise exploit such Member Content only on, through or by means of the Site, Application or Services.
Here is the link: http://greekgeek.hubpages.com/hub/Is-Pinterest-a-Haven-for-Copyright-Violations

I have taken down my own art photos I had on there, but still enjoy browsing Pinterest. Thanks - Luv your blog! L

[Brenda Sue]

This has come up a lot in the past week or two. Why not watermark your photos if you are concerned? If you are showing original artwork anywhere on the internet, Pinterest or not, it can always be lifted.

A watermark would probably take care of the issue.

It would also deter anyone from stealing your work. Many who sell images at Etsy find that watermarking is the best way to go, as no one can use the images with their logo on them.

I totally understand some of the concerns, but over-all, how likely is it really that Pinterest is going to take and use or sell your photos to another concern? It COULD happen, yep! that info is right there. But some unscrupulous person could do the same thing, right off your website.

I think all things considered, Pinterest is a valuable tool. It's been up long enough now that if this issue was a huge one, things would be happening left and right already.

There is supposed to now be a code available FROM Pinterest for you to put on your personal website that will lock folks out from being able to pin. This will not work for Etsy shops, however.

Enjoy pinning....don't worry! Be happy! The benefits to you of getting your work seen, far outweigh negatives. And if you watermark your pix, nobody's gonna lift them because your name will be on them. ;-)