Friday Five Hop and Five Easy Steps to More Pinnable Posts

Welcome to the Friday Five!  Each week we feature a post with 5 things and we invite you to do the same!  Read on for this week's post from our state rep Ellie, and then link up your Friday Five post below!

 

Hey everybody! I am Ellie from ellie petrov: GEEK | LIFE | HOME (formerly Creative Geekery) and I am super excited to share some ideas with you today that will make your posts stand out on Pinterest AND at linkup parties. As the creator and co-host of THE Pin It Party I have looked at thousands of posts over the last year and a half, given the task of choosing the three most pinnable posts each week. Let me back up a second and explain what I mean when I say "pinnable." A super pinnable post is something that I want to pin to one of my boards before I have even had a chance to read it! Ok, so how do we create these potential pins? Here are my thoughts:

1. Come up with a great title. Coming up with a catchy title can be tough but it is worth the time and effort. While clear and concise titles are great for SEO (search engine optimization), don't be afraid to have a little fun once in a while. I am much more likely to click on a post called, "THE Printer That Changed My Life" instead of "Canon OfficeJet Review." And even if you do go for a simpler, more SEO-friendly title, don't be afraid to jazz it up when you are sharing it at linkup parties. You can edit the title that will appear at the party so have some fun.

2. You need at least one killer image WITH TEXT. This is probably just my personal preference but I really like to know what the post is about in the image I see on Pinterest. Yes, I can read the description but I my attention span is short. Add some text even if it is just hinting at the content of the post. Also, don't forget to watermark your image. You don't have to do anything fancy. Just add your blog's URL in a cute font. Turn the transparency of the text down a little if you want to be a little fancy. In terms of the image, I take pictures of random things ALL THE TIME with my iPhone just in case I might use it for a post. It might be a cool table top, a painted wall or a great evening sky. It is nice to build up a little stock photo library of your own that you can tap into. Also check out Canva. This site is a gold mine for bloggers! They have templates for all different types of graphics as well as tons of free images. Can't find a great free image? Splurge on one of their many stock photos available for $1 a piece.

3. Make sure your image looks good as a square. If you like to share your posts at linkup parties, this one is HUGE for you. Every linkup party I have ever seen or hosted allows each post to share one thumbnail image. That image is always SQUARE! If you are a lover of all things rectangular, go with your bad self. Just make sure the text is within the square. Cut-off text at a linkup is a huge turn off.

4. Consider a DSLR camera (or a better camera app). If you already own one, consider taking the time to learn how to use it. I think this is true for all bloggers but particularly for you food bloggers out there. I have seen some pins float through my feed that sound magnificent but the picture is a total turn off. If you are looking to really get to know your DSLR camera, check out my Pinterest Photography board chock full of great tips and tutorials. For some amazing tips minus all of the technical jargon, check out this post from food blogger Anyonita! A couple of awesome camera apps that really do a nice job and are worth the couple of bucks: Camera+ and ProCam.

5. Study Pinterest. Really take some time to look at Pinterest and see what catches your eye. I am not saying that you should copy other bloggers but use what you see as inspiration. What kind of fonts appeal to you? What kind of pictures? What pins would you be willing to pin without even reading the posts? What turns you off about certain pins? Make some mental (or actual) notes and keep those handy for creating your own super pinnable posts.

Happy blogging! XO, ellie

p.s. THE Pin It Party goes live every Wednesday night at 10 pm EST! Would love to see you and your pinnable posts there!

And now it's your turn!  Link up your Friday Five post below!


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