Pinterest 101 The basics for getting started on Pinterest

Helen Matthes Library, 2013

Pinterest

• Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing images from the Internet or your hard drive of things you love • Books, recipes, home décor ideas, knitting, animals, exercise,

family pictures, etc.

• The most popular boards are 1) DIY/Crafts, 2) Recipes, 3) Quotes

• Use Pinterest as a search engine, e.g. search for dessert recipes, crafts, activities for kids, etc.

• A social aspect is also involved. Pinners can “follow” people and see their pins.

Pinterest Dictionary • Board – Pins are organized within Boards. Think of them like file

folders. Example board names are DIY, Recipes, Fitness, etc. • Feed – Images pinned by the people you follow comprise your feed.

When you open Pinterest, all of the images you see are considered your feed.

• Followers – People who are following you. Your pins appear in their feed.

• Following – People you are following. You will see their pins in your feed.

• Heart – Formerly known as “Like”. Acknowledging you like someone else’s pin, but not actually pinning it to one of your boards.

• Pin – An image taken from the web or your computer and pinned to a board on Pinterest

• Pin It Button - Lets you easily grab an image from a website and add it to one of your pin boards

• Pinterest – Virtual pin board used to share and organize images found on the web or your own personal images from your computer

• Secret boards – Boards you have created that other people cannot see, e.g. surprise party ideas

HAPPY PINNING!

Create an Account

1. Go to www.pinterest.com, click “Join Pinterest”

2. Connect by either

a. Using your email and a password or

b. Using either your existing Facebook or Twitter accounts

3. Choose Boards to follow

a. Boards are how pins are organized, kind of like file folders. Choose five boards to follow to get you started (you can always delete

these later)

b. Click “Next” at top/right

4. Take the tour!

Pins & Boards • “Pins” is the term for the images you save. Pins are saved to

boards.

• “Boards” are like file folders in that they help you to organize your individual pins. It makes finding them later easier.

• How To Create A Board

• Next to “Your Name” click the plus sign. A drop down menu appears, click “Create a Board”. Follow the directions.

• Alternatively, boards can also be created when you pin an image. On a Pin click “Pin It”. Click the “Boards” button and scroll to the bottom. Enter new board name.

1. From the Pinterest Feed

1. When you are signed in to your Pinterest account: • Hover in top/left corner of pin, click “Pin it”

• Choose a board or create a new board

• Write a comment. Pinterest gives you 500 characters. If you don’t want to write a comment, hit the space bar.

• Click “Pin It”

How to Pin 1. From the Pinterest feed 2. From your computer 3. From the World Wide Web

2. From Your Computer

1. You can create an original pin by using an image that you have stored on your computer

• At the top right of your Pinterest page click the plus sign and “Upload a Pin”

• Browse to find the picture you want to pin

• Select a board and make a comment

• Pin it!

3. From the World Wide Web 1. Pin It Button

• The Pin It button is a button that can be placed in your favorites bar of your search engine. While surfing the web, when you encounter an image you like, you can click the Pin It button to quickly and easily save the image to one of your boards.

• Click the plus sign and all the way at the bottom click “The pin it button”

• Follow the instructions

• While surfing, once you’ve clicked the Pin It button, all of the images on that page will appear. Simply click on the image that you want to pin, choose a board and make a comment. It’s as easy as that.

2. Copy/Paste Web Address • If you encounter an image while surfing the net and don’t have the

Pin It button:

• Copy the web address and then go to Pinterest and click the plus sign, then “Add From A Website”. Paste the address and click “Find Images”. Choose the image you want, comment and pin it.

Find a Pinner

• If you are looking for a specific person on Pinterest:

• Type their name in the Pinterest search bar (top left)

• Three options will appear on the left: Pins, Boards, Pinners. Click “Pinners” to find the person.

• To find email or Facebook friends on Pinterest:

• Click “Your Name” in top right

• In the drop-down menu click “Find Friends”

• If you’re linked to Facebook, Pinterest will automatically look for your friends. If not you can click the “Find Facebook friends” button and follow the instructions.

Personalize Your Account

In Pinterest click on “Your Name” to begin personalizing your account

1. Picture

a. Click on “Your Name”, then “Your boards”. Hover your mouse in the top/left (in the big white pin, red background) and click “Change Picture”. Follow directions.

2. Description

a. Click on the pencil icon in the description area (top/middle) to write a little something about yourself

3. Other Contacts

a. Other info like website and location can be added in the same place as the Description

Good to Know 1. Read the Terms of Service – Hover over the red/white button (far

top/left), click “About” at bottom/left

2. “Heart” vs. “Pin it” – When you “heart” a pin it does not save to any of your boards. “Pin it” allows you to save to a specific board and make a comment.

3. Click through – Click on the pin to get to the source. You want to do this to find tutorials, recipes, etc.

4. Secret Boards – Boards that only you can see can be created by going to “Your Name”, “Boards”, scroll to bottom and select “Secret Board”.

5. Move pin - To move a pin from one board to another, on the Pin click on the pencil and on the drop-down Board menu highlight the board you want and click “Save Changes”.

6. Search your pins – In the search bar type the name of the pin you’re looking for, hit enter and then under “Show” click “Just my pins”.

7. Notifications – A little number will appear in the top/right (double pins in thought cloud), informing you when someone pins or hearts one of your pins.

8. Send – Send the pin directly to your friend’s email by clicking on “Send” and following the prompts.

Happy Pinning!