Making Pinterest Easy, 1-2-3

In my last blog post, What is Pinterest & Why Do I Love it, I raved about the amazing ways Pinterest keeps me organized, inspired and connected (it’s a handy tool for the 21st century photographer – that’s for sure!) I also promised you that my next post would focus on three main ways to use Pinterest. So, without further ado, let’s get to making Pinterest easy!

There are three ways to fill up your boards with pins. Here, I’ve outlined each…

1. Pin content that you find OUTSIDE of Pinterest using the Pin It Bookmark.

This is a button that you install to your Internet browser. It enables you to pin anything you find on the Internet – as long as there is an image associated with it. And most articles, recipes, and posts on the Internet have at least once image; if not multiple!.

For example, let’s say I just found this delicious Hot Spinach Dip recipe on MarthaStewart.com, and have decided that it might make a great dish to bring to a party in a few months. I don’t want to forget about it, so I’m going to pin it!

Since the Pin It Button is already installed to my browser, all I have to do is simply click on the button, as shown below (I’ve circled it and used an arrow for your reference):



Once I’ve clicked the Pin It Button, I will be prompted to select the image I want to represent the “Hot Spinach Dip recipe” pin. (As shown below, I’ve circled the selected image for your reference. In this case, I had multiple images to choose from, and picked the one I felt most appealing and relevant to the content.)



Once I have selected the image, I will then be prompted to Create a Pin. As shown below, a box will appear and, within that box, I will choose the Board in which the pin will appear. I will also have the option to update the Description.

From the drop-down menu, I select my Board (I selected my “Bon Appétit!” Board). This is displayed in the following image example. For your reference, I’ve included an arrow pointing to my selected Board.

I have the option to update the Description if I wish. For this particular Pin, there was a default description provided, and it was right-on! Therefore, I did not need to update it. (I’ve included an arrow pointing to my Description for your reference.)

Now that my Board has been selected and my Description is done, I’m ready to Pin it. As shown below, you simply click on that red “Pin It” button in the bottom-right corner of the box. (In the following image, I have circled the “Pin It” button and added an arrow for your reference.)

YAY! I’ve have now completed the pinning process. Immediately upon completing my pin, I will likely see something like the following. (This just tells me that my pin went through, and that someone else has also pinned the content – great minds think alike, right?)

*Please note that if you do not see the above example upon completing your pin, it does NOT necessarily mean that your pin did NOT go through. It often appears and then disappears so quickly that you may have just missed it; or perhaps it’s just a technical glitch.

To be sure that your new Pin has been added, you can go into your Pinterest account and check.

In this case, I went into my “Bon Appétit!” Board… and, sure enough, the new Pin has been added! (Shown below, and circled, for your reference.)

 2. Pin content that you find OUTSIDE of Pinterest using the source’s Pin It widget.

Many businesses and blogs have caught on to the value of Pinterest for smart marketing and brand-building and, therefore, have added a “Pin It” widget to their website.

This is an extremely convenient feature! Why? Because even if YOU (the website/blog visitor) do NOT have the Pin It button installed to your browser, you can still Pin content from the source business’s or blog’s website.

AND, even if you DO have the Pin It button installed to your browser, the widget is just a reminder or encouragement to Pin. (And, that’s a pretty smart move on the part of the business or website, right?)

So, what is it exactly? The Pin It widget is just a Pin It button, and may vary in appearance from site to site. Here’s an example of its appearance on the blog, FellowFellow, where I found an adorable gift-tagging idea.

The following image shows the blog’s Pin It button. (I’ve circled it and added an arrow for your reference):

Once you’ve clicked the blog’s Pin It button, you will be prompted to follow the exact steps highlighted in my first example. The only difference is now you’re using the blog’s Pin It BUTTON instead of a Pin It bookmark. Make sense?

3. Repin content you find via Pinterest.
If my first two examples seemed like too much work, you’ll be happy to know that lots of great content can be discovered and then “repinned” to your Boards. This is the easiest and most low-maintenance way to use Pinterest.

There are two ways to come across content on Pinterest: (1) Someone you are following on Pinterest has pinned it; or (2) It came up in a Pinterest Search.

So that you can understand the concept of “repinning” (repin, repinned), let me give you an example.

Let’s say that I’m on the Homepage of Pinterest. Here, several images will appear. These are the most recent pins the people I’m following on Pinterest have pinned. (Man, that was a mouth-full!) Yes, you follow other people’s Pinterest boards on Pinterest!

Okay, so I’m on the Homepage and I notice an amazing rug that would look adorable in my kitchen. “Hmmm… this is a great suggestion for my bf to get me for my birthday this year,” I think to myself. “I better repin it!”

(A screenshot of my Pinterest Homepage is shown below. For your reference, I have circled the amazing rug.)

Alright, so I want to repin it. How do I do that? It’s EASY…

I just hover my mouse over the image of the rug and, upon doing so, the “Pin It” button will appear over the image. (This is shown in the image below, and is circled for your reference.)

Click on the “Pin It” Button. A box will appear, prompting you to choose the Board in which the pin will appear. You also have the option to update the Description. (This is displayed in the following image example.)

Now that my Board has been selected and my Description is done, I’m ready to Pin it. As shown below, you simply click on that red “Pin It” button in the bottom-right corner of the box. (In the following image, I have circled the “Pin It” button for your reference.)

Woo hoo! I’ve now completed the Pinterest repinning process. (That wasn’t too difficult, now was it? Yeah, I didn’t think so!)

Before I end this post, I’d like to mention that you really should implement ALL THREE ways of using Pinterest. If you ONLY repin and experience Pinterest from within the site, you are missing out on a huge opportunity. I mean, just think of all of the great content out there on the Internet… It’s just waiting for you to pin onto your boards, and inspire others to repin onto their boards.

If you’d like to learn more about Pinterest, I urge you to check out Pinterest Tips: A Tutorial Guide for Beginners, a FREE resource provided by The Yummy Life. In fact, it’s a must for any Pinterest newbies or, rather, soon-to-be rockstars!

Stay tuned for more tips on using Pinterest… (Yes, I see this as being an ongoing topic on my blog.) Until then, I hope you enjoyed my overview of the three ways of using Pinterest, and that it’s really making Pinterest easy for YOU.

Gina Mizzoni is a writer and photographer, living in the beautiful deserts of Las Vegas. For her, it’s all about the journey. She enjoys documenting the truth in people and places, and raising awareness for the beauty within and around us. You can learn more about Gina Mizzoni on her blog, Vegas Evolve. For more information about Gina Mizzoni Photography, check out About, FAQs and Investment. To view Gina Mizzoni’s work, please see Galleries