I recently joined Pinterest after receiving an invite. I get invitations from social networks all the time, so usually pay no attention to most of them. But, I am so glad I took the time to actually explore the site to discover the incredible networking and art promotional possibilities Pinterest holds for me and my art.
You may be saying “Not another social network!” It’s kind of difficult to be active in all of them. But I think Pinterest may be especially useful for artists, especially when used in conjunction with Google+ and Facebook.
Why should artists be excited about joining a new online pinboard website such as Pinterest?
The sheer graphical nature is what attracts most. Simply do a search, and the resulting page is literally filled to the brink with images from Pinterest members representing pins and collections.
Without the users, which this virtual pinboard website does not lack, Pinterest would be a barren wasteland. The only graphics here is the user generated content, and there is plenty of it. The emphasis certainly is imagery, whereas the focus on other networking sites is often a mix of text, links, graphics, and sometimes video.
There are many reasons for artists to be very excited about Pinterest, besides what I have already mentioned, and I will list them below.
The Benefits of Pinterest for Artists
- Pinterest is FUN
The great thing about Pinterest is that it is actually FUN to explore and check out other pins. This site is literally filled with artists and others from all walks of life. Browsing the thousands of pinboards can be a very rewarding and inspiring experience for artists. It is certainly a great place to find inspiration for artworks and projects. Pinterest is basically the best the web has to offer. If suffering from creative block, I don’t think you will be for long by spending some time here.
- The photos at Pinterest are large and optimally displayed
Images of art are large and displayed in a very attractive way, surrounded by a neutral light gray color. The focus is the photograph, and not image and text as in Facebook and Google+.
Art Collections
Pinterest allows artists to create full collections of artworks. A short message may be included at the bottom, along with a website link.
To add a pin on the site, click the Add+ button. This brings up a box which includes options for creating a new board, uploading a photo from your computer, or inserting a web address or photo link.
- Fill in the pin description
Include a brief summary. A url may be included here, and also within individual post descriptions. Try to do it discreetly, as Pinterest frowns on shameless self-promotion.
If you pin your own websites and profiles, a link is included back. When others share your pin, the link is included as well. This is actually a very effective link building strategy to help your art site achieve higher ranking.
- Variety
A pinboard can be created based on virtually anything. They may be a collection of artworks, recipes, interesting websites, design ideas, bookmarks, etc. Basically, whatever one may think of can be collected and shared. If inspiration is needed, Pinterest is certainly the place to find it!
I am planning on a few pinboard collections, and you may use the same ideas if you want:
Facebook pages – artists that I am inspired by on Facebook
Google+ posts – a collection of my favorite postings there
Web designing sites – some of my main sources for learning html, css, and general webpage design
Favourite Youtube videos – Tutorials for video slideshows, art studio tours, and more
Photoshop tutorials – I am always interested to learning new ways of utilizing Photoshop for web designing and optimizing images of artworks.
Artist Spotlite Websites – A collection of the websites of artists featured at Artpromotivate!
- Sharing Pins
The pins can be easily shared by liking and repinning.
The liked images appear under the likes section in the Pinterest profile. Repins are added to a collection, and can be continually repinned, with the source link always remaining intact.
Suggest a pin to another member by including @ in front of their name. Other users can be mentioned in comments or descriptions. They will also be notified when doing so.
Others may contribute to a board. Find the edit button on a pin-board, and select “Me + Contributors”.
Then enter the name of any of your followed members, so that they can add their own contributions to the pinboard.
- Pin and Follow Buttons
These can be added to any website, and are included on the Goodies page. A “Pin it” bookmarklet is available for Google Chrome, for instant pinning directly from a web browser.
- Artworks can be priced!
The $ or £ symbols can be placed right before the artwork price. This allows for artists to sell their art directly from Pinterest.
Request a Pinterest Invitation
For now, Pinterest is by invitation only. Invites can be requested at the Pinterest site, but this often takes anywhere from a couple days to weeks. I can send you an invite, but because of the sheer volume of Pinterest requests, I have to limit sending invites to subscribers only.
Subscribers: Include your name and email below (in the format "gmatthews9 at gmail dot com” to prevent a spam bot from snatching it)
Non-subscribers: Please subscribe first, then follow the above instructions.
I have more artworks to add to my Pinterest pinboard now.
To follow me on Pinterest , please go here:
I have been looking at peoples collections on this site for a little while now and it looks like quite a nicely organized and fun sort of site.
ReplyDeleteHere is my email:
leakyla at gmail dot com
Cheers,
Kyla
@Kyla Hynes
ReplyDeleteThanks Kyla! I just sent your Pinterest invite... :)
@Marsha Hamby Savage
ReplyDeleteThanks Marsha!
I just sent your invite... if you don't receive it right away, try checking your spam folder. Emails often end up there with Yahoo accounts.
@JJ Jacobs
ReplyDeleteInvitation sent! Looking forward to seeing you there, as well as Marsha and Kyla!
I've been on Pinterest for about a week now and I'm hooked. I think I missed my calling as an art collector. http://pinterest.com/zacknotes/art-canvas/
ReplyDeleteI've been on Pinterest for about a week now and I'm hooked. I think I missed my calling as an art collector. http://pinterest.com/zacknotes/art-canvas/
ReplyDelete@ZNotes
ReplyDeleteI certainly agree! Pinterest is very addictive!
Greetings Graham,
ReplyDeletePlease send an invitation to:
peteco at explodingeye dot com
@Peter
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter! Your Pinterest invite is sent..
Great post- I'll take the plunge tho I foresee many hours searching pinned albums! Please invite leslie at leslieleeart dot com
ReplyDeletethanks!
@Unknown Thanks Leslie!
ReplyDeleteI just sent your Pinterest invite!
Hi Graham,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all of your helpful tips! I am following you on several social media channels. I don't know how you find the time to do so much!
Could you please send a Pinterest invitation to:
artnews at corpnote dot com
Thanks!
@Sarah Miller
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah!!
I just sent the Pinterest invite!
@Sharon`s dabbles
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon, I just sent your Pinterest invite... hope I got it right... :)