PRIMING PINTEREST FOR AUTHORS by Pat Hauldren

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest.com is visual blogging, a network of image sharing.

As the days of reading a printed and delivered newspaper decline (Newsweek just announcing they are going all digital, no more print), so do the days of reading.

You might reply, “But Alley, surely reading and text is not completely obliterated?” And my answer is no, not completely, however look at the online zines and newspapers and count the number of images available to the viewer, including the ads.

And think about how much thought and money goes into your book cover, both in print and online. Book covers draw the readers or publishers wouldn’t spend so much money on them. Book covers are visual and now that the internet has so pervaded our day-to-day lives, understanding and using the newest internet social connections is vital for an author.

And now, there’s Pinterest, providing 100% visual posts.

The Pinterest website says:

“Pinterest is a “virtual pinboard.” Pinterest allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web.”

A “pin” is an image added to Pinterest.

Do you use Pinterest?

You collect and share images.

You might not yet think it’s a worthwhile method to increase readership and sales, but don’t overlook Pinterest’s capabilities and opportunities.

But is a visual network helpful to writers?

Yes. Let’s look at some facts and figures:

·         On 16 August 2011, Time magazine listed Pinterest in its "50 Best Websites of 2011" article.

·         In December 2011, the site became one of the top 10 largest social network services, according to Hitwise data, with 11 million total visits per week.

·         In January 2012, it drove more referral traffic to retailers than LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+. (notice it didn’t say Facebook J).

·         Also in January 2012, the company was named the best new startup of 2011 by TechCrunch.

·         In January 2012, comScore reported the site had 11.7 million unique users, making it the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark.

·         According to Hitwise, the site became the third largest social network in the United States in March 2012, surpassing Linkedin and Tagged.

·         The Pinterest app for Android and iPad was also launched on August 14, 2012.

·         Traffic on Pinterest has increased over 2700% (yes, nearly three thousand percent) in the last ten months. With over 10 million monthly page views, it’s the fastest growing standalone website in history. 

·         Users spend more time on Pinterest (average of 15 minutes per visit) than they do on Facebook (average of 12 minutes per visit)  or Twitter (3 minutes). (And by “people” I mean your potential readers.)

·         Even Ann Romney and the First Lady Michele Obama have Pinterest accounts.

Now tell me you don’t want to “pin” on Pinterest.

And, lest I forget, the biggest users of Pinterest are women, almost 70%.

Why is that significant? Because the biggest buyers of fiction books are women.

You are the author. You have to do a lot of your own marketing (well, OK not if you’re Miss Nora or Mr. King, et al.), so you are an advertiser as well. Knowing the statistics of your social media connections will help you market your books optimally (that means easier and to the best target audience).

Pinterest, you, and demographics

You should know the demographics of both your book(s) (YA? Adult? Childrens?) as well as the demographic of your social media connection. Pinterest users tend to be young, about 25 to 44, upper middle class (maybe because they have the time?) and female. (Don’t forget female! They buy.)

As a writer, I am more attuned to words than pictures. When I want the news or to learn something new, I prefer text, not videos or visuals. And you might be like that, too. However, the rest of the world, your readers, aren’t exactly like you, and the especially the younger crowd (younger than me, climbing to old-age-hood) like images and videos. And, the even younger set are indoctrinated to the visual learning style by Xbox, YouTube, TV, and Netflix and so on.

Author Kristen Lamb wrote:

“Pinterest is a splendid tool for word of mouth. With billions of posts a day on the Internet, we all suffer a discoverability problem. Pinterest (and sites like it) help that problem, so in my book, they ROCK. I hope I at least helped you look at Pinterest in a new way. We can take advantage of this site without a lot of the problems. And yes, it is another social site, but this one is easy and fun because who doesn’t love looking at pretty pictures?”

Read Kristen’s article concerning Pinterest and how it can help you become a better writer: Writers, Why It’s Time to Renew Your Love Affair with Pinterest

Are you ready to pin on Pinterest?

Your readers are on Pinterest in huge numbers, huge numbers. And so, you as a writer should be there, too.

You can find me on Pinterest as “alleypat.” Check out my boards and pins:

·         Writers Office Spaces

·         My Articles

·         Writing Workshops

·         Book Events

·         On Writing

A Bit More about Pat Hauldren:

Pat Hauldren writes speculative fiction short stories and novels and nonfiction freelance and for Examiner.com on topics such as hockey, writing, science fiction, women’s sports, and the SyFy Channel, and is a contributor to Beacon-News.com and the North Texas eNews. She is the co-founder of the North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop (NTSFW) and the Coppell Writer’s Group, and is or has been a board member of the North Texas Romance Writers (NTRWA), DFW Writer’s Workshop(DFWWW), and is a coordinator of the Frisco Writer’s Group as well as a member of various other groups both locally and online. Pat is also a freelance editor/copyeditor and is a fiction copyeditor at Cyberwizard Productions. Pat teaches writing workshops both live and online from Grand Prairie, Texas. Find out more about Pat Hauldren at www.pathauldren.com, more about her editing at www.editalley.com or write her at pat.hauldren @ tx.rr.com or editalley @ gmail.com (no spaces).

I hope you will join my class

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