Anatomy of the Perfect PinPinterest is the fastest growing social media network in the world at the moment Why Because it is visual Because it allows us to share the things we love Because it is easy to usehellipand because it is fun I highly recommend you try it out

Pinterest has been breaking records left right and centre in the past year It surpassed 10 million users faster than any other stand-alone site in history It recently outstripped the traffic of Google+ LinkedIn and YouTube combined and it is now capable of driving more referral traffic than Twitter If that doesnrsquot get your attention then maybe this will

In September 2012 TechCrunch reported that Pinterest had reached a point of driving more traffic than Yahoo organic traffic and became the 4th largest driver of traffic worldwide

Got Your Attention Yet With the rise and rise in the popularity of Pinterest there are countless blog posts websites and training programs popping up that are dedicated to the platform Getting the basics of pinning is relatively easy to do (see red box above) and Pinterest itself provides some excellent tools for getting started

ldquoWe are in a new era of social media - visual social media is the next step in the evolutionof how we share amp connect If you can tell your story with an image yoursquore ahead of the gamerdquo Donna Moritz (Visual Marketing amp Social Media Strategist)

In this report I want to share with you something that I have not shared before ndash my Top 7 Tips for Creating the Perfect Pin Just like in anatomy class I have pulled apart the perfect pin so that you can be aware of some of the elements that will make your content more noticeable more shareable drive traffic to your site

By using even just one of these elements on Pinterest and you will be step ahead of most users when using the platform for business Letrsquos Get Started

ARE YOU A BEGINNER ON PINTEREST Check out my Pinterest Infographic (and the original article at AmyPorterfieldcom) by visiting httpsociallysortedcomaupinterest-infographic Shared over 11000 times on Pinterest Twitter Facebook amp LinkedIn (5000 of which are re-pins on Pinterest alone) the infographic and article are a GREAT place to begin if you are just starting out

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is1OriginalA study by Business Analytics Company RJ Metrics (2012) revealed that 80 of pins are repins This is a much higher rate of ldquore-postingrdquo of content than most other social media platforms What does this mean for you You have a great opportunity to stand out if you can provide ORIGINAL content on Pinterest Users love fresh original content Original content gets shared more readily on Pinterest because it gets NOTICED Bottom line if you want your content to get repinned for more people to potentially click through and visit your website ndash give them something NEWhellipsomething FRESH

By creating infographics at Socially Sorted we contribute fresh content to Pinterest But your content does not need to be fancy or detailed A quote on a nice background a screen shot of a video tutorial or image for your blog post is enough to catch the eye of Pinterest Users Lifestyle blog JustB do this well - like this original image clicking through to a blogpost

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is2The Right SizeThe Size of a Pin can vary greatly on Pinterest Get your pins to pop and get repinned more often by considering these ldquosize does matterrdquo tips bull A tall pin takes up more ldquoreal estaterdquo on the Pinterest Feed That means there is more chance of it

getting ldquonoticedrdquo amp repinned But be careful Just because you can go up to 5000 pixels in height doesnrsquot mean you should Really long pins start to look a little obnoxious in the Pinterest feed

bull The maximum width of pins on Pinterest is 600 pixels Make it any wider and it will be resized (and distored) by Pinterest Plan to get your dimensions right when pinning original content

bull Any smaller than 80 pixels in height and width and Pinterest wonrsquot recognise your imagebull Try to hit the ldquosweet spotrdquo for pin size on Pinterest In the example below notice how the 30 Dr

Seuss Quotes stand out And notice also how it is just double the height of a normal pin You donrsquot need a massive infographic to make an impact

TIP Sometimes just a little extra height will get more Pop for your Pin But remember that you want the pin to stand out without the person having to scroll down forever to see all of it

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is3OptimizedIf you think that Pinterest has no bearing on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) then think again Pinterest Pins get searched on Letrsquos get something straight though Pinterest links are for the most part no-follow which means that they do not attract a ldquolinkrdquo for SEO purposes in Googlersquos eyes but they DO attract traffic If someone likes your original pin and they click through on it and the source of the pin is your website (did I mention that it is a great idea to pin original content from your web-site) then you will get referral traffic to your site People search Pinterest for infomation Just like Google your pins are searchable within Pinterest What happens when the person clicks through to your site depends on what they find how your site is set up and whether you have optimized your content to keep them there (but thatrsquos for another day) Ensure your Pins are Optimized wherever possible This means

bull Including Your Source URL - Make sure you the source URL in two important places Link This is the section where you can edit your pin and add the hyperlink Always click on ldquoEditrdquo your pin before finalising and check that the page you want to hyperlink is there The default is usually your home page - if you want to link to a specific post or page add it Description Did you know that by adding the full URL in your description or caption it be comes clickable Possibly not a huge issue if you already have the image linked correctly in the hyperlink section but the more ldquoownershiprdquo you have of your original pins the better bull Using Keywords - Users search boards and pins for keywords Make sure you include Keywords

in your Board Title Your Board Description and Your Pin Description Calling your Boards by cutesy titles may be fun but they might not get great search results Use Keywords

bull Adding a watermark to your pin - this is an added extra (especially if you have optimised your pins on Pinterest) but if you are pinning original content a simple watermark containing your company name or website URL can be very powerful branding (and will ensure that your content always belongs to you

bull Add Price Labels - If the pin is about a product or products add the relevant dollar sign and the price in your description and a banner with the price will automatically appear over your pin (try it - it works) This makes your pin stand out ie add $47 in the description and a banner for $47 will appear across your image And did you know that if you add a price banner your pin will also show up on Search under Gifts on Pinterest (categorized under price range) Love it

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is4PurposefulThe Perfect Pin is one that fits into one of (essentially) two main categories on Pinterest bull it helps with a problem (or teachesgives information)bull it inspires or makes you happy Most Pins fall into the ldquohow tordquo or ldquoemotionrdquo categories We like to find out how to do stuff and we like to be moved and inspired - to feel emotion If your pin (especially your original pin) can do either of these twothings you are off to a winning startbe it an inspirational quote or tutorial on anything from creating a PDF to writing a book to braiding hair What can your business inspire or teach on Pinterest

Michelle Bridges inspires her 12 Week Body Transformation Clients with Side Planking Or do you want to take Beautiful Photos with Kevin and Amanda

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is5Clear and ObviousWhen Pinning Original Content on Pinterest think about 1st Impressions If someone looks at your pin will they know exactly what is behind it (especially if being directed back to your website) as soon as they lay their eyes on it Your pins should be bull Clear donrsquot leave the message behind the pin open to interpretation When the User glances at

your pin make sure that the content on the actual pin (whether visual or written) compels them to click thorugh for more (or repin it for later reference)

bull Obvious make sure that the message is immediately clear Here is an example of how you can ensure that your message is obvious from first glance

Using the above image you can see that a simple photo of a girl reading a book could link through to anything - it might be an article about reading a website about clothingmake up or a post about taking time out for yourself Add a caption and immediately the ldquopinrdquo makes sense By including more detail on the pin itself you are more likely to get re-pins and click through

In the example to the right the content of the pin (or the blogpost behind the pin or image is immediately obvious Sometimes a mix of images and words can be more powerful (and more clear) than an image on its own

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is6MultiModalWe have talked about the importance of visuals but letrsquos take a look at popular pins for a moment Many of them include a ldquomixrdquo of images and words Donrsquot discard words in your images - the powerful and instantly recognizable pins are those that contain some words in the image Some examples of how you could use words with your images are bull title of the pin make the content of the pin obvious to your readers bull choose clear obvious pictures that donrsquot leave much to interpretationbull think about each pin in terms of would the person viewing this pin have to think about what it is

Can I make it clearer with a mix of words and pictures bull Remember that less is sometimes more A simple picture rather than making it complicated can

be more noticeable on the Pinterest Feed A single word or two might have more impact than a full sentence Play around with it

Visual Social Media We have come a long way with social media What began with websites became dynamic web-sites or ldquoblogsrdquo where interacton occurred Posts became shorter and we embraced Facebook and then the 140 characters of Twitter Now we have evolved to visual platforms like Pinterest Insta-gram and other social networks like Facebook are embracing visuals

It is a well documented fact that pictures are shared more readily across all social media plat-forms Did you know that Pictures are processed more than 60000 faster than words We respond to images quicker and we connect with them

If you can use visuals in any way in your social mediado it This is where Pinterest really stands out above other social media plaforms It showcases the power of images so well

Embrace Pinterest It is the perfect platform for Visual Social Media

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is3OptimizedIf you think that Pinterest has no bearing on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) then think again Pinterest Pins get searched on Letrsquos get something straight though Pinterest links are for the most part no-follow which means that they do not attract a ldquolinkrdquo for SEO purposes in Googlersquos eyes but they DO attract traffic If someone likes your original pin and they click through on it and the source of the pin is your website (did I mention that it is a great idea to pin original content from your web-site) then you will get referral traffic to your site People search Pinterest for infomation Just like Google your pins are searchable within Pinterest What happens when the person clicks through to your site depends on what they find how your site is set up and whether you have optimized your content to keep them there (but thatrsquos for another day) Ensure your Pins are Optimized wherever possible This means

bull Including Your Source URL - Make sure you the source URL in two important places Link This is the section where you can edit your pin and add the hyperlink Always click on ldquoEditrdquo your pin before finalising and check that the page you want to hyperlink is there The default is usually your home page - if you want to link to a specific post or page add it Description Did you know that by adding the full URL in your description or caption it be comes clickable Possibly not a huge issue if you already have the image linked correctly in the hyperlink section but the more ldquoownershiprdquo you have of your original pins the better bull Using Keywords - Users search boards and pins for keywords Make sure you include Keywords

in your Board Title Your Board Description and Your Pin Description Calling your Boards by cutesy titles may be fun but they might not get great search results Use Keywords

bull Adding a watermark to your pin - this is an added extra (especially if you have optimised your pins on Pinterest) but if you are pinning original content a simple watermark containing your company name or website URL can be very powerful branding (and will ensure that your content always belongs to you

bull Add Price Labels - If the pin is about a product or products add the relevant dollar sign and the price in your description and a banner with the price will automatically appear over your pin (try it - it works) This makes your pin stand out ie add $47 in the description and a banner for $47 will appear across your image And did you know that if you add a price banner your pin will also show up on Search under Gifts on Pinterest (categorized under price range) Love it

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is4PurposefulThe Perfect Pin is one that fits into one of (essentially) two main categories on Pinterest bull it helps with a problem (or teachesgives information)bull it inspires or makes you happy Most Pins fall into the ldquohow tordquo or ldquoemotionrdquo categories We like to find out how to do stuff and we like to be moved and inspired - to feel emotion If your pin (especially your original pin) can do either of these twothings you are off to a winning startbe it an inspirational quote or tutorial on anything from creating a PDF to writing a book to braiding hair What can your business inspire or teach on Pinterest

Michelle Bridges inspires her 12 Week Body Transformation Clients with Side Planking Or do you want to take Beautiful Photos with Kevin and Amanda

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is5Clear and ObviousWhen Pinning Original Content on Pinterest think about 1st Impressions If someone looks at your pin will they know exactly what is behind it (especially if being directed back to your website) as soon as they lay their eyes on it Your pins should be bull Clear donrsquot leave the message behind the pin open to interpretation When the User glances at

your pin make sure that the content on the actual pin (whether visual or written) compels them to click thorugh for more (or repin it for later reference)

bull Obvious make sure that the message is immediately clear Here is an example of how you can ensure that your message is obvious from first glance

Using the above image you can see that a simple photo of a girl reading a book could link through to anything - it might be an article about reading a website about clothingmake up or a post about taking time out for yourself Add a caption and immediately the ldquopinrdquo makes sense By including more detail on the pin itself you are more likely to get re-pins and click through

In the example to the right the content of the pin (or the blogpost behind the pin or image is immediately obvious Sometimes a mix of images and words can be more powerful (and more clear) than an image on its own

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is6MultiModalWe have talked about the importance of visuals but letrsquos take a look at popular pins for a moment Many of them include a ldquomixrdquo of images and words Donrsquot discard words in your images - the powerful and instantly recognizable pins are those that contain some words in the image Some examples of how you could use words with your images are bull title of the pin make the content of the pin obvious to your readers bull choose clear obvious pictures that donrsquot leave much to interpretationbull think about each pin in terms of would the person viewing this pin have to think about what it is

Can I make it clearer with a mix of words and pictures bull Remember that less is sometimes more A simple picture rather than making it complicated can

be more noticeable on the Pinterest Feed A single word or two might have more impact than a full sentence Play around with it

Visual Social Media We have come a long way with social media What began with websites became dynamic web-sites or ldquoblogsrdquo where interacton occurred Posts became shorter and we embraced Facebook and then the 140 characters of Twitter Now we have evolved to visual platforms like Pinterest Insta-gram and other social networks like Facebook are embracing visuals

It is a well documented fact that pictures are shared more readily across all social media plat-forms Did you know that Pictures are processed more than 60000 faster than words We respond to images quicker and we connect with them

If you can use visuals in any way in your social mediado it This is where Pinterest really stands out above other social media plaforms It showcases the power of images so well

Embrace Pinterest It is the perfect platform for Visual Social Media

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is4PurposefulThe Perfect Pin is one that fits into one of (essentially) two main categories on Pinterest bull it helps with a problem (or teachesgives information)bull it inspires or makes you happy Most Pins fall into the ldquohow tordquo or ldquoemotionrdquo categories We like to find out how to do stuff and we like to be moved and inspired - to feel emotion If your pin (especially your original pin) can do either of these twothings you are off to a winning startbe it an inspirational quote or tutorial on anything from creating a PDF to writing a book to braiding hair What can your business inspire or teach on Pinterest

Michelle Bridges inspires her 12 Week Body Transformation Clients with Side Planking Or do you want to take Beautiful Photos with Kevin and Amanda

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is5Clear and ObviousWhen Pinning Original Content on Pinterest think about 1st Impressions If someone looks at your pin will they know exactly what is behind it (especially if being directed back to your website) as soon as they lay their eyes on it Your pins should be bull Clear donrsquot leave the message behind the pin open to interpretation When the User glances at

your pin make sure that the content on the actual pin (whether visual or written) compels them to click thorugh for more (or repin it for later reference)

bull Obvious make sure that the message is immediately clear Here is an example of how you can ensure that your message is obvious from first glance

Using the above image you can see that a simple photo of a girl reading a book could link through to anything - it might be an article about reading a website about clothingmake up or a post about taking time out for yourself Add a caption and immediately the ldquopinrdquo makes sense By including more detail on the pin itself you are more likely to get re-pins and click through

In the example to the right the content of the pin (or the blogpost behind the pin or image is immediately obvious Sometimes a mix of images and words can be more powerful (and more clear) than an image on its own

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is6MultiModalWe have talked about the importance of visuals but letrsquos take a look at popular pins for a moment Many of them include a ldquomixrdquo of images and words Donrsquot discard words in your images - the powerful and instantly recognizable pins are those that contain some words in the image Some examples of how you could use words with your images are bull title of the pin make the content of the pin obvious to your readers bull choose clear obvious pictures that donrsquot leave much to interpretationbull think about each pin in terms of would the person viewing this pin have to think about what it is

Can I make it clearer with a mix of words and pictures bull Remember that less is sometimes more A simple picture rather than making it complicated can

be more noticeable on the Pinterest Feed A single word or two might have more impact than a full sentence Play around with it

Visual Social Media We have come a long way with social media What began with websites became dynamic web-sites or ldquoblogsrdquo where interacton occurred Posts became shorter and we embraced Facebook and then the 140 characters of Twitter Now we have evolved to visual platforms like Pinterest Insta-gram and other social networks like Facebook are embracing visuals

It is a well documented fact that pictures are shared more readily across all social media plat-forms Did you know that Pictures are processed more than 60000 faster than words We respond to images quicker and we connect with them

If you can use visuals in any way in your social mediado it This is where Pinterest really stands out above other social media plaforms It showcases the power of images so well

Embrace Pinterest It is the perfect platform for Visual Social Media

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is5Clear and ObviousWhen Pinning Original Content on Pinterest think about 1st Impressions If someone looks at your pin will they know exactly what is behind it (especially if being directed back to your website) as soon as they lay their eyes on it Your pins should be bull Clear donrsquot leave the message behind the pin open to interpretation When the User glances at

your pin make sure that the content on the actual pin (whether visual or written) compels them to click thorugh for more (or repin it for later reference)

bull Obvious make sure that the message is immediately clear Here is an example of how you can ensure that your message is obvious from first glance

Using the above image you can see that a simple photo of a girl reading a book could link through to anything - it might be an article about reading a website about clothingmake up or a post about taking time out for yourself Add a caption and immediately the ldquopinrdquo makes sense By including more detail on the pin itself you are more likely to get re-pins and click through

In the example to the right the content of the pin (or the blogpost behind the pin or image is immediately obvious Sometimes a mix of images and words can be more powerful (and more clear) than an image on its own

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is6MultiModalWe have talked about the importance of visuals but letrsquos take a look at popular pins for a moment Many of them include a ldquomixrdquo of images and words Donrsquot discard words in your images - the powerful and instantly recognizable pins are those that contain some words in the image Some examples of how you could use words with your images are bull title of the pin make the content of the pin obvious to your readers bull choose clear obvious pictures that donrsquot leave much to interpretationbull think about each pin in terms of would the person viewing this pin have to think about what it is

Can I make it clearer with a mix of words and pictures bull Remember that less is sometimes more A simple picture rather than making it complicated can

be more noticeable on the Pinterest Feed A single word or two might have more impact than a full sentence Play around with it

Visual Social Media We have come a long way with social media What began with websites became dynamic web-sites or ldquoblogsrdquo where interacton occurred Posts became shorter and we embraced Facebook and then the 140 characters of Twitter Now we have evolved to visual platforms like Pinterest Insta-gram and other social networks like Facebook are embracing visuals

It is a well documented fact that pictures are shared more readily across all social media plat-forms Did you know that Pictures are processed more than 60000 faster than words We respond to images quicker and we connect with them

If you can use visuals in any way in your social mediado it This is where Pinterest really stands out above other social media plaforms It showcases the power of images so well

Embrace Pinterest It is the perfect platform for Visual Social Media

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is6MultiModalWe have talked about the importance of visuals but letrsquos take a look at popular pins for a moment Many of them include a ldquomixrdquo of images and words Donrsquot discard words in your images - the powerful and instantly recognizable pins are those that contain some words in the image Some examples of how you could use words with your images are bull title of the pin make the content of the pin obvious to your readers bull choose clear obvious pictures that donrsquot leave much to interpretationbull think about each pin in terms of would the person viewing this pin have to think about what it is

Can I make it clearer with a mix of words and pictures bull Remember that less is sometimes more A simple picture rather than making it complicated can

be more noticeable on the Pinterest Feed A single word or two might have more impact than a full sentence Play around with it

Visual Social Media We have come a long way with social media What began with websites became dynamic web-sites or ldquoblogsrdquo where interacton occurred Posts became shorter and we embraced Facebook and then the 140 characters of Twitter Now we have evolved to visual platforms like Pinterest Insta-gram and other social networks like Facebook are embracing visuals

It is a well documented fact that pictures are shared more readily across all social media plat-forms Did you know that Pictures are processed more than 60000 faster than words We respond to images quicker and we connect with them

If you can use visuals in any way in your social mediado it This is where Pinterest really stands out above other social media plaforms It showcases the power of images so well

Embrace Pinterest It is the perfect platform for Visual Social Media

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

The Perfect Pin is7ValuableAs with all content the more valuable you can make it for the reader user client or follower the better

Ask yourself bull Who is my ideal client and how can I help them bull What are the problems that keep them up at night bull What inspires them bull What do they need help with

Then provide content in the form of pins that help them with it

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

Thank you for Downloading this ebook

For more information about Donna or Socially Sorted

Please Visit wwwsociallysortedcomau

Or follow Donna and our Team atFacebook wwwfacebookcomsociallysorted

Twitter wwwtwittercomsociallysortedLinkedIn wwwlinkedinindonnamoritz

YouTube wwwyoutubecomsociallysorted

Happy Pinning

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau

Thank you for Downloading this ebook

For more information about Donna or Socially Sorted

Please Visit wwwsociallysortedcomau

Or follow Donna and our Team atFacebook wwwfacebookcomsociallysorted

Twitter wwwtwittercomsociallysortedLinkedIn wwwlinkedinindonnamoritz

YouTube wwwyoutubecomsociallysorted

Happy Pinning

copyDonna Moritz wwwsociallysortedcomau