A major key to promoting your blogged book lies in utilizing social networks.Each time you write a blog post, you share the link to that post in an update on each of your social networks, like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Facebook. (I wrote a post about this here.) However, if you aren’t expanding these efforts to Pinterest, you might be missing a large promotional opportunity–and one that can results in book sales.
Pinterest is currently the 10th most popular social network, according to ebizmba. So, why bother with it? Because it is growing faster than any other social networking site and people who use it spend more money, purchase more items and make more transactions on line than any other social media buyers, reports comScore. That means if you promote your book on Pinterest, you’ll be part of the growing social media trend and be able to take advantage of this network users’ tendency to purchase what they see “pinned.”
In a “State of the U.S. Internet” presentation released June 14, 2012,, comScore said Pinterest remains the fastest-growing social network as of Q1 2012, and its users come close only to those of LinkedIn when it comes to buying power.
With this in mind, if you haven’t already, go join Pinterest. Create several types of “boards” to which you will “pin” photos:
- boards that visually depict you as an author–your likes, interests, passions, etc.
- boards for the subject of your book
- boards for the themes and topics in your book
- boards related to other books you will write
- boards related to your business
- boards related to your characters
- boards related to the places in your book
- boards related to the historical time period in your book
You get the idea…
Make sure you use a photo in each blog post you publish. Then pin it to a board after you publish your post. (You will have a chance to “tweet” your “pin” to Twitter. By all means do this even if you already shared the link on Twitter!) You can highlight your blog title and it will be come the descriptor for your photo
You can also pin other things, of course, to all your boards–and you should. In this way you’ll gain Pinterest followers.
When your book is published, pin posts, guest posts, interviews, reviews, etc. Each time the cover appears on Pinterest you have successfully promoted your book again–and given a Pinterest user one more chance to consider buying your book. Prior to publication, you want to drive them back to your blog and to your mailing list sign up form.
You may initially feel Pinterest is just one more social network to take up your time. I think, however, you’ll find it quite quick and easy–and enjoyable. Eventually, you may also find it profitable a well.
I have some concerns about using Pinterest as recommended here. I’ve heard of bloggers getting sued for using copyrighted material on their blog posts. I don’t see how Pinterest gets around this issue and how someone can protect themselves unless they use only photographs they take themselves or if they own the copyright . What am I missing here?
Sarah,
You are using photos on your blog that you have either paid for, taken yourself or that have a creative commons license. I use a lot of free photos from sites like microsoftimages.com or freedigitalphotos.net. I give them credit appropriately on my blog. Anyone who follows the link back to my blog from Pinterest will see that. You are not taking photos from Pinterest and putting them on your blog. You are pinning photos with appropriate copyright from your blog to Pinterest. Does that make sense to you?
As long as you are using photos on your blog and attributing them correctly–and not engaging in any type of copyright infringement–you are fine to pin to Pinterest.
Happy pinning.
I’m gonna keep away from brussels. I will be grateful in the
event you continue this later on.